In 1989, Dé was the album that revealed Ultramarine to the public, four years after the eponymous debut. With the arrival of Etienne Mbappé and Mokhtar Samba, the group’s compositions opened up to Africa, while Mario Canonge and Bago brought their growing experience to the West Indies. Pierre-Olivier Govin is particularly at ease with musicians he has worked with for a long time. Last but not least, Nguyên Lê’s guitar adds a rock/fusion or oriental touch that definitely lifts the debate. This is an album that has sometimes, and wrongly, been used as an argument to pit Ultramarine against Sixun, when in fact the friends brothers were only talking about emulation! The album was also released on CD, with a program almost twice the size of the vinyl… And it’s a shame that the LP version doesn’t include compositions like Ivory Coast, Modafoka, Lieutenant Uura and Pogo!
Dé – Ultramarine, 1989
