Kalfou Danjere is an album by the Haitian band Boukman Eksperyans, released in 1992.[3][4] The title track, which translates to "Dangerous Crossroads", was banned in Haiti for its alleged subversive qualities.[5][6][7] "Nwel Inosan" was also banned.[8]
| Kalfou Danjere | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1992 | |||
| Studio | Audiotek | |||
| Genre | Misik rasin[1] | |||
| Label | Mango[2] | |||
| Producer | Eric Clermontet | |||
| Boukman Eksperyans chronology | ||||
| ||||
The album peaked at No. 1 on Billboard's World Albums chart,[9] spending 19 weeks on the chart.[10]
Production
editThe album was produced by Eric Clermontet.[11] It was recorded at Audiotek Studios, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, with some work accomplished at Studio Center in the United States.[7][12] Founder Lolo Beaubrun and his anthropologist wife traveled around Haiti to study the music of lakous, or hamlets; "Kalfou Danjere" incorporated four different rhythms picked up from lakous.[13]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [14] |
| Robert Christgau |  [15] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [16] |
| MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide | [11] |
Entertainment Weekly wrote that the band "weds roots rhythms to fierce electric rock, and whose gentle, metaphorical lyrics have the power to make a dictator sweat bullets."[6] Robert Christgau praised "Zansèt Nou Yo".[15] The New York Times deemed the songs "vigorous pop with an undercurrent of voodoo drumming."[17]
Rolling Stone called the album "rich with traditional Afro-Haitian drumming, cross-stitched with edgy electric guitar and synthesizer patterns and ringing with the voice of defiance."[18] The Chicago Tribune stated: "Drawing on the traditional, percussive, festival music called rara and older vodoun forms, Boukman has fashioned a fresh new sound that celebrates Haiti's rich African rhythmic and cultural roots."[19] The Sun-Sentinel considered the album a "melodically compelling and lyrically rich effort."[20]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Bay Bondyè Giwa" | |
| 2. | "Tande M Tande" | |
| 3. | "Jou Nou Revolte" | |
| 4. | "Kouman Sa Ta Ye" | |
| 5. | "Nanm Nan Boutey" | |
| 6. | "Badè Zile" | |
| 7. | "Zansèt Nou Yo" | |
| 8. | "Nwel Inosan" | |
| 9. | "Eve" | |
| 10. | "Fèy" | |
| 11. | "Vodou Adjae" | |
| 12. | "Kalfou Danjere" | |
| 13. | "Mayi A Gaye" |
References
edit- ^ Appiah, Anthony; Gates (Jr.), Henry Louis (March 24, 2005). Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-517055-9.
- ^ "Boukman Eksperyans". NPR.
- ^ "Boukman Eksperyans Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ Birnbaum, Larry (Mar 1993). "CD reviews — Kalfou Danjere by Boukman Eksperyans/Foula by Foula". DownBeat. Vol. 60, no. 3. p. 45.
- ^ Browning, Barbara (June 17, 2013). Infectious Rhythm: Metaphors of Contagion and the Spread of African Culture. Routledge. ISBN 9781136051821.
- ^ a b "Boukman Eksperyans". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ a b Moon, Tom (August 28, 2008). 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die. Workman Publishing. ISBN 9780761153856.
- ^ Smith, Jennie M. (May 31, 2018). When the Hands Are Many: Community Organization and Social Change in Rural Haiti. Cornell University Press. ISBN 9781501717970.
- ^ "Boukman Eksperyans". Billboard.
- ^ "Boukman Eksperyans return to South Florida for Big Night in Little Haiti". Miami Herald. 15 November 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
- ^ a b MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 2000. p. 106.
- ^ O'Connor, Anne-Marie (August 12, 1992). "Band Plays on Under Haiti's Guns". The Palm Beach Post. p. 1A.
- ^ Gehr, Richard (18 Nov 1992). "Boukman Eksperyans Haiti's Most Political Party Music". Part II. Newsday. p. 50.
- ^ "Kalfou Danjare". AllMusic.
- ^ a b "Boukman Eksperyans". Robert Christgau.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 1. MUZE. p. 770.
- ^ Pareles, Jon (19 Nov 1992). "Pop and Jazz in Review". The New York Times. p. C23.
- ^ McLane, Daisann (Dec 10, 1992). "The Global Beat". Rolling Stone. No. 645–646. p. 187.
- ^ Heim, Chris (30 Oct 1992). "Toots & the Maytals and Boukman Eksperyans, Friday at China Club". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. N.
- ^ Lannert, John (19 Nov 1992). "A Mix of Politics, Religion". Sun-Sentinel. p. 3E.