Putumayo Presents: Caribe! Caribe! (1999)

«When many Americans hear the term "Caribbean music," they tend to think of calypso, soca, and steel drums. But technically, music of the Caribbean also includes everything from Afro-Cuban salsa, Dominican merengue, and Puerto Rican plena to Jamaican ska and reggae. If any label can be counted on to have an eclectic, broad-minded approach to Caribbean music, it's Putumayo; and sure enough, Putumayo's compilation Caribe! Caribe! takes you all over the Caribbean. Not one to be predictable, Putumayo keeps the listener guessing by providing everything from the Black Uhuru-ish reggae of Don Carlos and Gold's "Movin' to the Top" to energetic, infectious sounds from St. Thomas (Osha's "Come Again"), Martinique (Kali's reggae-influenced "La Biguine des Enfants du Bon Dieu"), Belize (Andy Palacio's "Nabi"), and Barbados (Krosfyah's "In Mi System"). Nothing from Cuba, Puerto Rico, or the Dominican Republic is included, but one can hear a strong salsa influence on Haitian singer Beethova Obas' "Lina" and Curacao group La Perfecta's "Bai Drecha Bo Bin." Especially infectious is Aruban band E.Q.Q.'s exuberant "Promo Bia," which is sung in Papiamento, a language that is an unlikely combination of romance and African languages and Dutch. Like many other Putumayo compilations, Caribe! Caribe! boasts comprehensive, informative liner notes and treats the music with the respect it deserves.» (AMG)

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Putumayo Presents Carnival (2001)

«Carnival, the ecstatic release of carnal desire in the days leading up to Lent, has a long history. With its roots firmly buried in the Dionysian festivities of ancient Greece, the celebration was appropriated by the Romans for their Bacchanalian homage and then adapted by Roman Catholics to fit pre-Ash Wednesday festivities. Celebrated by Catholics and Bacchanalians alike, contemporary carnival celebrations are especially fervent among the African Diaspora in the Caribbean and the Americas. And from the parading samba schools in Rio to the calypso tents on Trinidad, the art form most identified with carnival is that of music. On Putumayo's Carnival, ten festive tunes, performed in the spirit of carnival, are presented. Among the featured artists are New Orleans' own Eddie Bo building slide trombone riffs on top of shuffling beats, Colombian salsa group Fruko y sus Tesos singing about a particular kind of foppish carnival reveler, and Rio's distinguished sambistsa Martinho da Vila beautifully performing the carnival classic "Canta Canta, Minha Gente." Though some of the CD's cuts have more to do with festivals in general than with carnival in particular — such as Big Davy's Crop Over celebration song — all the songs contribute to the ebullient atmosphere of the compilation. If you're looking for field recordings of actual carnival celebrations then this CD is not for you. On the other hand, if you're looking for contemporary studio recorded songs that reference carnival either directly or indirectly, then Putumayo's Carnival should probably find its way onto your stereo.» (AMG)

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The Rough Guide to the Music of Haiti (2002)

«Haiti might be one of the poorest countries in the world, having barely survived the brutal regimes of Papa Doc Duvalier and his son, Baby Doc, but it still produces some remarkable music, as this compilation, intelligently put together by BBC DJ Andy Kershaw, shows. While there are plenty of the native compas grooves (a kind of slowed-down Dominican merengue that remains eminently danceable), ranging from the Mini All Stars to the smoother sound of Mizik Mizik and Tabou Combo, plenty of varying Haitian styles are represented, whether it's the swinging big band of Orchestre Tropicana; the punk/traditional fusion of Ram; the Fugees-influenced rap of Masters of Haiti, who sound superb on "Ti Chans"; the Cuban connection of Haitando; or the zouk-soukous freedom of DP Express, which links Haiti directly with the recent music of West Africa, and has the added bonus of fabulous guitar and sax solos, and some very sophisticated arranging on the tune. Those links run deep, though, and Boukman Eksperyans explore them on "Baron," in their racine style, with its strong voudou elements. Issa El Saieh et Son Orchestre and Super Jazz des Jeunes help represent the older contingent, while the wonderfully raw Ti Coca & Wanga Negess give a version of the unofficial Haitian anthem, "Ayiti Cherie." A fascinating look at some of the best music in the Caribbean.» (AMG)

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