#streamcaribbean - "Ki Sòs Ou Vlé?" by Riddla (July 2024)
This is my last long review of the music releases of 2024. For short reviews of other albums released in 2024, click here.
With a career spanning more than 20 years, Riddla is a modern-day storyteller from Guadeloupe. Rapper, singer, actor (+voice-over), author... For me, he's the most versatile artist of his generation. “Ki Sòs Ou Vlé ? ” showcases his musical versatility. From rap and bouyon to reggae, dancehall and zouk, and even Caribbean pop and gospel, this second full album is a menu of choice for casual listeners and music fans alike, who will enjoy the samples and gimmicks taken from Caribbean, French and international hits. It's up to you to choose the sauce for tasting.
The themes reflect the maturity of a Guadeloupean man capable of pointing out the inconsistencies and even dysfunctions of society. Without lapsing into a moralizing tone or nostalgia, Riddla recounts the circumstances of today’s youth on trap-style “Lari Réyèl” and dancehall-style “Respectable” and “Reverse”.
There are also the Bouyon and Soca party tracks such as “Bravoléfi - Bendova”, “Bénévolat” and “Fais La Belle”. Yet, Riddla's storytelling skills shine through in everyday chronicles that make the listener smile, such as “Enjoy”, “Pa Vin Fan Chyé Jod La” and “Chodo Gato”, or give the courage to move forward, such as “Ganyé (feat. Awno Josué, Naayel, Miila, Malika Theresine, Blue Melody School)”, “Devant” and “A La Maison”. But as in “Only You”, where he tackles the theme of jealousy in couples with humor (wining is not cheating!), love is the common thread running through this album.
The soothing love of a father in the reggae lullaby “Bonne Nuit” seems almost like a free electron... But if we consider that the album reflects the state of mind of a forty-something man, it makes sense to include a father's point of view when our Caribbean men are struggling to shake off the stereotype of the absent father. But the protective father is first and foremost a man. Under Riddla's pen, we hear male desire. Sometimes with teasing in “KDO (feat. DJ Tony Blanck)” or “Katchoupine (feat. Warped)”, sometimes with sensuality in “Semblant” or “Body Contact (feat. Mahalia M.)”, sometimes with vulnerability in “Obsession (feat. Sodaade)”.
In conclusion, I didn't know exactly what to expect. Not being Riddla's target audience, I can't say whether he's out of his comfort zone or in his zone of excellence. I think SCK Music (beatmaker team) allows him to explore and define the Guadeloupeanness of his art. That's why I'm all the more curious to see whether the subtility he brings to his descriptions of women behavior and society dysfunction would be found in songs focusing on male vulnerability. The fact that he's already capable of expressing tenderness would make me say yes in theory. But he's the only one who can prove it if he decides to take up the challenge.
The quality of the writing, the musical versatility and the cultural transmission in each track (there are 22!), and even in the cover details, show the care with which Riddla the entertainer has prepared “Ki Sòs Ou Vlé?”. I sincerely believe that this is the best Guadeloupean album of 2024.
My Karukerament tracks
Each track can be used to illustrate Guadeloupean culture, whether in terms of music and/or lyrics, so I don't know which one to choose (yes, sometimes I don't have a clear-cut opinion). If it's for the Caribbean market, his Bouyon tracks like “Fais La Belle” or “Bravoléfi - Bendova” are effective because they sound like English-speaking Caribbean, but the lyrics have the right amount of Creole, French and English to allow him to compete with traditional Bouyon artists. Besides, with “Holy Wata”, he collaborates with TK International (Triple K Band) on another version of the hit “Whistle While You Work”, so… Yeah. But if it’s about Riddla showing his music and lyrical technicality through an international perspective, I'd suggest :
Emoji Flamme - an effective intro with an instrumentation that can appeal to an international audience. I'm sure of it because it's a similar production to one of the most popular 2nd generation K-Pop groups at the time.
Chodo Gato - I think this track was made as a joke BUT it does have the Kassav' recipe: danceable music (in this case Konpa), a political message (denouncing the high cost of living), the valorization of cultural identity (Guadeloupean culinary symbol chodo gato) with a nod to Martinique... All in Haitian Creole... Really a bal gran moun vibe. Just as Mariah Carey's “All I Want For Christmas is You” has that nostalgia vibe even though she composed it in 1994, “Chodo Gato” has that retro vibe that should make it a classic for christenings and other family celebrations from now on.
“SEMBLANT” (pretending) - it's a single released long before the album. I was convinced that it was a parody of Zouk Love... But if I take the song at face value, and given that I'm a dance fan, I'm definitely the target audience. The melodic line has the Zouk Love codes for dancing (THE PAUSES! THE SPINS!), with a nod to the codes of konpa and dancehall. The lyrics express the intensity of a dance between tenderness and sensuality. The choice is yours: you can either see Riddla the joker or Riddla the lover.