Liber

The Dutch Antillean island of Curaçao hasn‘t yet become a central presence on the world music landscape, but these gorgeous songs by local legend Oswin Chin Behilia should change that. Behilia has been around since the 1960s, his infectiously melodic compositions – sung in Spanish, Portuguese and the local creole, Papiamentu – famously veil social comments and hard-hitting criticisms of the island’s continuing colonial relationship with the Netherlands. Corruption is a dominant theme here but as with much Caribbean music, these messages are coated with a lilting loveliness, which drives you to shimmy and sing along to the eclectic pan-Caribbean backings. There are love songs and a couple of tracks dedicated to food: the raunchy ‘Den Bo Kushina’ (In Your Kitchen) and light-hearted ‘Buta la Pasta’ (Serve the Pasta), praising a new arrival's cooking.

Behilia‘s music evokes richly textured, changing landscapes, with Arnell Salsbach’s piano solos conjuring memories of Rubén González, and Behilia‘s own rhythmic guitar exploring all corners of the Caribbean. ’Zinkinzá‘ is clip-clopping salsa, and ’Di Malu en Peor‘ (From Bad to Worse) is a rocking socu-ish dance track showcasing the leader’s voice. ‘Sigi Traha e Bom’ (Keep Working on the Bomb) is a searing indictment of Holland‘s control over Curaçao’s economic future. It closes with a rousing salsa-soca sing-along led by jangling, tres-like guitar from Behilia and rippling steel drum, which distracts from his caustic lyrics. These are irresistible songs contrived to make people listen and dance.