Over the past decade, European archival label Flee has been unearthing some of the globe’s most distinctive sounds. Reissuing out-of-print rarities along with new interpretations from contemporary artists, their albums have included 2017’s exploration of Kenyan Benga music, a 2021 recording of the oral traditions of Gulf pearl divers and most recently a catalogue of Greek orthodox singing from the monastery on Mount Athos. Their latest edition is equally specific, delving into both archival and new French-language Creole music from Louisiana.
Influenced by the birth of jazz in New Orleans, as well as early blues, rock’n’roll and French colonial legacy, this largely African American folk music of the 1950s to the 1980s veers from poignant lyricism to rollicking, full-throated celebration. The dancefloor-focused side of the archival material features several infectious songs from bandleader Clifton Chenier. Known as the founder of Creole folk genre zydeco, Chenier’s arrangements incorporate bluesy guitar riffs alongside scraping washboard rhythms and the metallic twang of piano accordion. The resulting sound, on Laissez les Bon Temps Rouler and Jolie Blonde, is deep-swinging and joyous, anchored in Chenier’s own whooping vocalisations.
That foot-stomping feel reverberates through Isome J Fontenot’s lively harmonica playing on La Banane à Nonc Adam. The contemporary recordings are equally upbeat, meandering from rap verses to techno bass and industrial distortion, but prove too wide-ranging to cohere.
Instead, it’s in the more minimal, vocal-led arrangements that the album truly shines. Singer Alma Barthélémy’s recording of Ma Bonne Créole aches in its tender vibrato, while Caesar Vincent’s nasal tone lends a searching feel to the a cappella ballad Travailler C’est Trop Dur. These quiet moments offer an affecting window into history; even through lo-fi recordings, you can hear the singers’ breathy, yearning tones, calling out into the Louisiana wetlands for someone to listen.
Also out this month
Beirut-based sextet Sanam release their excellent second album, Sametou Sawtan (Constellation). Psychedelic guitar swirl, Arabic lyrics and pounding drums cohere to create a loud and lively eight tracks, with highlight Harik using singer Sandy Chamoun’s gasping vocalisations as punctuating rhythm. Ethiopian singer Meklit’s husky vocal power drives her jazz-influenced latest album A Piece of Infinity (Smithsonian Folkways), featuring elaborate interpretations of Ethiopian folk songs embellished by roaring horn fanfares and intricate percussion. Senegalese singer Cheikh Lô returns with his first album in a decade, Maame (World Circuit). Typically uplifting, Lô’s arrangements are full of lilting finger-picked guitar melodies and his own softly wavering voice that displays a new warmth at 70.