Like many, my introduction to reggae music came in the form
of Bob Marley’s Legend album, of
course, and then a high school friend who peddled a much deeper discography of
the genre. I grew to really dig the music, if not always the personal hygiene
habits of those who most embraced it. Still, in the early 1990s, I must confess
I wasn’t really aware of Apache Indian, one of Great
Britain’s most eclectic and electric reggae
performers. At the time I was more into singer-songwriters of a certain stripe,
as well as straight rock ’n’ roll; for a full 18 months or so I was rightfully
under the sway of U2’s Achtung Baby,
my mind completely blown. Then Dr. Dre’s The
Chronic blew up, fusing gangsta rap with catchy neo-funk.

Through embracing his East Indian heritage and its emphasis
on traditions, Apache Indian developed a unique brand of music heavily
influenced by the bhangra style. The emergence of his cross-cultural fusion
sound brought new fans into the reggae fold, and this concert disc from 2006 —
along with The Reggae Revolution, lauded backing band for Sting, Pato Banton, Gregory
Isaacs, Musical Youth, Half Pint and more — celebrates Apache Indian’s canon in
fine fashion.

Recorded on October 21 at the Musicport World Music Festival
in Whitby, North
Yorkshire, Time for Change
Tour runs just over an hour, and finds the charismatic Apache running
through a solid set of call-to-arms grooves against the backdrop of a simple, primary color lighting design. “Tere Toor” kicks things off,
followed by the trumpet-inflected, Hare Krishna-touting “Don Rajah,” a real
up-tempo crowd-pleaser. Next up are “Movie Over India” and “Chok There,” followed
by new tune “Everyday,” which manages to flog a nice melody over some well-worn
traditional lyrics. “Shackle & Chain” slows things down, bleeding into “No
War” and “Om Numah Shivaya.” A two-and-a-half-minute dholo percussion freestyle
summons up amusing recollections of Venice Beach drum circles before giving way
to “Hey Baba,” “Arranged Marriage,” “Ragamuffin Girl” and “Israelites.” There
are “way-o!” shout-outs and calls for rah-speck aplenty, and the band is great,
with guitarist Vince Mills, saxophonist James Renford and keyboardist Mikey
Nanton all superbly aiding Apache’s gifted flow.

Housed in a regular Amray case and presented on a
region-free disc, this DVD comes with a PCM two-channel stereo track and a
Dolby digital 5.1 surround sound track. The former is vastly superior to the
latter; it seems mixed higher and it covers a higher register too. The picture
is fairly clear, and the direction — while full of some kinetic cuts to match
the call-and-resposne of the music — doesn’t overwhelm the material. There are
no supplemental features on the disc, alas. B+ (Concert) C (Disc)