Unite (Resin, 1999)

Coming seemingly out of nowhere, Ethiopian Isaac Haile Selassie, an adopted son of Emperor Haile Selassie I (although they didn't have a close relationship) drops Unite, a gorgeous testament to the power of music that immediately thrusts him into the spotlight of the reggae elite.  Selassie's warbling vocals don't peg him as the greatest singer around, but the melodies -- particularly the choruses -- that he writes have a universal appeal that can't be resisted.  Most of the choruses (and indeed, all of the best ones) on this album are sung with gospel-like power and emotion by Selassie's outstanding butter-voiced female background singers.  On some of the tracks, the verses seem almost unnecessary, the rousing choral effects being so dominant.   The singing is backed by a vibrant full-band roots sound, played by such talents as Ras Michael (African drums), Carlton "Santa" Davis (drums), Richard Harding from the Dave Matthews Band (flute), and Spacey Singleton from Fishbone (guitar).  Such a diverse line-up lends readily to Unite's universal -- that is, light (despite heavy subject matter), catchy, borderline pop at times -- sound, as does Selassie's Ethiopian upbringing (although he resides now in California), apparent in his recording of the great Amharic Ethiopian tune "Black Panther."  Only a couple of somber acoustic guitar-driven tracks -- "Love, What You Gonna Say" and "Heading To the End" -- and the dry "Abatechion Hoye Chant" lack the energizing impact that runs through this album, evident in my two favorite cuts, the bouncy "Life" and the fun, yet serious-messaged "Careless Ethiopians."  Overall, Unite is a refreshingly life-affirming statement.