Haiti Direct – Big Band, Mini Jazz & Twoubadou Sounds 1960-1978

What a truly wonderful collection of music there is on Strut's latest outing into the musical unknown! While Cuban and Jamaican music are usually the first port of call when we think of Caribbean sounds, this compilation serves as a reminder of the rich musical culture throughout the region. It also acts as a positive portal to reassess Haiti not merely as a place ravaged by Papa Doc Duvalier and his dynasty, natural disasters or aggressive US economic policies, but as a hub of creativity that reflects the wider aesthetics of the Caribbean as well as the displaced African diaspora. The genre that underpins this compilation is compas direct, an extrapolation of the local meringue dance rhythm, and the tracks show how the genre splintered and adapted via different influences and interpretations.

From the clattering Latin percussion of ‘Choc Vikings’ by Les Vikings, to the funk-tinged ‘Pile Ou Face’ by Les Loups Noirs, the diversity of the local music scene really shines through. There are also some genuine surprises such as ‘Gade Moune Yo’ by Ra Ra De Leogane, whose bamboo vaksen trumpets sound like an avant-garde frog chorus with hints of modal jazz. End to end, there is not one duff track in this most pleasing of musical educations.