Ophélia – 1979

Aïe Dominique was such a hit in 1978 that the track was pressed a second time on the singer’s new album Ophélia the following year. The song, which highlights the turmoil the island was going through in that decade, became almost an anthem for Dominica. Coached by McCarthy Marie, her husband, and Gordon Henderson, Ophélia quickly became an icon of Caribbean music, and of Dominica in particular. She earned the nicknames « Dominica’s Lady of Song » and « First Lady of Creole ». This album, soberly entitled Ophélia, opened the doors to international markets, and she performed several times in Paris. Henderson took her in the direction of the cadence-lypso that he had already made triumphant with Exile One, but the album also contained the little funk gem Red Light Lady, composed by McCarthy, and strictly irresistible.