{"id":5698,"date":"2025-03-18T21:56:38","date_gmt":"2025-03-18T21:56:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/18\/selector-a-says-reggae-loves-africa-vol-2-inspired-by-nelson-mandela\/"},"modified":"2025-03-18T21:56:38","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T21:56:38","slug":"selector-a-says-reggae-loves-africa-vol-2-inspired-by-nelson-mandela","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/18\/selector-a-says-reggae-loves-africa-vol-2-inspired-by-nelson-mandela\/","title":{"rendered":"Selector A says \u2018Reggae Loves Africa Vol. 2\u2019 inspired by Nelson Mandela"},"content":{"rendered":"

New York-based reggae producer Eisaku Yamaguchi, also known as Selector A, says his production of \u201cReggae Loves Africa Vol. 2\u201d was inspired by the late South African President and Civil Rights Activist Nelson Mandela.<\/span><\/p>\n

Selector A, who was born in Japan, told <\/span>Caribbean Life<\/span><\/strong> on Monday that \u201cReggae Loves Africa Vol. 2,\u201d which will be released on July 18, 2025, is a project close to his heart.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis album is inspired by Nelson Mandela, the South African anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999,\u201d he said. \u201cHis love for Africa, the future he dreamed of, and the fight he never gave up on is an inspiration to all.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHis unwavering belief in justice and equality continues to resonate with people around the world,\u201d Selector A added. \u201cThrough this album, I hope to carry on that message and inspire not just Africans in Africa but people from all corners of the world to come together and help build a stronger, better Africa.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Selector A said the songs on the disc were chosen to \u201creflect Africa\u2014its beauty, rich history, incredible people, and the challenges it continues to face.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSome of the songs express the message that, within Africa, there are still struggles and issues we must address together to rebuild and heal,\u201d he said. \u201cThis reflects the need for a collective effort to overcome internal challenges.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI focused on music that tells the story of Africa\u2019s past, its culture, and the ongoing struggles it faces today,\u201d Selector A added. \u201cThese songs carry a strong message of hope and unity, not only within Africa but also across the globe.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Given that all genres of music have changed over the past 30 years, Selector A said the positive message of reggae and Africa is still relevant in 2025.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMusic evolves, but the need for positive messages remains constant,\u201d he said. \u201cIn today\u2019s unstable world, we need music that spreads hope and unity more than ever.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs long as people continue to suffer from war, poverty, and injustice, music, particularly reggae, has the power to raise awareness and drive change,\u201d he added. \u201cI believe in the power of reggae music to heal and unite communities across the globe.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI believe in a strong and independent future for Africa \u2013 a future where countries are not reliant on foreign currencies that require reserves to be held outside the continent, and where critical infrastructure is built without excessive foreign debt that could lead to financial instability,\u201d Selector A continued. \u201cI hope to see the creation of a common currency used exclusively within Africa to strengthen regional trade.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In light of his passion for Africa, he disclosed that he\u2019s yet to visit the Mother Land but hopes to visit \u201cthe African savanna one day.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat said, I don\u2019t want to experience Africa just as a tourist. I know that many countries in Africa are safe, but I hope to visit even more places across the continent when conditions allow,\u201d Selector A said.<\/span><\/p>\n

He said he released \u201cReggae Loves Africa Vol.1\u201d in 2014 because he \u201cwanted folks, particularly those in North America, to know what was happening in Africa and to help spread awareness so the continent could move forward.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow, ten years later, things are still tough,\u201d Selector A said. \u201cPeople are trying to fix problems like poverty, war, and disease, but the truth is, many of these struggles haven\u2019t changed much.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAfrica is a beautiful place with so much potential, but it still has many struggles,\u201d he added.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New York-based reggae producer Eisaku Yamaguchi, also known as Selector A, says his production of \u201cReggae Loves Africa Vol. 2\u201d was inspired by the late South African President and Civil Rights Activist Nelson Mandela. Selector A, who was born in Japan, told Caribbean Life on Monday that \u201cReggae Loves Africa Vol. 2,\u201d which will be […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5698","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-latest-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5698","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5698"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5698\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5698"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5698"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5698"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}