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french caribbean - various artists Ralph Thamar is probably Martinique's greatest singer and his sensual Mi Se La is no less funky, throbbing in a sea of relaxed rhythms and distinctive melody. While any of the music on the CD may bear the imprints of ragga , latin, Cuban, soul, African, French chanson, jazz or even rap, they are the garments clothing a mighty individualistic trunk of the tree of the African diaspora. Apart from Cuban music zouk and brethren/sistren have been the most influential on the formation of the modern styles that proliferate in Africa itself. You can't mistake the sound for anything else. Michel Martelly & Black Alex take us to Haiti with an outstanding kompa pulsing with the instantly identifiable beats of the island and vocal harmonies. Then it's back to Martinique for a slice of jazzy clarinet-led biguine Parfum Des Iles by banjo player Kali. This lovely insanely catchy instrumental which seems to be based on an early 20th melodic archetype builds and builds with superbly melodic improvisations from clarinet and Kali's exquisitely recorded banjo. Then it's back to Haiti for another piece of twoubadou/ kompa elegance Ki Demon Sa-a by Haiti Twoubadou. Listen to the gentle flute and twisting guitar that float along with the compulsive beats and chants. As at time of writing this collection is one day from release and the advance copy I have doesn't have liner notes or personnel details. A pity, as I would have loved to mention the musicians who contribute here. Jean-Luc Alger is one of the stars of modern zouk and his infectious Man Biswenw avoids the electronic excess that often afflicts the style. If you own Music From The Coffee Lands II then you've already heard the glorious Moso Manman by Haitian chanteuse Emeline Michel, a mini-masterpiece with Emeline crooning in your ear as the rhythm works its magic. Zin add elements of rap to their driving Kanpe You Son Bit yet it is a natural, rhythmic part of their style not a fashionable affectation. Definitely one for the dancefloor. To my ears Carimi's Ayiti (Bang Bang) sounds like a fusion of zouk and kompa….whatever..it is an excellent number with a great series of vocal choruses that punch the air every whichway. The inventors of the modern zouk sound are Kassav. At their best they can cook a Caribbean stew like no-one else although many of their records are monuments to fairly bombastic electronic overkill. French Caribbean closes with a flagwaving live version of their hit Rete. Taken at a fast tempo with the singer exhorting over keyboards that recreate that unique pan sound and the audience singing along in exuberant manner Rete is a masterly rehabilitation. Maybe Kassav should be banned from the recording studios and forced to record live only. I assume ethnomusicologist Jacob Edgar and Dan Storper (founder of Putumayo) had a hand in the compilation of this album. They could have opted for a collection of up-tempo stormers and it still would have been great. There's plenty of music out there. Wisely however they have made selections that will sound just as good in twenty years from now. A superb release. RJ July 2003
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