| Vini Pou | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1987 | |||
| Genre | Zouk [1] | |||
| Label | Columbia [2] | |||
| Producer | Jacob F. Desvarieux | |||
| Kassav' chronology | ||||
| ||||
Vini Pou is an album by the Guadeloupean band Kassav', released in 1987. [3] [4] It went gold in its first two weeks of release and was their first album to be widely distributed in the United States. [5] [6] Kassav', as a 16-piece unit, supported the album with a North American tour. [7] [8]
Produced by Jacob F. Desvarieux, the album was recorded in Paris. [9] [10] Vini Pou used five singers; many songs were sung Creole. [11] [12] Earth, Wind & Fire's horn section played on the album. [13]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [14] |
| Robert Christgau | B [15] |
| MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide | [9] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [16] |
Robert Christgau called the album "the latest, the longest and the easiest to find LP from the guys who invented world dance music," writing that "the production has gained depth." [15] Newsday noted that "the rhythms are often derived from the buoyant bop of Haiti's cadance and compas, a major element in Zouk." [17] USA Today deemed Vini Pou "primo zouk," noticing the "gloss of disco and soul." [18]
The New York Times wrote that "the songs step out at a brisk clip, their three-chord harmonies lilting in syncopation like a carousel at full tilt; everywhere, the beat stutters and skips behind ear-catching, perfectly calculated riffs or sounds"; Jon Pareles later listed Vini Pou as the best album of 1988. [19] [11] The Washington Post determined that "Zairean guitar licks are offset by American funk and soul horn charts; synth riffs and buoyant vocals harmonies abound, and the dance mixes have a distinctly disco/Euro-pop sheen." [20]
AllMusic labeled the album "one of their weaker efforts." [14] MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide stated that "the balance between raw rhythm and studio polish is at its apex." [9]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Syé Bwa (Sawing Wood)" | |
| 2. | "Flash' (Flash)" | |
| 3. | "Souf' Zouk (Breath of Love)" | |
| 4. | "Zou (Zou)" | |
| 5. | "Soleil (Sun)" | |
| 6. | "Ayen Pa Mòl' (Nothing Is the Matter)" | |
| 7. | "Zòt' Vini Pou (Others Come For ...)" | |
| 8. | "Es' Sé An la Fèt' (Is It a Party)" | |
| 9. | "Rosa (Rosa)" | |
| 10. | "Palé Mwen Dous' (Tell Me Sweet Things)" | |
| 11. | "Chouboulé" |
Soca music is a genre of music defined by Lord Shorty, its inventor, as the "Soul of Calypso", which has influences of African and East Indian rhythms. It was originally spelled "sokah" by its inventor but through an error in a local newspaper when reporting on the new music it was erroneously spelled "soca"; Lord Shorty confirmed the error but chose to leave it that way to avoid confusion. It is a genre of music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago in the early 1970s and developed into a range of styles during the 1980s and after. Soca was initially developed by Lord Shorty in an effort to revive traditional calypso, the popularity of which had been flagging amongst younger generations in Trinidad due to the rise in popularity of reggae from Jamaica and soul and funk from the United States. Soca is an offshoot of calypso/kaiso, with influences from East Indian rhythms and hooks.
The music of Martinique has a heritage which is intertwined with that of its sister island, Guadeloupe. Despite their small size, the islands have created a large popular music industry, which gained in international renown after the success of zouk music in the later 20th century. Zouk's popularity was particularly intense in France, where the genre became an important symbol of identity for Martinique and Guadeloupe. Zouk's origins are in the folk music of Martinique and Guadeloupe, especially Martinican chouval bwa, and Guadeloupan gwo ka. There's also notable influence of the pan-Caribbean calypso tradition and Haitian kompa.
The music of Guadeloupe encompasses a large popular music industry, which gained in international renown after the success of zouk music in the later 20th century. Zouk's popularity was particularly intense in France, where the genre became an important symbol of identity for Guadeloupe and Martinique. Zouk's origins are in the folk music of Guadeloupe and Martinique, especially Guadeloupan gwo ka and Martinican chouval bwa, and the pan-Caribbean calypso tradition.
The music of Dominica includes a variety of genres including all the popular genres of the world. Popular music is widespread, with a number of native Dominican performers gaining national fame in imported genres such as calypso, reggae, soca, kompa, zouk and rock and roll. Dominica's own popular music industry has created a form called bouyon, which combines elements from several styles and has achieved a wide fanbase in Dominica. Groups include WCK, Native musicians in various forms, such as reggae, kadans (Ophelia Marie, and calypso, have also become stars at home and abroad.
Zouk is a musical movement pioneered by the French Antillean band Kassav' in the early 1980s. It was originally characterized by a fast tempo, a percussion-driven rhythm, and a loud horn section. Musicians from Martinique and Guadeloupe eventually added MIDI instrumentation to their compas style, which developed into a genre called zouk-love. Zouk-love is effectively the French Lesser Antilles' compas, and it gradually became indistinguishable from compas.
Kassav' is a French Caribbean band formed in Guadeloupe in 1979. The core members of the band are Jacob Desvarieux, Jocelyne Béroard, Jean-Philippe Marthély, Patrick Saint-Éloi, Jean-Claude Naimro, Claude Vamur, and Georges Décimus. Kassav' have issued over 20 albums, with a further 12 solo albums by band members.
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