Bob Marley & The Wailers released Kaya

Kaya Bob Marley & the Wailers

Released: March 23, 1978 Peak: 50 US, 50 RB, 4 UK, 5 AU Sales (in millions): 0.5 US, 0.1 UK, 4.0 world (includes US and UK) Genre: reggae

Tracks: Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Easy Skanking Kaya (2/71, --) Is This Love (2/25/78, 9 UK) Sun Is Shining Satisfy My Soul (5/78, 21 UK) She’s Gone Misty Morning Crisis Running Away Time Will Tell Total Running Time: 36:59 The Players: Bob Marley (vocals, guitar) Aston “Family Man” Barrett (bass) Carlton “Carlie” Barrett (drums, percussion) Tyrone Downie (keyboards) Alvin “Seeco” Patterson (percussion) Junior Marvin (electric guitar) Rita Marley, Judy Mowatt, Griffiths (backing vocals) Vincent Gordon (trombone) Glen Da Costa (trumpet) Winston Grennan (drums)

Rating: 3.454 out of 5.00 (average of 20 ratings)

About the Album: “Kaya continues what has become an unspoken tradition in the evolution of Bob Marley & the Wailers discography — blending western sounds and motifs with the icons and traditions from the very core of Jamaican society. In fact, the very word ‘kaya’ is synonymous with marijuana in Rastafarian culture. Likewise, the album Kaya could be easily construed as an open love letter or musical paean to the lifestyle that Marley so eagerly embraced and promoted.” AMG “Themes of commonality and unity pervade this release more so than previous albums. Likewise, the overt political stances that had become somewhat of a moniker for Marley and the Wailers are temporarily replaced by timeless compositions, such as the eternally optimistic Easy Skanking and Is This Love.” AMG “Marley had not — as some proclaimed — gone soft, however. The light, at times practically giddy, rhythms on Satisfy My Soul contrast the darker brooding sonic and lyrical images on Running Away.” AMG “The most pressings issues Marley deals with concern ever-increasing spiritual consciousness. Throughout Kaya, humble thanks is offered to, as well as guidance sought from, Jah — evidence that the spirituality that permeates the Wailers music is real and not lip service. Kaya could be considered the oasis before the political and personal eruptions that would inform and influence Marley and the Wailers next studio releases Survival and Uprising.” AMG Notes: “Kaya” and “Sun Is Shining” were first featured on Soul Revolution; “Satisfy My Soul” had also been previously recorded, but not featured on album. The 2001 "Definitive Remasters" edition of Kaya also includes "Smile Jamaica." Although initially issued as the flip side of "Satisfy My Soul," the song was recorded more than a year prior to this album.

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Bob Marley AMG All Music Guide review by Lindsay Planer First posted 3/26/2008; last updated 5/10/2021.