#streamcaribbean "MAYDAY" by VAYB, "Mario Canonge Trio" by Mario Canonge, "Certifié (a)live" by Florence Naprix, "MI NOU LA" by JI KANN'

Let’s end the #streamcaribbean chronicles for 2023. After Lorenz and his "Lunatiq" EP (January), Kevni and his "INEVITAB" EP, Yoan and his “Gemini II” (February), Rachelle Allison and her "Féeries" album (February), Maeliah and her “Aurore” EP (March), hip-hop albums by Meryl, Maalkema, Lé Will & Deuspi, it's time to bring this series of reviews to an end with konpa, zouk, and jazz. When we talk about going back to our origins, to our cultural identity to celebrate ourselves, to reinvent ourselves for ourselves and by ourselves, that's what these albums do.

VAYB - MAYDAY (mai)

Often described as the revival of konpa, having successfully fused urban sounds without losing the essence of the musical genre born in Haiti, Carimi has always offered albums that sound like live performances. Now accompanied by Jude Deslouches and Benjamin Guirand, Mickaël Guirand continues to apply the formula with VAYB. Already bucking market trends, their first album "Game Over" sounded like the simple pleasure of making music and wanting to entertain the public. Their second album, "MAYDAY", follows in the same footsteps, with a more conceptual approach. This variation on the theme of love in distress keeps us singing and dancing for over an hour of konpa. A relationship about to begin, a relationship about to end, a relationship on hold, a toxic relationship, each and every one of us will be able to identify a situation we've experienced and/or seen around us. Featuring Jude Deslouches, K-Dilak Mesaje A, Noldy and TROUBLEBOY HITMAKER, this album also symbolizes intergenerational transmission. On the track "MAGO", Princess Lover is the only female vocalist on the album, demonstrating once again the potential for collaboration between Haiti and Martinique.

To sum up, I already know that "MAYDAY" is one of my favorite albums of 2023. Beyond the quality of the writing and composition, it's an album that soothes me like a good home-cooked meal. You take the time to sit down, savor and exhale before setting off again to face the whirlwind of everyday life. My only regret is that I didn't attend the concert at Le Zénith, but I didn't have the courage to see him on stage again after what happened during Carimi’s 20th anniversary at Bercy. But we're hoping for another Paris date.

Mario Canonge Trio (mai)

Mario Canonge (piano), Michel Alibo (double bass), Arnaud Dolmen (drums) have immortalized their trio with a one-hour live album. Some tracks are taken from the "Zouk Out" album released in 2020, others from the "Mitan" album released in 2011. So it's not so much the composition that should be mentioned here. This album keeps a trace of a trio embodying the strength of our musical history, because it brings together internationally recognized stars. It's truly an album that gives joy and lightens the heart by making our culture swing.

Florence Naprix - Certifié (A) live (mai)

Undoubtedly the most elaborate album title of my selection. Recorded in self-production under live conditions, "Certifié (A) live" demonstrates the flexibility of our music. When I said in my podcast "Notre (dés) amour du Zouk" [t/n: our love-hate for Zouk] that we have experts in so-called "classic" genres who respect popular music, Florence Naprix is one of them. Surrounded by Sonny Troupé (drums), Audray Clodion (keyboard) and Eric Delblond (bass), she sings slices of life, women's stories, and portraits of Guadeloupe. Between her own compositions and covers by artists such as Manuela Pioche and Jean-Michel Rotin, she recounts the wounds and blessings of a contemporary world building a future on the fragile ruins of the past.

The cozy, jazzy ambiance blends with gwoka, biguine, salsa, hip-hop, Zouk and R&B to convey an energy radiating authenticity. This free-spirited sound show appeals to all generations. Special mention goes to "Guadeloupean Boy", featuring rapper Starjee, who co-produced the album. This version of Estelle and Kanye West's "American Boy" about love at first sight is transposed to the Guadeloupean context and proves, once again, the versatility of our artists. Check out Florence Naprix on Bandcamp.

JI KANN’ - MI NOU LA (juin)

Our Zouk is alive. ALIVE. Anyone who claims otherwise or persists in trying to show us that it’s dead is anti-Caribbean. The rebirth hoped for after the 2020 pandemic began in 2021 with Yoan's "Gemini part I" and Lorenz's "ADN", before live groups like Kassav' returned to the airwaves. While Martinique has Made in Mizik, led by Gilles Guilon and David Chantalou, and Guadeloupe has Tanmpo Klassik Live, led by Jérôme Castry, Ji Kann''s particularity is that it was born before the eyes of the public, bringing together artists from all horizons. Their cover of Kassav''s "Pa Bizwen Palé" was intended to be a one-time thing between friends under the direction of Ali Angel in Ap ril 2020. Three years later, the group finally presents its first album: "Mi Nou La".

I admit I'm having a hard time understanding who's part of the core group to date, and who's an associate artist for the time of a song, like Richard Cavé or Yoan... An up-to-date biography available online would help avoid this kind of confusion, but given the album cover, I'd say we've got: Gregz, Guy André Girier-Dufournier & Tina Ly (vocals); Alex K-By & Ali Angel (guitars); Laurent Tulle (keyboard); Thierry JP Groov' Jean-Pierre (bass); Thomas Bellon (drums); Albert Vigné (percussion).

Among covers, there are new songs such as “Lalin’”, “Reste encore un peu” [t/n: stay a bit longer], “Chalè Lanmou”, “On Bèl Jouné”. Songs to dance to, to soothe the heart, to keep you motivated, to celebrate, to love... Sé sa le Zouk!

It's a real pleasure to hear an intergenerational, interCaribbean Zouk, heir to Kassav'. The desire to entertain people in good spirits can be heard and, above all, felt. I don't know what the band's ambitions are: to remain a peripheral project in their respective careers or to devote themselves 100% to developing an artistic identity, but this album is already a beautiful gift to the public. To be listened to without moderation.