Guadafrica Combo - Moin Ce Roi Roi (1975)

(Debs DD 316).

Few recordings came out this formation from Guadeloupe including great names such as Georges Desplan or Edouard Benoit and directed by Freddy Mars. I would have post it just for the great cover art, but it also turns out to be a heavy tropical track... 

Les Docteurs du Rythme - Haiti Goes Latin (Creole mambo, 60's)

(ANSONIA SALP 1538).

Michel Desgrottes (1923-1993) worked with Guy Durosier in Hotel Rivera orchestra in the 50s. This 60s LP is based on french popular themes brought back by producer Jean Huc and played in a haitian latin style. But Michel Desgrottes' own composition "Ce Pas Fot Moin" is an irresistible jazzy mambo sung in Creole.

Les Docteurs du Rythme - Ce pas fot moin:


Follow with Caribbean sounds on Muzzicaltrips here.

Pico Culture #04 - Soundsystem aesthetics (Baranquilla)

Above painted wood piece is an original decoration from the pico "El Solista", carefully conserved by a fanatical pico lover.

From the 70s each pico developed his own aesthetics through colorful paintings and decorations on the speakers and the control tower. This transmits a real identity to each pico, and can be inspired from pure psychedelic figures (El Dragon, El Cobra), or from personal experiences (for example, El Coreano was created by a colombian man who went to fight in Korea war), or from musical artists (El Pijuan), or from revolutionary figures (El Gran Che, El Gran Fidel). The visual identity personifies the pico, and usually transmits a message of power ("indestructible", "la potencia africana", "guerrillero de la salsa").

It really contributes to glorify the soundsystem, as being also considered as a piece of art.

Carnaval in Santiago de Cuba (1960s)

(Le Chant du Monde, LDX 4250).

Carnavals tour stops for sure in Cuba, through the release of this LP by french label Le Chant du Monde. Liner notes from the cuban writer Alejo Carpentier remind the historical background of original african and Spanish influences blending in Santiago, the second city founded in Cuba.

Presence Africaine Catalogue (1980)

Here's a particular Muzzicaltrips post for book diggers and african literature lovers... Just to have an idea on what was Presence Africaine catalogue in 1980. This Paris-based editor has been since its creation by Alioune Diop in 1947, a real amplifier for african and diasporic written forms of expression, novels poetry, or essays.

Alpha (Chancy Records, Haiti, 1981)

(Chancy Records CCLP7994). 

Although Alpha band comes from Guadeloupe, this LP is produced by haitian bass player (Tabou Combo) Adolphe Chancy.

Frank Valmont & Synchro Rhythmic Ecclectic Orchestra - Malere (1975)

(Moshe Naim Records - MN 30.023). 

Here's a promo copy of a Frank Valmont track "Malére", perfectly balanced between west indies unique rhythms and 70s modern jazz.
He's mainly known as a composer in Guadeloupe and Martinique form the 60s, but also released few records including a LP at Moshe Naim label (MN10023) backed with Synchro Rhythmic Ecclectic Language (a west indies jazz band already introduced in Muzzicaltrips through a great and pretty rare afrojazz 7 inch here).
Some of his compositions also were used as soundtrack for cinema in the 70s, and his cultural activism was multi-approach, including writing and painting (and gastronomy!). 

Jablonski - Soul Makossa (Jamaican Funk, 1973?)

(Randy's VC-011).

Randy's is a well known name for reggae aficionados, as Vincent Randy Chin (+2003) produced and recorded music in his Kingston studio (16-17 North Parade) from the early 60s. Alton Ellis, Sly Dunbar, Augustus Pablo, Gregory Isaacs and many other major figures of jamaican reggae and dub music played there. But in parallel some funky productions were released as influence from the US was growing and corresponded also to a market locally. This is case of this 7 inch on which Jablonski delivers a heavy cover of "Soul Makossa", backed by the studio band "The Randy's Allstars". It's impressive to notice how funky they can play on this track, although their main style is reggae... 

Jablonski - Soul Makossa :


Enjoy some tropical & funky sound from Cabo Verde: HERE.

Ritmo Calipso - Winsop (Panama)

(Ecoll 001).

Another mysterious 7 inch... Found in Colombia but including 2 nice jazzy calypsos sounding like caribbean 60s. It might be a colombian bootleg, as they regularly did with foreign productions, sometimes changing name to avoid any traceability or just because it was unknown. I guess the original track comes from Panama, as Ecoll label released another miscredited 7 inch from De Briano with the Alonso Wilson Quintet (originally on AWB from Panama, check Musica del Alma here).

The A side is sung in english, B side in spanish, but both are really fresh and the singer reminds the smooth voice of Larry Francia, who sung with Ray Perez y sus Kenyas. 

Ritmo Calipso - Winsop:


Discover a caribbean jazz tune from Russ Henderson HERE.

Lord Cobra and Pana-afro Sounds (1979)

(Carnaval 363609).

Calypso is an early swaying tropical style from Trinidad but many productions can be found around the Caribbean: Lord Cobra (1926-2000) was a major calypso figures from Colon, multicultural harbor in Panama. In the late 60s he even made a song announcing the political party of Calypso! Ten years later he still delivers fresh and funny sounds...

Lord Cobra - German:


Article on The Silver People Chronicle: HERE.
More calypso from the Caribbean on Muzziclatrips: HERE.

Caribbean Rhythms from San Andres (1957)

(Folkways FW 8811).

San Andres is a caribbean island with english west indies influence. This is noticeable musically, but this island having being part of nicaraguan and now colombian territory, it also integrates latin culture and spanish language.

Goombay! - Brown Skin Gal

(DECCA ED 2500).

Many orchestras in the Caribbean where initially playing in fancy hotels, and this so called "Authentic Calypso Beat of the Bahamas" is played by Beacham Coakley's Emerald Beach Hotel Orchestra (the singer is Vincent Martin). Goombay corresponds to the name of a bahamian goatskin-headed drum (different from the jamaican squared drum gumbe), but also corresponds to the style of this music which can be considered as a kind of calypso using this specific drum.

The following track "Brown skin gal" is very close to "Matilda",  a 30s calypso (later becoming a famous classic after Harry Belafonte's version).

Goombay - Brown Skin Gal:

Synchro Rythmic Ecclectic Language (afrojazz 70s)

(SONG RECORDS SR 04).

This atypical afro-caribean jazzfunk band includes great musicians as George Edouard Nouel (keyboard), Louis Xavier (bass), Jo Maka (sax). A really groovy blend of influences...

Synchro Rythmic Ecclectic Language - Sipote:


Synchro Rythmic Ecclectic Language also released a LP on Moshe Naim label (MN 12007) on which full band is credited:
Jo Maka: sax
Louis Xavier: bass
Georges Edouard Nouel: keyboards
Saint-Yves Dolphin: perc
Jean-Yves Rigaud: violin
Gérard Curbillon: guitar
Gérard Philadelphe: vocals / perc
Steve Mac-Call: drumsFrank Valmont: vocals

Another afrojazz record likable on Muzzicaltrips HERE.

Caraibes Jazz Ensemble (1986)

FLVM 3086

Breeze is a rare creole jazz fusion album from the 80s. Recording took place in Henri Debs studio in Guadeloupe.

Johnny and Orquesta Rodrigues - African Woman / Lady (Fela Kuti cover, 1974)

(negram NR-110).

Here's another Fela Kuti afrobeat cover, from an artist I initially thought was from Suriname, but i finally discovered he was from Cabo Verde. This country being a portuguese colony, Johnny Rodrigues was supposed to serve in portuguese army to fight Angola independence movement, but he could avoidit flying to the US with his family, and then lived in Netherland during the mid 70s. 
He recorded this LP in 1974, including the track "Hey Mal Yo", which is inspired from traditional Portuguese folk song and dance called "O Malhão" (meaning the winnover), and which became N°1 in dutch charts in 1975. Another track in the album is the Fela Kuti cover Lady, here played with a nice funky groove.

Johnny and his Orquesta Rodriguez - African Woman:

Many artists worlwide covered Fela Kuti songs. Try the afrocolombian weird version of Shakara HERE, or a jazz fusion cover HERE, or a mandingo afrobeat-inspired senegalese folk HERE.

Lady lyrics:

Les Vikings - Marchand Yo (Guadeloupe, 70s)

(RCG 5.032).

Early 70s Les Vikings de la Guadeloupe, on Aux Ondes label. A french west indies nice tropical track, Marchand Yo, composed by Shleu Shleu.


Les Vikings - Marchand Yo:

Remy Mondey - Meringue çe misic en moin

DEBS 179

A great early track with Remy Mondey's accordion and Emilien Antile's superb sax...

Remy Mondey - Meringue çe misic en moin:

MIX /// Tropical Round Trip #3 by Muzzicaltrips

A sound travel around Cuba, Colombia, Peru, Guadeloupe, Benin, Ivory Coast, Angola, Nigeria...

Tropical Round Trip #3 (77min):

Russ Henderson - Caribbean Carnival (1966)

(Allegro ALL 817). 

Russ Henderson, piano and steel pan player, moved from Trinidad to England in the 40s. For this LP he gathered musicians from West Indies to play some really fresh and rythmic versions of calypso and blue beat standards.

Another (good) example of West Indies diaspora playing jazz in a pure caribbean style.

Russ Henderson and his Caribbean Boys - West Indian Drums: