Jamaica

Re-uploaded by request 7/17/2024. Thanks Afro.

 

 

Jamaica is home to so many styles of music: earliest Jamaican folk music, calypso, mento, reggae, ska, dancehall…too many to represent here, or even name them all. Everyone familiar with this Zero, & I don’t mean Earl, knows that 'the style that makes me smile' is DUBwise!!! Of course, to me, there is no greater dub than that of the King himself, King Tubby. “Tubby’s makes you wiser/Tubby are the Dub Organiser”. The only dilemma with King Tubby (as well as with the Prince – Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry) is not whether but what.

I have many many releases by the King, so if you don’t like what I’ve chosen or want something else, just leave a comment & request. I’ll see what I can do. But for now, I’ve picked one that I never tire of, King Tubby & Friends – Dub Gone Crazy: The Evolution of Dub at King Tubby’s 1975-1979.

King Tubby & Friends – Dub Gone Crazy, Blood & Fire BAFLP 002, 1994.

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Side A –
The Champion Version
Satta Dread Dub
Real Gone Crazy Dub
Exalted Dub
Dreada Version
No Love Version

Side B –
Peace & Love in the Dub
Wreck Up a Version
Jah Love Rockers
Step It Up in Dub
Dub to the Rescue
Dub Fi Gwan

plus two bonus tracks from the 2xLP re-release SVLP 249 –
Hold Them in Dub
Dub with a View

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Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett – Family Man in Dub, Heartbeat Records HB 7659, 1999.

Tracklist –
Cobra Style Dub 1970s
Steppers Rock
Familyman Skank
Rebel Am I
E.T. Special
Pleasing Dub
Dubbing Naturally
Dub Combination
Pickney Dub
A Distant Dub
Tribute to Y Mas Gan
Elegant Dub
Iron Rock
Dub Maker


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Prince Jammy – Destroys the Invaders, Greensleeves Records GREL 29, 1982.

Side One –
Conspiracy on Neptune
Martian Encounter
Saturn Bombardment
Attack on Ganymede

Side Two –
War in the Asteroid Belt
The Great Red Spot
Life on Uranus
Final Destruction


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Big Youth & Dillinger – Joe Gibbs Presents: D.J. Originators Vol. 1 – Head to Head, 

Rocky One RGLP 0020, 1995.

Side A-Big Youth –
A So We Stay
George Foreman
Enjoy Yourself
Georgie
George Foreman Pt. 2
Joe Frazier

Side B-Dillinger –
War is Over
Flour Dumplin
Hold Me Tight
Kublicon
Take a Dip
Bellevue Patient

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I would be really slacking off here if I didn’t post up some music by Earl Zero. Singer/songwriter Earl "Zero" Johnson played a crucial role in the roots age, releasing powerful cultural numbers whose dramatic lyrics were often combined with tough militant backings from the Soul Syndicate band. He created some of the most deeply conscious roots music to come out of Kingston in the mid-to-late 70s. When I saw Earl Zero in 1979, it was Satori in Berkeley. It wasn’t long after that that I had my name changed to Nothin’ in homage to that moment. Don’t really have a dub album by Earl, but on his 2010 release And God Said to Man half the tunes are dub, so if you want it all go buy it. I’m dubbin’ here. This was recorded in Spain by Roberto Sanchez for his A-Lone Production at A-Lone Ark Muzik Studio which he set up in 2002 with analog recording & mixes to focus on the late 70s sound of Jamaica. His studio (& now live performance) band Lone Ark Riddim Force have backed artists such as The Heptones & Big Youth. All live instrumentation here is provided by Lone Ark Riddim Forces creating a Channel One feel & style.

from  Earl Zero – And God Said to Man, A-Lone Productions ARKLP-001, 2010.

This Side –
A2 – Musical Army Dub
A4 – Wake Up Dub
A6 – New Dub

That Side –
B2 – Judgement Dub
B4 – Thankful Dub
B6 – Jericho Dub

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Sly & Robbie – Meet Bunny Lee at Dub Station, Jamaican Recordings JRLP006, 2002.

Side 1 –
Dub Takeover
Nobodies Dub
A Dub Tribulation
Liquidator Dub
African Dub Child (Part 1)
None Shall Escape the House of Dub

Side 2 –
Legalise the Dub
Satta Massa Dub
A Bad Way to Dub
Dub to the Roots
Zion Gates of Dub
Looking in the Eyes of Dub

Plus two bonus tracks from the CD
African Dub Child (Part 2)
Moving Out of Dubland

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Culture – Rare & Unreleased Dub, Revolver Records REVCD 258, 1989.

Tracklist –
Disobedient Children Dub 1977-78
Forward to Africa Dub
Everyday Love Dub
Skillful Dub
Iron Sharp Dub
Tropical Dub Fever
Heavenly Dub
Harder than the Rest Dub
Freedom Jam Dub
Deep Root Dub
Two Sevens Clash Dub

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Prince Far I – Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Chapter 1, ROIR Europe RE129CD, 1991.

Tracklist –
A Message
The Visitor
The Right Way
Long Life
The Encounter
Ghardaia Dub
Mansions of the Almighty
Mozabites
Prince of Peace
Abderrahmane

Prince Far I – Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Chapter 2, Front Line Records FLX 4002, 1979.

Side One –
Suru-Lere Dub
Anambra Dub
Kaduna Dub
Oyo Dub
Borno Dub

Side Two –
Ogun Dub
Bendel Dub
Ondo Dub
Gongola Dub

note of confusion: The above album, Chapter 2 was re-released as Dubwise with seven additional tracks. However, the order of the songs was changed, alternate versions of several of the songs were used, & several of the songs were incorrectly labeled. I therefore posted the original vinyl release in the original track order. I have included Side One & Two Virgin Frontline song lists from the original disc with the scans. These labels are from the very first UK press. It had mis-labelled stampers & the sides are reversed. Side One is really Side Two & vice versa. I have left the songs in the order they are labeled, so you can disregard the error or switch them if you want the true order. Have I confused you yet?

Prince Far I – Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Chapter 3, Pressure Sounds PS CD007, 1996.

Tracklist –
Plant Up
Back Weh
The Conquest
Final Chapter
Shake the Nation
Homeward Bound
Low Gravity
Mansions of Invention

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Barrington Levy – In Dub (The Lost Mixes from King Tubby’s Studio), 

Auralux Recordings LUXXLP 015, 2005.

Side A –
Shaolin Temple Dub 1979-82
Wedding Ring Dub
Shine Eye Girl Dub
Reggae Music Dub
Black Heart Man Dub

Side B –
Looking for My Love Dub
Trod with Jah Dub
A Yah We Deh Dub
Why Did You Leave Me Dub
Skylarking Dub

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Tapper Zukie – In Dub, Stars SR 1000, 1977.

Side 1 –
Tappa Zukie in Dub
Pick up the Dub
Dub M.P.L.A.
Beautiful Dub
Prophesy Dub
Falling Dub

Side 2 –
Rush I Some Dub
Cool This Dub
Jah Jah Dub
Judgement Dub
Loving Dub
Rub This Dub

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Burning Spear – Living Dub Volume 1, Burning Spear TG 5184, 1979.

Side One –
Children of Today
Present
Associate
Jah Boto

Side Two –
In Those Days
Irie Niya Keith
Help Us
Musiya
All Over


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People always are saying, “Go big or go home”. Well, I’m gonna go big, then go home.I'm takin' off a few days, so see y'all in Panama, don't forget to wear yer hats.

Here is Lee 'Scratch’ Perry’s three disc epic Arkology for your dub pleasure.

Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry – Arkology 3xCD, Island Jamaica CRNCD 6, 1997.

Reel I Dub Organiser –

Dub Revolution (pt. 1) (previously unreleased alternate take) – Lee Perry & The Upsetters
One Step Forward – Max Romeo
One Step Dub (extended mix) – The Upsetters
Vampire – Devon Irons
Vamp a Dub – The Upsetters
Sufferer’s Time (previously unreleased alternate take) – The Heptones
Sufferer’s Dub (extended mix) – The Upsetters
Sufferer’s Heights (alternate mix) – Junior Dread
Don’t Blame on I – The Congoes
Much Smarter – The Meditations
Much Smarter Dub – The Upsetters
Life is not Easy (alternate take) - The Meditations
Life is not Easy Dub (previously unreleased alternate mix) – The Upsetters
Tedious (extended mix) – Junior Murvin
War ina Babylon – Max Romeo
Revelation Dub – The Upsetters
Mr. President – The Heptones & Jah Lion
Chase the Devil – Max Romeo

Reel II Dub Shepherd –

Dreadlocks in Moonlight – Lee Perry
Dread at the Mantrols – Mikey Dread
In These Times – Errol Walker
In These Times Dub – The Upsetters
Norman (extended Domino mix) – Max Romeo & the Upsetters
Police & Thieves – Junior Murvin
Magic Touch – Glen DaCosta
Soldier & Police War – Jah Lion
Grumblin’ Dub – The Upsetters
Bad Weed (previously unreleased alternate take) – Junior Murvin
John Public – Errol Walkjer
John Public (version) – Errol Walker & Enos Barnes
Roots Train (extended mix with previously unreleased toast) – Junior Murvin & Dillinger
No Peace – The Meditations
No Peace Dub – The Upsetters
Rasta Train (previously unreleased alternate mix) – Raphael Green & Dr. Alimantado
Party Time (pt. 2) – The Upsetters

Reel III Dub Adventurer –

Vibrate On (previously unreleasaed alternate cut) Augustus Pablo meets The Upsetters
Vibrator (previously unreleased alternate cut) – The Upsetters
Bird in Hand – The Upsetters
Congoman (previously unreleased alternate vocal take) – The Congoes
Dyon Anasawa (alternate mix) – The Upsetters featuring Full Experience
Rastaman Shuffle (previously unreleased alternate mix) – The Upsetters
Why Must I (version)(extended mix with previously unreleased scat vocal) – The Heptones & Lee Perry
Make Up Your Mind – The Heptones
Closer Together – The Upsetters Revue featuring Junior Murvin
Groovy Situation – Keith Rowe
Groovy Dub – The Upsetters & keith Rowe
To Be a Lover (Have Some Mercy) – George Faith
Soul Fire – Lee Perry
Curly Locks – Lee Perry
Feast of the Passover (extended mix) – The Congoes
Roast Fish & Cornbread (extended mix) – Lee Perry
Corn Fish Dub (extended mix) – The Upsetters


Enjoy
NØ

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ps. - Seems I forgot this when I was dancin' to de Dub.

Clutchy Hopkins - Clutchy Hopkins Meets Lord Kenji in Dub Heaven, 

Ubiquity Records UR 2323, 2009.

Side I'n'I -
Riff Raff Rollin'
Lord Kenji

Side Dubspliff -
Gourds of the Desert
Turtle Rock

Happy Halloween, kiddies. Don't eat any razor blades.
NØ

Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands is comprised of the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, & Little Cayman, located south of Cuba & northwest of Jamaica. I always associated the Cayman Islands with dodgy off-shore banking & even dodgier financial ‘providers’ like Deutsche Bank, & Goldman Sachs.

There is really no music industry, but there is always plenty of music. Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach is a hot tourist spot. The Beach is lined with hotels, all the hotels have bars, all the bars have bands. The thing is trying to get something to post here.

Most of the music actually recorded in the Caymans seems less than the highest quality, as much of it is done on the fly.

This was recorded by Stephen Storm Roberts for Original Music as part of their Caribbean music series. Original is more known for their African music series (African Dances, Songs the Swahili Sing, The Nairobi Sound, The Sound of Kinshasa & others).

John Storm Roberts was the co-founder of Original Music, a mail-order company that distributed world music books & records. Roberts (born February 24, 1936 – died November 29, 2009) was a British-born, U.S.-based ethnomusicologist, writer, & record producer. Aside from a few home taped cassettes, no Grand Cayman music had ever been collected before John & his son Stephen went there in 1982. They recorded this album. Only the first side is of the Cayman Islands, the other side being original music from Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

In an interview with The Los Angeles Times in 1987, John Roberts illuminated his selection process:  “I don’t care how esoteric it is, but it’s got to be terrific,” he said. “Not this ‘you-can’t-hear-it-and-it’s-terribly-performed-but-it’s-really-very-interesting-because-it’s-the-only-winkle-gathering-song-to-come-out-of-southeastern-Sussex’ attitude.”

Various – Under the Coconut Tree, Caribbean Music Series OMC 201, 1982.

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Side One: Grand Cayman –

Munzie’s Boat in the Sound – Radley Gourzong & Group

Under the Coconut Tree – Rachel Rankin

Balimba Radley Goutzong & Group

Southeast by South – Burnell Dixon

Rise, Arise My Charming Young Girl – Rachel Rankin

The Devil’s Dream – Radley Gourzong & Group

Sammy Beatin’ Suzanne – Julia Hydes with Lil Rose Dilbert

Open the Window to Me – Edison Scott

We Don’t Need no Radio – Dalmain Ebanks

Side Two: Tortola –

Ella Gift - Alec Cameron w/the Sparkplugs Band

The Spanish Merchant – Alec Cameron

The Guavaberry Song – Grace Callwood

Louis Loose Your Mule – Alec Cameron w/ the Sparkplugs

The Butcher Boy – Melcena Smith & Elias Fazer

I Plant a Piece of Pumpkin – Alec Cameron w/ the Sparkplugs

Nancy Blue – Isabella Morris

Captain, Where’s Your Cargo – Alec Cameron

The Sunday Morning Well – Elmore Stoutt w/ the Sparkplugs

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Now here is some of the very music the tourists & locals get to hear in one of the local bars (like Barefoot’s Place at the Grand Caymanian Holiday Inn).

George Nowak came to visit the Caymans from his native Germany in 1971 & never left. Nowak met Cayman native Andy Martin a short time later. After hearing Martin sing, Nowak quickly recruited him & eventually formed the full Barefoot Man Band with Chuck Quappe on guitar, Barrie Quappe on conga & vocals & Earl tags along to play steel drum.

But this story has a twist. This is George "Barefoot Man" Nowak & Andy "Peanut Peender" Martin. Nowak is a blond-haired blue-eyed German-born countrified barefoot man who has found his own "Place in the Sun" amongst the islands & who plays & sings calypso. Martin is a curly-haired, dark-skinner Bracker (from Cayman Brac, the second largest island of the trio) known as the Cayman Cowboy, who would rather sing a classic traditional country song complete with steel guitar & fiddle than look for soldier crabs in the moonlight. Odd that a white German tourist who never returned home would be the Calypso songster & the native brutha would be a country slinger.

“It’s not so much like this today, but when I first came they loved country music in the Caymans,” Nowak said. “Every jukebox had nothing but country music.”

Together they are a showcase of what native & visitor can do when both work in harmony, with the acceptance that native men should always captain the ship in Island waters. Last year they released their latest album, You Had to be There. Their 40+ year partnership continues, they say, with a healthy dose of wit and satire. 

 The Barefoot Man &Andy Martin – Barefoot & Andy, Barefoot Records BR-5704, 1976.

Side One –

Cho Cho – Barefoot & Andy

Island Lady – Barefoot Man

Yellow Pages

Letter from Sea – Andy Martin

Don't Steal Me Coconuts – Barefoot Man

Side Two –

Taxi – Andy Martin

I've Ruined My Liver (While Healing My Heart)

Banana Convention – Barefoot Man

You Sexy Thing – Andy Martin

Who Put the Pepper in the Vaseline – Barefoot Man

Every Night at Midnight – Andy Martin

Enjoy,

NØ

Cuba

  

Israel ‘Cachao’ López was born in Havana on September 14, 1918, just over a decade after his brother Orestes. Cachao was the product of a sprawling, multi-generational musical family. At age eight he joined a local children's septet that featured singer Roberto Faz, himself a significant figure in Cuban musical history as well. By age nine he had teamed up with another future legend, pianist Ignacio Villa (aka Bola de Nieve) to play at his neighborhood movie theater providing the score for silent film presentations. As a teen, Cachao played contrabass with the Orquesta Filarmónica de la Habana, supporting guest conductors including Igor Stravinsky, Herbert von Karajan, & Heitor Villa-Lobos. In 1937 he joined Orestes in the Orquesta Arcaño y Sus Maravillas.

By the time of Cachao's arrival, Orestes' orchestra was beginning to move away from its roots in French danzón into a more African-inspired, rhythmic approach fusing the popular dance style with syncopated percussion. Together the López brothers composed more than 3,000 danzónes for the group. They introduced the nuevo ritmo (new rhythm) style in the late 1930s. Nuevo ritmo transformed the Cuban danzón by introducing African rhythms into the music, most notably their song 1938s "Mambo" which introduced the new atypically slow, heavy rhythm that permeated Cuban music for generations to follow.

By the time Cachao finally left the Orquesta Arcaño y Sus Maravillas in 1949, mambo was virtually synonymous with Cuban music as a whole. During the decade to follow, he played in a series of musical revues & orchestras, most notably enjoying an extended stint with bandleader José Fajardo. Over time Cachao began organizing descargas (discharges), informal after-hours jam sessions that enabled the assembled musicians to experiment in a variety of styles & instrumental configurations.

A possibly more important move took place in 1957, when Cachao gathered a group of musicians in the early hours of the morning, energized from playing gigs at Havana's popular nightclubs, to jam in front of the mikes of a recording studio. The resulting descargas, known to music aficionados worldwide as Cuban jam sessions, once again revolutionized Afro-Cuban popular music. Under Cachao's direction, these masters improvised freely in the manner of jazz, but their vocabulary was Cuba's popular music. This was the model that would make live performances of Afro-Cuban based genres, from salsa to Latin jazz, so incredibly hot.

This album is a landmark recording from the Cuban scene of the late 50s. These are free-jamming descarga sessions. The tunes on the set forever helped define the sound of Latin music. This sound broke down the more restrictive styles of earlier years, & gave the players free reign to jam, to improvise over tightly crafted rhythmic patterns.

Cachao died from kidney failure in a Coral Gables, Florida hospital on March 22, 2008.

This was originally released by PanArt in 1959 as Cuban Jam Sessions In Miniature: Descargas. It was released in Cuba by Egrem in 1996 using the new title Descargas – Cuban Jam Sessions. That release is out of print. It was then reissued by Vampi Soul of Spain in 2005 under the title Cuban Jam Sessions in Miniature “Descargas”. They added extra tracks (tracks 1 to 12 recorded in La Havana in 1957 are the original recording…tracks 13 to 23 are bonus tracks from different descargas recorded between 1957 & 1961).  This version is also out of print. For this posting, I am using the 1996 CD rip. This version uses a different track order from the original. I have indicated the original side/song order following the titles.

Apart from Cachao's great work on bass, the set also features conguero legend Tata Güines, tenor saxophone by Emilio Penalver, trumpet by Alejandro "El Negro" Vivar, guitar work by Gustavo Tamayo, & drums by Guillermo Barreto.

Cachao y Su Ritmo Caliente – Descargas - Cuban Jam Sessions, Egrem CD0169, 1996.

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Tracklist –

Descarga Cubana (B3)

Goza Me Trompeta (B4)  

Cogele el Golpe (B1)

Trombon Criollo (A1)

Malanga Amarilla (A6)

Pamparana (B2)

Oye Mi Tres Montuno (A5)

Controversia de Metales (A2)

A Gozar Timbero (B5)

Sorpresa en Flauta (B6)

Estudio en Trompeta (A3)

Guajeo de Saxos (A4)

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Luis Frank Arias Mosquera, nicknamed El Macry, is a Cuban singer & bandleader born July 30 1960 in Contramaestre, Cuba.

Luis Frank was introduced to music at a very early age. His father was a tango singer in the city of Las Tunas in the east of Cuba. Before beginning his music career Luis was an amateur karate & judo competitor. In 1980 he represented Cuba in a karate/judo competition in Moscow, but had to quit as a result of cervical vertebra fracture which ended his athletic career.

He had his start as a professional musician with the samba band Los Surix. He was the lead vocalist from 1985 until 1995. He then went to Havana were he joined the band La Mundial de Hudson. He soon moved on to Conjunto de Roberto Faz with the renowned Roberto Faz & to also singing with the Orquesta Revé. Band leader Elio Revé is the one who gave Luis the nickname El Macry.

Luis Frank came to world attention with his participation in the Buena Vista Social Club, which re-ignited a boom in traditional Son Cubano music. Son is the root of just about every other major Afro-Cuban sub-genre of music. El Macry spent six years as vocalist alongside Compay Segundo. He also worked with the band Afro-Cuban Allstars with Juan de Marcos González.

Luis got together a band Tradicional Habana in 1999 to record Viva Cuba! The ensemble followed the style of several other Buena Vista alumni like Barbarito Torres & Eliades Ochoa: simple, guitar-based songs with great vocal performances & harmonies. Buena Vista fans should really enjoy this. This is great Son Cubano with mixes of ethnojazz, bossa nova, & even downtempo.

Luis Frank Y Su Tradicional Habana - Viva Cuba, Universal Music AB, 1999.

Tracklist –

El Carretero
Piqui Pala
Mentiras
Idilio
Olvido
La Enganadora
Guantanamera
Largimas Negras
La Bamba
Guarapo, Pimienta Y Sal
Hasta Siempre
Besame Mucho
La Calabaza
Son de la Loma
El Borracho
Soy Cubano, Soy de la Oriente
Viente Anos

Enjoy,

NØ

All Tomorrow's Parties

R.I.P. Lou Reed

After graduating from Syracuse University & spending some time at journalism school, drama school, & music school, Lou Reed eventually landed a job, as a writer, with Pickwick Records, one of those cop-the-current-trend-and-cash-in-on-it companies.

Said Reed:

“There were four of us literally locked in a room writing songs, then we'd go down into the studio for an hour or two & cut three or four albums really quickly…which came in handy later on because I knew my way around a studio…not really well enough but I could work really fast.”

During this period Reed & his Pickwick cohorts assumed various guises & cut “Cycle Annie”, as the Beachnuts, “You're Drivin' Me Insane”, as the Roughnecks, & both “The Ostrich” & “Sneaky Pete” as the Primitives; all of which are featured here.

These recordings betray Reed's involvement - his unmistakable voice of course, & his style of playing that's the obvious antecedent to that which flourished later on. But of special interest is the Primitives “The Ostrich” & “Sneaky Pete”.

Reed recalls that one time at Pickwick:

“I was stoned & I made up this thing called “The Ostrich”, just for laughs - I decided to make up a dance, so I said, you put your head on the floor & have somebody step on it; it was years ahead of its time - & another thing called “Sneaky Pete”. When they heard it they thought it could be a single, so we needed people who could be a group.”

Reed had met John Cale at a party.

“I had long hair,” remembers Cale, “& Lou said I looked commercial. He was trying to get a band together. I didn't want to hear his songs - they seemed sorry for themselves. Eventually he showed me the lyrics - they had some really perceptive thing in them.” Cale joined Reed's band nonetheless, presumably only because, as Reed said: “We had a common interest, namely dope.”

These two recruited one Sterling Morrison, & a friend of Cale’s, a Scottish drummer named Angus MacLise, & the Primitives were born. “The Ostrich” was released, but did little (it's interesting to note, however, that on the Velvets first album Reed is credited with playing ‘Ostrich guitar).

The band stayed together though, under new billings such as the Warlocks & the Falling Spickes. Maclise had left early in the piece; he was replaced by Maureen Tucker. This was in 1965, & Reed was writing the songs that would eventually become the Velvet Underground's. The rest is history of course, & its re-telling here would be quite irrelevant anyway.

 

The Velvet Underground – etc., Plastic Inevitable Records FIRST-1, 1979.

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Side A –

Cycle Annie – The Beachnuts

The Ostrich

Sneaky Pete – The Primitives

You’re Drivin’ Me Insane – The Roughnecks

Conversation – VU

Side B –

Foggy Notion

Inside Your Heart

I’m Sticking with You

Ferryboat Bill

Noise – VU

Goodbye to a Rock’n’Roll Animal,

NØ

The Bahamas

The Beginning of the End was a funk group from Nassau, Bahamas. The group formed in 1969. They were made up of three brothers: Roy Munnings – vocals & guitar; Ray Munnings – vocals & organ; & Frank Munnings – vocals, drums, & congas, along with their friend Fred Henfield – bass.

One of the very few funk/soul groups from The Bahamas, the Beginning of the End had one hit in 1971, the scintillating “Funky Nassau” which reached #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 & #7 on the Billboard Black Singles charts. They recorded an album of the same name that year which was released on Alston Records (a subsidiary of Atlantic Records). They are accompanied on the album by The Funky Nassau Horns, which included two of the brother’s cousins, Ralph Munnings & Freddie Munnings as well as Neville Sampson, Vernon Mueller, & Kenneth Lane. The band release a self-titled album in 1974 but it never attracted the attention of Funky Nassau & by 1975 they had dropped out of sight.

This album is along the lines of other 70s acts like James Brown, The Meters, or War. It’s great to hear how funk influenced music all over the world. This album doesn’t disappoint. Every track is invocative of fun & funky music, with plenty of brass, nice guitar solos, & a fantastic lead singer. He has an undeniably Caribbean accent that adds to the uniqueness of the sound.

The Beginning of the End – Funky Nassau, Alston Records SD 33-379, 1971.

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Side One –

Funky Nassau, Pt. 1
Funky Nassau, Pt. 2
Come Down
Sleep on Dream On
Surrey Ride

Side Two –

Monkey Tamarind
In the Deep
Pretty Girl
When She Made Me Promise

Enjoy,

NØ

Bermuda

While Bermuda is not technically in the Caribbean, but rather in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida, I would be remiss to skip it, so thought I’d just shoot up from Haiti across the Tropic of Cancer & through the Sargasso Sea to this little island nation. It IS the northernmost tip of the famed Bermuda triangle after all & by going from Haiti I kinda skimmed the edge of the triangle without really passing through it. Not that I believe in all that hooey, but I didn’t want to disappear, you know.

I’ll head back south after this ‘cuz I want to end up in Jamaica before touching down on ye olde Isthmus. Wanna take a few days to soak up some sun & fun, some ganga & dub before trekking onward to C.A. & then N.A. & the end of this long strange trip. I’ve already contacted my travel agent to reset my itinerary later. When I leave Mexico I’m going to fly directly to Canada, then drop down south of the border to end up in the U.S. to end my travels. Just think it’ll be more…I don’t know…immaculate?

The Talbot Brothers were a musical group from Bermuda that were among the most popular calypso performers of the 1950s. They were brothers Archie - lead singer, acoustic guitar, & harmonica, Austin - acoustic guitar & harmonica, Bryan aka ‘Dick’ – tipple (a large, 10-stringed ukulele), Ross aka ‘Blackie’ - electric guitar, & Roy Talbot - bass, along with their cousin Cromwell ‘Mandy’ Mandres – accordion.

The Talbots were the first of Bermuda’s many notable singing groups. They performed a variation of Trinidadian calypso in a smooth melodic style influenced by pop music. They performed & recorded cover versions of many calypso classics in addition to their own originals songs.

The Talbots formed in 1942 & became popular playing in local hotels. But it was an early recording they made in the United States that made them even more popular in their homeland. The song “Bermuda Buggy Ride” brought them wide recognition in the USA & made them the group tourists to Bermuda most wanted to see. The song was a swing ballad. It was actually written in a buggy en route to Tom Moore’s Tavern in Bermuda. On arriving at Tom’s Tavern the musicians rehearsed the song until it was ready for performance that very night. It’s been riding along ever since.

Their popularity with American tourists resulted in tours of the U.S. starting in the early 1950s. They were frequent performers on television in the 50s, appearing on Ed Sullivan’s variety shows & other programs. One of their draws was the novelty of Roy Talbot’s home-made upright bass (seen on the CD cover photo). It was dubbed the ‘doghouse’. Roy created the instrument from a large meat-packing crate & a single fishing line. This bass was a particular curiosity & during the Talbots’ tours many visiting celebrities would autograph the crate.

Roy Talbot, who died on May 15, 2009, was the last surviving brother.

The Talbot Brothers – Remember Bermuda compilation 1950 - 1980.

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Tracklist –

Remember Bermuda

Out the Fire

13 Kids

Gonna Cut You with the Razor (original version)

Atomic Nightmare (original version)

Man Smart Woman Smarter (original version)

De Mongrel

Run Fast

Yellow Bird

Bermuda Buggy Ride

Freckles

She’s My Buddy’s Chick

Mandolin Jive

Jane Jane Jane

She Sits Down on Me

Foolish Man

Razor Razor (alternate take)

Atomic Nightmare (alternate take)

Man Smart Women are Smarter (alternate take)

Enjoy,

NØ

Haiti

Voodoo or voudun is a religion originating in the coastal region of West Africa. Voodoo means God or Spirit. Today, voodoo magic is practiced by millions of people across the world, especially in Africa & the Caribbean. The complex rhythms of Yoruban drums, the roots of urban African & Afro-Caribbean music, call the divine ancestors (loa or orishas) to earth to possess their mediums. Couldn’t really post up music from Haiti without voodoo (voudun) or voodoo influenced music. Here are examples of both.

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Our first example is from Voodoo Drums in Hi-Fi from 1958. The featured drummers are Raymond Baillargau, musically known as Ti-Roro & Ti-Marcel. Ti-Roro is one of the elder statesmen of Haitian ritual drumming. He performed all over the West Indies as well as the United States. He is perhaps the greatest drummer Haiti has ever produced. Younger than Ti-Roro, Ti-Marcel is nonetheless an accomplished drummer, proclaimed ‘King of the Country Dances’ when he was only twenty years old. He was among the drummers who appeared at the Ziegfield Theater in New York City in 1949 for Haiti Week. While there he met & played with Dizzy Gillespie & his Band at Birdland.

Various – Voodoo Drums in Hi-Fi, Atlantic High Fidelity 1296, 1958.

all decryption codes in comments

Side One –
Contradanse: Avant Simple with Flute
Ti-Roro Drum Solo I
Ti-Joe Carabien
Meringue with Flute
Nan Point la Vie Encore Oh!
Laissez Yo Di

Side Two –
Rara Riffs
Contradanse: Avant Simple with Accordion
Annonce Oh Zange Nan Dio
Contradanse: Avant Simple & Meringue with Flute
La Misere Pa Douce!
Ti-Roro Drum Solo II

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Next is Voodoo Drums from the Drummers of the Societe Absolument Guinin features drum rhythms of Vodou recorded in Port au Prince, Haiti.

The closest New World relatives of West African ritual drumming reside in Haiti with voodoo & Cuba with santeria. On this remarkable record of Haitian voodoo drumming, no other instruments dilute the power of the drums. Head drummer Harold Laurenceau leads an ensemble of players who work the full range of pitches available from animal skins stretched over resonant wooden frames. High crackling detail runs alongside stuttering mid-range counterpoint with the heavy warmth of deep tuned drums are all present here.

Compared to the drummers of West Africa, this ensemble interprets texture at a much more dynamic level. The rhythms rest upon an underpinning of structure unique to each piece, dedicated to bringing individual spirits to the physical world. But within these loose constraints, the drummers take maximum liberties to add, subtract, & alter notes. Repetition yields to improvisation, resulting in a potent sense of collective intercommunication. If you listen to this music with an open heart & a receptive mind, you'll feel the higher energies gathering with each successive beat. As voodoo is about spiritual transport, this record will take you into vast, unimagined territory.

Drummers of the Societe Absolument Guinin – Voodoo Drums 2xLP, 

Universal Sound US LP 16, 2001.

Side One –
Yanvalou
Africanadou
Rongol
Zepol
Dahome

Side Two –
Congo
Mai
Parigol
Contredance
Afranchi

Side Three –
Juba
Petro
Kita
Boumba
Koye

Side Four –
Zepol
Areyen
Mas Karon
Ibo

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Finally, this offering which is not voodoo but is influenced by the daily presence of voodoo in Haitian life. This is twoubadou music. It was played by poor workers that commuted to Cuba for work & traveled back to Haiti. It encompasses Cuban bolero & son & is sometimes classified as Haitian bolero. It also mixed jazz, Haitian meringue, & voodoo/folk rhythms.

Les Cayes is a seaport town in southwestern Haiti. Due to its isolation from the political turmoil of the capital, Port-au-Prince, Les Cayes is one of Haiti's major ports, with export trade concentrating on mostly coffee & sugarcane. Meridinales des Cayes are from Les Cayes. On this album they are: Camille Maignant – bandleader & saxophone; Pierre Denon Morin (who died from prostate cancer at the age of 68 on February 8, 2011) – lead vocals; Dougone Louis & Raymond Oscar – vocals with various other uncredited musicians.

Meridionales des Cayes – Manman Zô, Ibo Records ILP 168, 1972.

Side 1 –
Manman Zô
St. Jacques

Side 2 –
Zanmi Fem
A Ma Rosie
Petite Brune
Fête champêtre

Enjoy,
NØ