Koté Ou ? – Mushi & Lakansyel, 1983

🇭🇹 🎷 🎹 🌌 🔄 The Widmaier brothers, Joël and Mushi, have been at the forefront of Haitian jazz since the 1980s. Joël has been the director of the Port-au-Prince Jazz Festival for several years. In 1983, they founded the group Zèklè and its offshoots. Mushi later formed Lakansyel, with a structure similar to Zèklè, including his brother Joël. With Koté Ou ?, they offer a Caribbean jazz fusion heavily influenced by Lyle Mays’ universe, where Mushi’s synth layers reign supreme. Often contemplative, Koté Ou is a dreamlike journey, punctuated by ethereal flights—whether through Joël’s crystalline voice or Jacques Fatier’s saxophone. Opening Side B, Kalalou awakens the percussion in a long piece blending fusion and smooth jazz, and the album concludes with the title track Koté Ou, not far removed from a certain « great gig in the sky. » The original album, now unavailable, was reissued on vinyl in 2017 by Granit Records.