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Now here’s an artist I’d never heard before. Young
songstress/composer Izaline Callister hails from Curacao, the
C in the ABC isles of the Dutch Antilles (Aruba Bonaire Curacao).
She originally moved to the Netherlands at the age of 18 in order
to study business administration and ended up succumbing to her
first love…music. Krioyo is Izaline’s third album,
an alternately haunting and joyful cocktail of Curacaoan and Afro-Caribbean
melodies and rhythms.
She penned 4 of the 12 songs and most of the
lyrics which are sung in Papiamento, a fusion of Spanish and Dutch.
Backing her are a quintet of talented Curacaoan musicians, including
bassist Eric Calmes and pianist Randal Corsen. I consider this
disc to be a real discovery. Izaline has all the qualities of
a world music star in the making…possessing not only great
physical beauty but an astounding, flexible voice that sounds
like no other. She interprets traditional and modern material
with heart-felt emotion, loving care and jazzy acumen. Krioyo
is a rich tapestry which moves from evocative Afro-classical danzas,
zouk, soukouss, jazz balladry and Afro-Peruvian touches to interpretations
of such Curacaoan musical styles as tambu, tumba and muzik di
zumbi.
Krioyo kicks off with Awaseru (Rain). Gently
paced over a danza rhythm and orchestral strings, its pentatonic
structure, floating female chorus and marimbula (the rumba-box
and new world equivalent of the thumb piano) lend the piece a
haunting, unique West African flavour. Wow’ I Karino (Eye
Of Love) brightens the mood with an acoustic rendition of the
popular zouk style. I draw the listener’s attention, on
this song and elsewhere throughout Krioyo, to the combination
of poise and swing the strings give to the music and to the simple
yet effective call and response of the vocal chorus. Mi Sopi soukousses
up a local rhythm pioneered by Curacaoan Macario (Macai) Prudencia
in the 60’s with Ulrich de Jesus’s guitar, the only
electric instrument on the set, by the way. Yudami Lubida means
Help Me Forget but does anything but, building its Brazilian sounding
ballad base into a passionate crescendo of intensity.
Izaline updates the Antillean waltz tradition
on Ta Abo So, another number to highlight the shimmering tones
of her voice. Redashi (Gossip), a piece composed by Randal is
constructed around tumba rhythms. It is elegant, traditional and
deliriously exciting with a decidedly Afro-Peruvian feel, especially
when the pianist enunciates the theme. While the string arrangement
might call to mind Cuban charanga, Dia Liber (Day Off) stretches
out in a jazzier fashion with a pulsing finale. The second half
of Krioyo evinces more overt African influences. After another
elegant ballad Aworo (Soon), Izaline’s brother Roel introduces
a traditional tumba Ko Bi Se (Whatever You Want) on the benta,
the African mouth bow.
Mi Sekreto (My Secret) rivals the most exciting
Afro-pop heard anywhere with the singer, rhythms and chorus seemingly
possessed by the spirits yet it is acoustic, sports a string arrangement
and is exquisitely poised. A deadly number. To my mind Ultimo
Amor (Last Love) is the jewel of the ballad material, an unearthly
tour de force that melds jazz and classical music with a string
quartet and a voice that draws you to intense contemplation .But
before the listener has time to reflect, Izalene has taken to
the streets with Telenovela (Soap Opera), just vocals, chorus
and percussion, a tambu rhythm piece that brings Krioyo to a close.
This singer has earned the unstinting praise of all who have heard
her both in concert and on record. The Dutch and Antillean press
have dubbed her the queen of Antillean jazz while in 2000 she
was crowned Tumba Queen at Curucao’s annual carnival. Krioyo
completes the trifecta. A towering achievement. Richard Jasiutowicz
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