Rough Guide to Caribbean Cafe

The latest Caribbean music World Music Network compilation sets out to demonstrate the connections and parallels between island styles while retaining an upbeat and inspirational mood. We’re given a selection of gems from much-loved artists, many being well-known to international listeners, while others – Aurelio Martinez from Honduras and Grupo Vocal Desandann from Haiti – being less so. It is these that trigger more interest, as the material from the likes of Sierra Maestra and Boukman Eksperyans is easily available elsewhere. On the stirring ‘Lubara Wanwa’ Aurelio shares vocal duties with the current Senegal minister of culture, Youssou N’Dour, while on ‘Se Lavi’, Desandann’s vocalists soar over simple percussion. As Rough Guide compilations do these days, there’s a bonus CD: Dede Saint-Prix’s Fruits De La Patience. It’s the kind of high-quality music we have come to expect from the masters of Afro-Martiniquan chouval bwa. As with the compilation it is paired with, the emphasis is pan-Caribbean and fusionist, covering zouk, son, compas and even US rap. What keeps the dots admirably joined is the rock-solid percussion and magnificent vocal harmonies: ‘Qui Fait Le King Tombe Du Building’ presents a speedy reggae kind of zouk with rousing all-join-in choruses while ‘Kanmarads’ has as itchy compas groove and commanding lead vocal. If the Rough Guide CD is a smidgeon too wide-ranging, then this offering’s worth its weight alone for the tremendous Saint-Prix material.