At last! Eden Roots Liberation’s album Genesis comes out this month. The Sierra Leonian duo recorded at Manjul’s Humble Ark studio in Bamako, and the album has only been released in Mali and Sierra Leone. Classic Wailers style African reggae, enjoy! The album is available for download in the iTunes store.

I had a chat with Lloyd today, half of Sierra Leonian duo Eden Roots lIberation. We chat about music and how he became a musician. Here are some of his words:

“From the very begining, I loved music, in particular reggae music. I was also living with musicians. When I was looking at them playing, I wanted to be able to do the same. In the same time I was learning to play bass, I began creating my own songs and singing them. It was something obvious for me. I was here to be a musician, a composer and a singer.”

Growing up in Sierra Leone, Lloyd was subject to many new world influences, in particular Caribbean music:

“My most important inspiration comes from Joseph Hill from the Jamaican group Culture, who died recently. They came to Sierra Leone and I saw their concert in Freetown, it was a big moment. I was also inspired by Don Carlos, who was a member of the 12 tribes and who taught me to play music.”

Eden Roots Liberation now has an album under their belt, they’ve been playing consistently throughout West Africa and are eager to spread their message of awareness – as in the song “Open your eyes”, peace and love, especially for the younger generations. Lloyd hopes to play and push his message as far as the US, especially “because the reggae doesn’t seem to be very popular [there]“.

Through Bamako’s French Cultural Center I met Lloyd Tommy, half of Eden Roots Liberation. He and his partner Patrick Kousi are originally from Sierra Leone, the met in Freetown in 1990 through Massive Roots Band, a local reggae group. They started touring West Africa playing for Malian reggaeman Askia Modibo in the late 90s before settling in Bamako, Mali in 2000. After collaborating with many other regional artists, Eden Roots Vibration released its first album, Genesis, in 2006 in Mali, and eventually in Sierra Leone in February 2008. Akwaaba will release the album worldwide in late 2008.

Contacts at the Centre Culturel Français (French Cultural Center) of Bamako pointed me in the direction of young musicians experimenting with traditional sounds and new music styles. I met Chanana, leader of Diata Sya, who’s first album is both creative and diverse, with hip hop and dancehall songs using typical Malian instruments and chords. Yet it’s never been released outside of Mali, it almost got released in France but the project fell through the cracks. We’re happy to give it a second chance, this time worldwide!

Through the CCF I also met two other great singers. First I met Lloyd, a Sierra Leonese who fled the war in his native land, and settled in Mali where he formed Eden Roots Liberation with his partner Patrick. I also met Jahman, who is originally from Cameroun but also chose to live in Bamako. Akwaaba will release both of their reggae albums, Genesis and Waiting for the News, which were produced and arranged by roots-sound wizard Manjul. Oh and Jahman’s album has some very nice dubs…

Eden Roots Liberation’s Sierra Leonese singer Lloyd Tommy (Bamako, Mali)