Fem’m Kolokinte – Coupé Cloué, 1978

Fem’m Kolokinte is one of the emblematic songs of the Coupé Cloué king. The twelve minutes of this subtle compas came out in 1978 and quickly reached the airwaves of free FM radio stations in Paris. Along with tracks by Tabou Combo and the salsa of Willie Colon and Ruben Blades, they were among my first conscious references to Caribbean music, whose lyrics I didn’t understand a word of at the time. The story of these women, let’s call them ‘thrifty’, was way above my head, but not the music. And here we are today!