More from Funky Guadeloupe! LES AIGLONS - Le Disque de Vacance (1976)

I must first apologise for the mistake I've made in previous posts about the music of the French Antilles. The music that I've been calling Zouk is not Zouk but cadence. Zouk is a sound that matured in the '80s and relied more on synths than the big bands that appear on these records. Having said all that, I try not to get too hung up on labels, my favourite stuff tends to be that which doesn't sit neatly in any particular category, wriggling about defying adequate description and confounding expectations.

Todays album is great tropical funk that features some really mindbending keyboard sounds and that niggling, itchy beat that really distinguishes these Caribbean bands. Les Aiglons were apparently one of the most popular party bands on Guadeloupe, and the crowd on the cover certainly seem to be enjoying themselves.

Tracklist:

01 Cuisse La
02 En Pe Ke Couper Bab La
03 Lidy
04 Yo Vouai Ou
05 Ti Claudette
06 Mes Illusions

Get it HERE!

Atoumo/Sonoka - Tambours Antillais (Crazed drumming from the French Antilles)

For your listening pleasure we have this weird album from the French Antilles. It's a split album, side 1 by Atoumo and side 2 by Sonoka, not that those names mean anything to me. When I first played this, I was ready to write it off. I thought it wouldn't be worth a second listen. Side one is awash with those eighties synths that try to imitate the sound of a brass section. Then I checked out side two and had the most fantastic surprise:

Furious, frantic and crazed afro-samba thats unlike anything I've heard before, but reminiscent of so much....and on further listens, even Atoumo's synth heavy stuff has a charm all its own.

Tracklist:

01 Mi Atoumo
02 Tambou A
03 Ye Man Atoumo
04 Djik Djak Po
05 Originalite Nou
06 Minm Bet, Minm Pwel

Get it HERE.

Simon Jurad - Ambiance Des Antilles

Zouk is (or was) the party music of the French Antilles, the Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe. It is a hybrid music combining influences from Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and western pop, funk and jazz. The dizzy mix is sometimes disorientating on this great, funky album by Simon Jurad.

Tracklist:

01 Ambiance Nous
02 Critique
03 Deception
04 Changement
05 Colette
06 Mi Bel Jounee
07 Experience

Get it HERE.

Ti Zozios - Moin Ce On Malhere (1979) French Antilles

I think I've said it before but, one of the things I love about car boots/charity shops/jumble sales is that you never know what treasures you might find. Today I found this...zouk music from Guadeloupe. This album kind of drifts along in a very relaxed fashion, and provides a nice dose of sunshine on these winter days. It sounds like Ti Zozios have soaked up a whole load of influences from around the world...congolese rumba rhythms, funky rhodes piano, a bit of calypso all mixed up together and given a good shake with a measure of rum. Delicious!

Tracklist:

01 Moin Ca On Malhere
02 Un Tour en Bateau
03 Vive Madras en Nous
04 C'et Nathalie Je Dis
05 Je Cherche
06 Depi L'Esprit Aou Piti
07 Elle Est Passee

Get it HERE.