After forty years, the Kassav’ Passport is still valid! The group’s only album, released by Franck Riahi Records in 1983, has not aged a day, and includes its fair share of hits, including Oh Madiana and Zombi. The album marks an important stage in the evolution of zouk, which was just taking shape and gaining in popularity – the word doesn’t appear anywhere on the album yet, but the rhythm is very close. This album is a crossroads of sounds, a melting pot of West Indian sounds, funk, jazz and Latin music, foreshadowing the future growth of the genre, as evidenced by Karambole and Mwin Ka Déviné, where the blending of genres echoes West Indian roots while drawing inspiration from the more modern musical trends of the time. Kassav’, who already had a solid musical background, continues his (successful) experimentation and includes a number of travelling instrumental tracks, such as the delicate musical escape of La Baie des Flamands, and the nostalgic Nocturne West Indies, which closes the album on an almost dreamlike note. There are also ambitious compositions, such as the long and profound Réminiscence, which invites the listener on a sensory voyage to the Caribbean and beyond. All these tracks testify to the band’s musical diversity, and their desire to push back the boundaries of the genre. We’re still a long way from the more commercial successes of the next few years. In short, let’s (almost) zouk!
Passeport – Kassav’, 1983
