Album Review- Inna de Yard- Family Affair

It seems like every review of Inna De Yard mentions the Buena Vista Social Club and there are so many parallels, that it is understandable

The roots of the project start with a record label of the same name. The idea of a collective based on natural voices and instruments made outdoors.

There are two releases on the label that I heard and knocked me over - one from a new generation (the much missed Matthew McAnuff) and one from the older (the legendary Ken Boothe), but the world as a whole probably were introduced via the 2017 album and accompanying documentary The Spirit of Jamaica.

Family Affair is the collectives third album which returns some of the genre’s greatest elders : Cedric Myton of The Congos, Winson McAnuff and Kiddus I and some rising reggae stars: Derajah, Kevor “Var” Williams, Kush McAnuff and Steve Newland with a great backing band led by Dwight Pinkney (Roots Radics) that has played on the previous albums

Like any franchise, I think this third album is probably the third in quality if I am ranking them, but like any decent series, it just means that they are all strong.

On the first two albums, the star power was Boothe, the Viceroys, Judy Mowatt of the I- Threes, and Horace Andy.

On this album the headliners are Keith and Tex who sang the definitive version of the much-sampled/much covered reggae classic “Stop That Train”. A new version is here of course. Also, 70s/80s dancehall star Keith Osbourne to perform a version of 1979 hit “Truth and Rights”

I don’t think I can recommend the Inna de Yard albums enough and this one is as good as any to start with. You will be hooked.