Jess Sah Bi: Jesus-Christ Ne Deçoit Pas CS

Jess Sah Bi is well-known as half of the legendary duo Jess Sah Bi & Peter One, who brought homegrown country-Americana to the West African masses with their smash debut "Our Garden Needs Its Flowers" in the mid-1980s. ATFA reissued their album in 2018, garnering critical acclaim from publications including Pitchfork and Rolling Stone and reaching a new generation of listeners outside Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire). Sometime in the early 90s, Die Sahbi - or Jesse, as he known to friends - became gravely ill with an unknown ailment and almost died. He visited various doctors and all kinds of religious healers and nothing helped. One day he went down to an Evangelical Christian revival in his neighborhood. They prayed over him and he was delivered. He recorded an album of music praising God in order to honour a promise he made to himself at the depths of his desperation in the hospital. "Jesus-Christ Ne Deçoit Pas" came out in 1991 and sold around 3000 cassettes in Ivory Coast. The master tape was lost along the way so the recording has never been on digital platforms until now. Jesse didn't have much time to record while visiting South Carolina, hence the relatively short album. A local pastor connected him with a studio and some American musicians (Robert Fortner and Gary Davis) to help. They added acoustic guitar, percussion and keyboard accompaniment to Jesse's soaring French and Gouro vocals, harmonica and finger-picked acoustic. The resulting recording is deeply soothing and contemplative music that perfectly compliments the songs already embraced by millions.