Among the many exciting pop musics bubbling in the Caribbean at this moment, the most creative is coming from Haiti. A “new wave” of Haitian music called nouvel jenerasyon is complementing the classic compas sound of the past 30 years by looking further inward to roots elements and at the same time looking further outward to incorporate outside influences like zouk, rock and more.
In the past few years, New Orleanians have been treated to two of the rootsier groups of this movement, Rara Machine and the incomparable Boukman Eksperyans. This year’s Jazz Fest schedule, while rather sparse in the lineup of Caribbean and African acts, will present another side of the Haitian coin by including an outstanding Haitian nouvel jenerasyon group called Zin.
This band is a must-see for all fans of zouk music (the dynamic creation of the French Antilles islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique), since Zin is for all intents and purposes a zouk band. The band features many of the signature sounds of Antilles groups, from full horn sections and heavy incorporation of synthesizers to female backup singers and dominant, ringing percussion. Every song on the band’s two LPs is state-of-the-art zouk rivaling that played by the harder zouk artists like Gazoline, Zouk Allstars and Ronald Rubinel, and friends have sent me enthusiastic reports on the band’s live performances.
By having the zouk influences far outweigh the compas roots of the music, the band represents the far end of the spectrum of Haitian bands that incorporate outside influences. I’ll admit that I find it much more interesting to listen to Haitian nouvel jenerasyon that blends zouk (and other) elements into classic Haitian sounds a bit more evenly, and the scene includes many extremely creative musicians succeeding at this. Nonetheless, it’s wonderful that we’ll finally get to hear some live zouk music, even if it is ironic that it will be played by a Haitian band.
The French Antilles will be represented this year by a large carnival band from Martinique called Sasayesa. In essence a marching band, Sasayesa’s decidedly Caribbean style, propelled by the charging biguine vide rhythm, is as exciting to see and hear as are New Orleans’ best high school marching bands. Made up of row after row of drummers followed by a large horn section heavy on the brass, the band plays long medleys of Martinique carnival songs, a repertoire that includes recognizable French songs like “Allouette” and “Frere Jacques” alongside strictly local numbers. Those who saw Martinique’s Plastic System Band a few years ago will have an idea of what Sasayesa is like.
I walked along with Sasayesa for at least six kilometers in a parade in Martinique last year and could not get enough of them. When the horns weren’t playing, the drums, bells and ti bwa percussion were sufficiently interesting in themselves. The full contingent included around 50 members, complete with three energetic dancers leading the band. I don’t know how many are coming for Jazz Fest, but I have no doubts that Sasayesa’s performance will be memorable.
Two different acts from Africa and a third from the huge island of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean will be appearing at this year’s Jazz Fest; two are exotic and rather mellow and pretty in style, the third a master drummer from Dongon, Senegal. For the first time since his return from “retirement,” Nigeria’s King Sunny Ade will be here, performing both at the Fair Grounds on the second Sunday and at an evening concert at the Municipal Auditorium the night before. And for two performances (Thursday and Friday of the second weekend), we will be treated to Tarika Sammy, one of the Malagasy bands brought to international light in 1991 by the Shanachie Records release Madagascar: A World Out Of Time. Mor Thiam and the Drums of Fire appear on the bill on the Thursday of the second weekend.
It’s been several years since King Sunny Ade has been here to bring us his sensual, flowing juju music, so this opportunity should not be missed. New Orleans fell in love with King Sunny and juju music back in the early ’80s when he first performed at the Dream Palace during Mardi Gras, and his subsequent appearances at Tipitina’s over the last decade have been sell-outs. Juju is great dance music and great listening music. Outdoors it can’t be beat.
The sound of juju is a richly melodic wash of electric guitars playing sustained chords while a churning rhythm section bubbles underneath with the tonal sound of talking drums. We have been blessed with the performances of four or five different juju bands in the past decade, showing the wide range of possibilities. Some bands have concentrated mostly on rhythm and lyrics (a formidable barrier to those of us who don’t speak Yoruba) while others have put major emphasis on melody. The juju music of King Sunny in particular is the most melodic of those we’ve heard here, and it’s easy to walk away from his gigs humming a few favorite songs. This could well be the key to his immense popularity in New Orleans.
Those of us who have seen King Sunny on more than one occasion may be in for a musical surprise at his Jazz Fest performance. In a recent interview in Beat magazine, Ade related that Nigerian audiences are demanding faster tempos as of late, and consequently the music on his past few records (he releases an average of one record every three to four months in Nigeria) is not quite so slow and relaxed as the old sound to which we are accustomed. It will be interesting to see whether he can up the tempo and still retain the gliding flow that is his signature sound.
Likely to be unknown to all but a handful of New Orleanians is the Madagascar performer Tarika Sammy, which is actually a four-piece band (the name in Malagasy means “Sammy’s Band”). A World Out of Time and a few other recent releases of Malagasy music have unveiled a very exotic and rich musical tradition from Madagascar. A variety of traditional and pop artists have been presented, but even the pop acts (including Tarika Sammy) draw strongly on tradition, achieving a contemporary sound mainly through the use of electric instruments. Three traditional instruments that play a large part in the sound are the zither-like valiha, the flute and the guitar-like kabosy, but Tarika Sammy includes a wide variety of local instruments in its instrumentation.
But this is academic. The sound is mesmerizing in its diversity, rhythms and truly foreign melodies. The incredible array of musics coming from Africa is often a blend of the familiar and the exotic, while at other times it can really send you off into unknown territory. Malagasy music is in the latter category. American folk and country & western music are cousins of this music, but the vocal harmonies and rhythms don’t let us forget the foreign origins. This is the kind of music that, in the Fair Grounds setting, may provide an almost transcendental Jazz Fest experience.
I hesitate to call Mor Thiam and his Drums of Fire a traditional act, since he has worked with a whole roster of American jazz musicians over the years, including the set with the World Saxophone Quartet that made such a splash at last year’s Fest. He is a historian of the Wolof people who uses drums for musical accompaniment, so his music will surely be based on tradition. But it remains to be seen what Western influences he may have incorporated into his sound. These “wild cards” on the Jazz Fest schedule often turn out to be the most pleasing.
The emphasis placed on international acts often tends to shift attention away from New Orleans bands, many of which are highly talented and original. The fact that there are few international Caribbean and African acts on the bill this year may prove to be a blessing for our local acts by drawing larger crowds for their performances.
On the reggae front will be the Shepherd Band (New Orleans’ longest-running name in reggae), Cyril Neville’s Uptown Allstars, Y’Shua Manzy, Plantation Posse and lrie Vibrations. All of these bands play the gamut of reggae styles, from roots to lover’s rock, and in their own way each is great. Cyril’s Uptown Allstars, the funkiest of the lot, concentrate on the roots, and are, along with Y’Shua Manzy, arguably the most original. Manzy is not afraid to borrow rock and funk licks in his original material, and Cyril is most convincing in his delivery of social commentary.
From Baton Rouge comes Algorhythms, another reggae band that is very tight and entertaining. They stand apart from the other bands in that their repertoire includes a frenetic dose of ska revival era tempos.
New Orleans boasts many first class Latin bands, and the ’93 schedule presents four: Nueva Generacion, Ritmo Caribeno, Hector Gallardo and Ruben Gonzalez. All feature members from Central America and/or Cuba/Puerto Rico, so their musics are authentic blends of Latin and American influences. Nueva Generacion and Ritmo Caribeno mix in helpings of soca, reggae and zouk in their sets, while the legendary Cuban film star/singer Ruben Gonzalez always delivers a magnificent performance of classic Cuban styles. Latin jazz will be delivered by another local group, Santiago. And finally, there will also be an evening concert on the final Sunday, the annual “La Notche Latina,” which will feature Nueva Generacion opening for Los Sabrosos del Merengue.
On the more traditional end of African drumming and dance, New Orleans has two outstanding groups, Kumbuka Dance & Drum Collective and Percussion, Inc. Likewise, a taste of Brazilian carnival drumming and dance is provided by Casa Samba and Culu Dancers. These groups should be applauded not only for their skills and authenticity but also for their continued commitment to working with public school children in the New Orleans area.
Two other similarly committed artists that spread education on cultural roots and diversity are storyteller Adella Gautier and actor/director Chakula Cha Jua. Don’t forget to bring the kids to check out their performances, and the adults would do well to stick around also.
Lastly, two other local acts with a Caribbean flavor are the amazing youths of DEFF Generation, a brass band/rap group that should not be missed, and the avant-garde jazz artist, saxophonist Michael Ray with his Sun Ra Tribute.
