France in the Indian Ocean

Davy Sicard - Maloya Kabosé

A beautiful modern maloya song. Maloya is a little known musical style from La Réunion, a small French island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar.

Music from French West Indies

Great biguine and gwoka albums very rare can be downloaded on the great blog Listen to your ears which dig up LPs of the Caribbeans islands. Beside those albums from French Antilles (French West Indies), there are also a few albums from Guyane (a French territory in the north of Brazil).

Groove from the French Caraibes

I don't write much about French Caribbean (Martinique and Guadeloupe are overseas départements of France) because I know little about this music but there are amazing gems there. I highly invite you to listen to the great compilation made by Soundway Tumbélé! Biguine Afro and Latin Sounds from the French Caribbean.

I quote Soundway:

"This album showcases the vibrancy of the scene on the islands in the ‘60s and ‘70s – a scene that would go on to develop the all-conquering sound of zouk in the ‘80s. Uptown bands like Ensemble La Perfecta and Les Loups Noirs combine heavy rhythms and psychedelic effects in an inimitable style – check out the crazed Jet Biguine for a better idea! The deep and introspective sounds of Monsieur Dolor and Guadeloupean hero Robert Loison show the deep African roots of the music – songs born out of the plantations, with an insistent rhythm and mournful vocals that are unique to these islands."

Check also this great article on Mondomix about French Caribbean music:

By the way, for those who've downloaded my mixtapes, there were a few songs from Caribbean: Kassav' (volume 5) , A very old buigine from Martinique (volume 7), and the young Admiral T (volume 3).

Who's paying?

Photo: Joëlle Niang

Gurejele is the most famous band of Kaneka, a blend of traditional kanak (native people) music, blues and reggae. They are from New Caledonia, an oversea French territory located in the southwest Pacific. The band is led by Dick Buama and has released four LPs.

I've uploaded their biggest hit, Who's Paying ? released in 2001. I have translated the lyrics which have an interesting political meaning.
Gujerele - C'est Qui Qui Paye?

Lyrics of C'est Qui Qui Paye -Who's Paying

Our politicians are going to Paris
To plan with the Motherland
The agreements for the wealth of the country
Agreements to agreements, and it's not over

Chorus:
Who's paying, paying?
It's France which is paying
Who's paying, paying?
It's France which is Paying
And yes, that's also this

If you're broke, you just have to ask
One condition, you've got to join
In the party, we are supported financially
Dogs can bark, we are legalized

Chorus

We are not enthusiast anymore
Of political meetings
Here, under the tropics, we prefer music
The one of Jamaica, the on of States of America
In civil service, they just work for dough

Chorus

All the subsidies of all political parties
It's France which is paying
Consumption of all political refugees
It's France which is paying
The salary of the civil servants working for dough
It's France which is paying
Ecologist bombed in the Kiwi country*
It's France which is paying

Chorus

(*refer to the sinking of the Greenpeace's boat in New Zealand by the French foreign intelligence services, who killed one man)

links: New Caledonia, sinking of the Greenpeace boat, biography (in French)