Jess Sah Bi – Jesus-Christ Ne Deçoit Pas

Jesus-Christ Ne Deçoit Pas by Jess Sah Bi is a deeply moving Ivorian gospel recording, finally made available outside Ivory Coast through Awesome Tapes From Africa.

Best known as one half of Jess Sah Bi & Peter One, whose classic Our Garden Needs Its Flowers brought homegrown country-Americana sounds to West African audiences, Jess Sah Bi recorded this solo gospel album in the early 1990s after a life-changing illness and spiritual transformation.

The album pairs Jesse’s soaring French and Gouro vocals with acoustic guitar, harmonica, percussion and keyboard accompaniment from American musicians enlisted during a visit to South Carolina. The result is soothing, contemplative and spiritually rich music that connects Ivorian gospel traditions with folk, soul and country-tinged arrangements.

Presented here on vinyl for a new international audience, Jesus-Christ Ne Deçoit Pas is essential for fans of Awesome Tapes From Africa, West African music, spiritual recordings and deeply personal global folk traditions.