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Kalfou Danjere

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Kalfou Danjere
Studio album by
Boukman Eksperyans
Released1992
StudioAudiotek
GenreMisik rasin[1]
LabelMango[2]
ProducerEric Clermontet
Boukman Eksperyans chronology
Vodou Adjae
(1991) 		Kalfou Danjere
(1992) 		Libete (Pran Pou'l!)
(1995)

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]

The album peaked at No. 1 on Billboard's World Albums chart,[9] spending 19 weeks on the chart.[10]

Production

[edit]

The 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]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[14]
Robert Christgau(2-star Honorable Mention)(2-star Honorable Mention)[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.TitleLength
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

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ "Boukman Eksperyans". NPR.
  3. ^ "Boukman Eksperyans Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  4. ^ Birnbaum, Larry (Mar 1993). "CD reviews — Kalfou Danjere by Boukman Eksperyans/Foula by Foula". DownBeat. Vol. 60, no. 3. p. 45.
  5. ^ Browning, Barbara (June 17, 2013). Infectious Rhythm: Metaphors of Contagion and the Spread of African Culture. Routledge. ISBN 9781136051821.
  6. ^ a b "Boukman Eksperyans". Entertainment Weekly.
  7. ^ a b Moon, Tom (August 28, 2008). 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die. Workman Publishing. ISBN 9780761153856.
  8. ^ Smith, Jennie M. (May 31, 2018). When the Hands Are Many: Community Organization and Social Change in Rural Haiti. Cornell University Press. ISBN 9781501717970.
  9. ^ "Boukman Eksperyans". Billboard.
  10. ^ "Boukman Eksperyans return to South Florida for Big Night in Little Haiti". Miami Herald. 15 November 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  11. ^ a b MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 2000. p. 106.
  12. ^ O'Connor, Anne-Marie (August 12, 1992). "Band Plays on Under Haiti's Guns". The Palm Beach Post. p. 1A.
  13. ^ Gehr, Richard (18 Nov 1992). "Boukman Eksperyans Haiti's Most Political Party Music". Part II. Newsday. p. 50.
  14. ^ "Kalfou Danjare". AllMusic.
  15. ^ a b "Boukman Eksperyans". Robert Christgau.
  16. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 1. MUZE. p. 770.
  17. ^ Pareles, Jon (19 Nov 1992). "Pop and Jazz in Review". The New York Times. p. C23.
  18. ^ McLane, Daisann (Dec 10, 1992). "The Global Beat". Rolling Stone. No. 645–646. p. 187.
  19. ^ Heim, Chris (30 Oct 1992). "Toots & the Maytals and Boukman Eksperyans, Friday at China Club". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. N.
  20. ^ Lannert, John (19 Nov 1992). "A Mix of Politics, Religion". Sun-Sentinel. p. 3E.
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