Takana Zion, main player in the recent Nimba Reggae Festival in Guinea, says the two-day event was a success. The singer, who was one of its headliners, told Observer Online that its impact went beyond music.

Held in Conakry, the West African country’s capital, the September 5-6 show featured Ky-Mani Marley, Richie Spice, Jah Mason, Warrior King, Jah Thunder and Little Robert. Opening day was a meet and greet at Radisson Blu Hotel, with the second day held at Esplanade du Palais. Both attracted strong turnouts.

“The most beautiful thing was to see brothers and sisters coming together. All of the cities in south Guinea came together and Africa unite again,” said Takana Zion. “We are a Pan African country for a very, very, very long time, and we are still willing to build the Marcus Garvey bridge.”

One of Takana Zion’s partners in the Nimba Reggae Festival is Maka Lox, a Jamaican musician/producer based in France. They were introduced to each other 20 years ago by Pierpoljak, the French reggae star.

Maka Lox has produced the lion’s share of Takana Zion’s recent recordings including Sensimillia and Court Case Pending. He also directed him on Good Life, his 2014 album, which was recorded at Tuff Gong studios in Kingston.

Initially influenced by Guinean artistes like Bembeya Jazz National and Keletigui Diabate, Takana Zion’s biggest musical influences were Tiken Jah Fakoly and Manjul from Cote d’Ivoire, two of the most influential figures in African reggae.

– Howard Campbell