Haven't had many Hanukkah Alerts recently, but this certainly counts. The Temple Rockers, based in Ithaca, N.Y., are an old-school reggae band who have put together an album of traditional Jewish songs for Hanukkah in 2018, with the help of Jamaican vocalists Linval Thompson, Wayne Jarrett and Ansel Meditation. Not sure how Jewish folks feel about the cultural appropriation by the Rastafarians, but Matisyahu has been working this beat for a long time without too much controversy. You hear Thompson's vocals on "Days Long Ago," often known as "Hanukkah O Hanukkah," plus he sings "Spin Dem." Jarrett is heard on "Rock of Ages" and "Almighty Light," and Meditation is the vocalist on "Who Can Retell" and "Do You Know Why?" Instrumentals include "Festival Song," "Pour Some Oil," "A Lickle Jug," and "The Blessing," and the regular members of the band sing "I Have a Candle" and "About the Miracles." I miss the original reggae sounds, and this album provides them in spades, while tipping its hat to Hanukkah. Just noticed while finishing this post that they've already remixed the album and made a dub version titled, wait for it, Festival of Dub.
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