Kenyatta Hill, son of the late Joseph 'Culture' Hill, performing at Western Consciousness 2007. - Adrian Frater

Artiste: Kenyatta 'Culture' Hill

Album: Pass The Torch

Genre: Reggae

Rating: Four out of five stars

The 'Culture' legacy of music is being spread from generation to generation in the CD Pass the Torch.

In the summer of 2006 the death of Joseph 'Culture' Hill, leader of the roots group Culture, hours after his final stage appearance in Germany shocked the world. Two years later his music remains strong through the work of his son Kenyatta 'Culture' Hill.

Father and son combine in the aptly named Pass The Torch accompanied with the cover picture of a similarly clad father and son.

The 14-track CD features seven songs from Kenyatta Hill and seven unreleased songs by his father Joseph. With a slight similarity in their voices, Culture's voice however has that distinctive raspy quality while Kenyatta has a crisp and clear sound. The two however share a similar focus with conscious lyrics, sharing also a highly spiritual nature seen in the opening track Pray Dem Off by Joseph Hill and continued in Kenyatta's Take My Hands as Kenyatta sings, "If God inna yuh heart yuh can't wrong."

One of the more touching songs on the track is simply entitled Daddy, although a poignant song on Kenyatta's loss of his father, he sings along to an uplifting melody. In the song Kenyatta sounds almost child-like as he says, "Daddy why did you go, don't you know I love you so?" Yet in the song, although he sings about his loss he remembers the strength his father had to get through the adversities in his life, and uses that as a tool to move ahead.

In the songs from 'Culture' he keeps close to his roots in tracks such as Nyahbingi Tonight and Wickedness in the Ghetto, where he talks about life for the under privileged, singing, "Too much crying in the ghetto, too much empty pockets." Culture's voice brings the listener to the early roots reggae vibe of Jamaican music as he wails about the struggles of Rastafarians in Study Rasta.

Each track, although all reggae, changes tempo and gives the listener different sides of reggae music. From a slight ska to roots to contemporary reggae there is a strong instrumental quality to the album. Kenyatta even goes dancehall style in Empress Haffe Clean, making his voice a bit deeper, Kenyatta talks about the ways of a true Rasta woman deejaying, "she haffe smell fresh not green...Empress caan brawling."

For fans of Culture, Pass the Torch will be a delight bringing back memories of a late and great Jamaican singer. For persons unfamiliar with Culture this album will not only bring them in touch with his work but looks on the new generation of music from Kenyatta Hill.