Exuma
Exuma II

THE REVIEW

His name was Macfarlane Gregory Anthony Mackey and his musical project took the name from the homonymous archipelago in the Bahamas, where he had spent the early years of his life. Worth mentioning though, Exuma is not just a point on the map, but also a spirit descended to Earth from an extinct planet.

This was the incredible visionary and cultural inspiration of “The Obeah Man” – as Mackey was known – a nickname that described his love for spiritual-inspired lyrical and musical transpositions, thereby representing all those magical-religious practices of African culture such as Obeah, Palo, Santeria, and naturally Voodoo.

Analyzing it by music and content, the discography of Exuma is indeed an arduous enterprise to tackle – at least from a critical standpoint – although it guarantees immediate catchiness, even for the less refined auditory apparatuses. It is not excluded, however, that in the future some scribe might succumb and jot down a nice “Unclassifiable” in the space reserved for genre identification; this is just to make you reflect on the incredible sonic concoction that stuffs Mackey's musical cosmos.

Exuma is therefore not just Africa, but also America, from the southern to the more United States, especially regarding the amazing vocal lines that alternate between low, deep tones and more robust and raspy ones: typical features of soul and black music. This Exuma II – released in 1970, a few months after the homonymous debut – presents itself as a more “danceable” and less “psychdark” album than its immortal predecessor, although it doesn't lack magical rites and evil spirits (Paul Simon Nontooth), or even nocturnal “tribal-choral” ballets like A Place Called Earth. Some tracks seem determined to face the light of the sun (African Rythm), while some rays of the same extend towards Jamaican lands with the excellent reggae style of Zandoo. There's also the immense folk ballad – if we can call it so – Baal, which may not have the same evocative power of Dambala, but almost.

ReEXUMA it.