Les Antilles / Martinique, Guadeloupe, Haïti, La Dominique, Sainte Lucie – 1976

Frankly, on the face of it, this is the compilation you don’t want to buy. A stereotypical picture of « West Indian folklore », a catchy « super ambiance » sticker, it’s all there, under the generic title Les Antilles. And then if you look a little more closely, you realise that this anthology released in 1976 is far from ridiculous. Just think: the Vikings de la Martinique, Pierre Labor, Malavoi (the first hits from the Madjoumbé album, now impossible to find), Bookelos, Puissance 8… and all original recordings, like Tonton Bichot, the Gramacks’ first hit in 1974, or the exceptional Aka Aki by the Vikings de la Martinique. From Haiti to Saint Lucia, an excellent selection from the early 70s. Go for it!