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Records from Balagan: Haiti


Sam 'Balagan' Hopkins recently sent me some great music from Haiti ... I asked him to share it here. Thanks Sam...

"Years before I got a passport I started picking up records from other countries in Kansas City thrift stores. I got sucked in by the cover art, the music, the way sung words I didn't know just became another instrument, and how each particular album got to where I was from its origin. When I left my house for Peru on January 11, the record I had left out to digitize was a Haitian LP from the late 60s called Toujours by Les Loups Noirs (The Black Wolves). The cover says "Haiti" on each side of a pensive Caribbean queen's head, to remind you that despite the academy-sanctioned French you hear on the album, this music has an undercurrent of Kreyol. "Les Coeurs de Vingt Ans" (20 Year-Old Hearts), here, is a saxy soul number with vocals as restless as the song's name suggests. Other record sleeves I've got around carry names like Jacmel and Les Cayes, which I heard pronounced during coverage of the earthquake over the past two weeks ..."

DOWLOAD:
Les Loups Noirs - Les Coeurs de Vingt Ans

MAN.This one is sooo good (devlln):

"Leon Dimanche, backed by his Lionceaux (Cubs) from Les Cayes, emotes like Charles Aznavour on "Bon Voyage." He's singing about the "eternal voyage" and hearts that have been torn apart. With gargled r's and a sad organ Leon and the Cubs say goodbye."

DOWNLOAD:
Leon Dimanche Et Les Lionceaux Des Cayes - Bon Voyage

Comments for this entry

Unknown

mannnnn this Bob Voyage is a Rza beat waiting to happen!

 

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