FRENCH CARIBBEAN

An easy-going mix of biguine, merengue-ish extremely enjoyable tunes that get your feet moving. Five of the songs (half the album!) are among my all-time French Caribbean faves, and there are no dogs. You can't help smiling during "Parfum des Isles, a good-natured instrumental. The live Kassav cut, OK but not one of their best, is the only true driving zouk on the cd. The rest are more laid-back, but rhythmically more interesting and appealing, with an almost Brazilian feel. The four of us at work all love this cd, and it has held up well after repeated listenings. We recommend it highly.

A nice, smooth set of modern pop songs drawn from the French-speaking islands of Guadeloupe, Haiti and Martinique, lingering on the more tuneful and diverse end of the Caribbean musical spectrum. For someone like myself, who quickly tired of the manic, monotonous landslide of "soca" and "zouk" records during the 1980s, this disc came as a pleasant surprise. It's very listenable and engaging, a nice selection for someone looking for some accessible, poppish world music.

Just playing this CD sets you in a good mood!. The compilation is up-lifting and all time favorites!. It is the best of Putumayo's Colection