This month’s listening picks from the Caribbean — featuring reviews by Nigel Campbell of new music by Angela Hunte; Coutain & Dwala; D-Achee; and Juss Lizz
Angela Hunte
Mángó (Self Released)
Trinidadian-American Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Angela Hunte has released a new album that smartly incorporates the rhythms and tropes of most of the hippest music from the African diaspora: soca, hip-hop, reggae/dancehall, gospel, soul, reggaeton, and Afrobeats. It’s not too much — just enough to satisfy listeners without overwhelming them. The artist collaborations work effectively to distinguish this album as a potential hitmaker, and a benchmark for how Caribbean music can be packaged for uptake outside the usual island cohort in the metropolis. The title song, a duet with Wyclef Jean, bubbles with a zouk flavour that makes dancing inevitable, while Fay-Ann Lyons makes the pop-power soca duet “Gelato” work with her tremendous lyrical flow. Other collaborators — Yemi Alade, Tarrus Riley, and rising reggaeton star Christian Alicea — add to a holistic package that delivers on the promise of New World African music rising. Magnificent!
Coutain & Dwala
1996 (Form & Order)
In the few years singer (Denzil) Coutain has been on the scene, he’s honed his songcraft around narratives that show a keen ear for what sounds like youthful ennui and seductive escapism, and this album marks an ascension towards a global presence. With the help of London/Trinidad-based sound artist and producer Dwala, the singer’s relaxed island vocal delivery works well with the sultry calypso, reggae/dub, R&B/soul beats, and the producer’s delightfully chill harmonic profiles. Electric piano and saxophone smoothly enhance melodies, while the down tempo mood showcases another side of the Caribbean. Coutain sings of life and the adoration of his woman, defining intimacy and describing love. Listeners become a part of conversations that adults always have behind closed doors. This collaboration demonstrates how island beats are finding favour among a new generation streaming the world of music. Sublime and edgy.
D-Achee
You’re My Champion (Music Avenue) • Single
Master percussionist D-Achee has created a celebratory sing-along anthem of joy and upliftment. With 120 beats-per-minute and a ringing West African rhythm in the guitar, this music straddles the Black Atlantic in groove and inspiration. He sings Everybody want to know if you come from Africa or Brazil as a challenge for self-awareness among Black people in the Americas. A bank of hand drums, log drums, gourds, and metal percussion percolate beneath lyrics affirming a life of conscious positivity: So enjoy your life in fullness in every way / Don’t listen to the rumours them spreading / ‘cause I am not your enemy. At both the introduction and the bridge, the polyrhythms — with the pulse of Africa and the DNA of the Caribbean — resonate. The track effectively delivers on the simple idea of percussive sounds inspiring listeners to rise up in spirit and in action — and might just inspire many an energetic TikTok dance video after a couple listens.
Juss Lizz
Blue Moon (Self-released) • Single
Once in a blue moon, you will find the one who is worth it. This is the refrain Juss Lizz sings on her R&B/island pop smooth groove that is a self-confidence booster to an insecure soul. The mood is sensual, the message is inspirational. She has noted regarding her composition process that, “I sing songs I would like to hear when I am feeling down … When I’m writing music, I’m giving that vibe out. I don’t want to create music that allows people to go back into that state of being sad.” And this tune accomplishes that. This young Trinidadian exploded out of the Spotlight programme of MusicTT in 2021, and has the potential to reach an even wider audience, as she sings and performs with a confidence that belies that she can sometimes be “feeling down”. A new generation of singers in the Caribbean is following the tropes of a modern R&B that emphasises self-reflection and honesty with a beat that does not sprint. This is a love song to oneself worthy of repetition.