Released in 1977 as the decolonization of Africa was coming to an end and the hippie movement was well beyond its apex, 'Heart of the Congos' captures the melancholy and longing of those who would not dismiss those values. In Jamaica in the late 1970's, roots-reggae would concern itself with the life of the ghetto sufferer and, to some extent, the idealization of traditional Africa and while the roots-movement may be dead by today, the art created within and about it may certainly still be beautiful and relevant. 'Heart of the Congos' is a beautiful tribute to Africa as well as to the good book; the intersection between the themes is embodied best, perhaps, by 'Fisherman':

Later, in 'Congoman', European imperialism is turned upside down: "Out of Africa/Comes the Congoman/We come with our culture/To enlighten the world". In 'Open up the Gate', then, the gates of Zion are requested opened as "Repatriation is at hand" and former African slaves will return to their homeland. In 'Can't Come In', however, it is revealed that some will have to "Keep on knocking/But [...] can't come in" because in order to enter, "You've got to be clean". At this point, also, the album takes a nearly psychedelic turn and becomes, to me, quite ungraspable. Nevertheless, the second half of the album consists of reggae performed in a beautifully epic way and though it may be unintelligible it is certainly very moving.

Appallingly many reviews of 'Heart of the Congos' focuses on Lee Perry's production rather than The Congos themselves: while Lee Perry has become legendary for his studio work, and this album is, indeed, often considered the apex of his work, it would certainly not have been as great a success without The Congos themselves. Personally, I consider the greatest features of the album to be the lyrics - mainly penned by The Congos: Cedric Myton and Roy Johnson - and the vocals. Nevertheless, Lee Perry's production is brilliant and the importance of his use of modern (to the 1970's, that is) studio technology should not be underestmated, either: he has created a near dream-like backdrop of sounds to eloquently underline the somewhat psychedelic feel of the album.

As a document about suppression, authored not by the victor but by the suppressed, and exploitative colonialism, the album could be understood as a postcolonial work as well. There is a clear fascination for traditional Africa, perhaps even a longing for the precolonial times; a romantic portrayal of the way things were, as well as many descriptions of life in the Jamaican ghettos. In such a context, the album is still highly relevant today and will be for as long as suppression and ghettos prevail.