Mémoires – Akiyo, 1992

Part cultural, part political movement, part music group, Akiyo was formed in Guadeloupe in 1978, on the initiative of Joël Nankin and Vélo, among others. His first mission was to dust off carnival by reintroducing traditional drums and the gwoka to the parades, to put Guadeloupean culture back centre stage. Mémoires, the group’s first album, was not released until 1992, however. So what better way to put this iconic album back on the turntable, thirty years after its release, and with the carnival season in full swing!