Welcome to the island of St. Lucia, where we soak in deeply African rhythms that morphed into brilliant modern Creole creations in recent years. The Checkout explores five Caribbean jazz songs you should know curated by Yves Renard, the Artistic Director of the Soleil St. Lucia Summer Festival.
When enslaved Africans were brought to the Caribbean islands centuries ago by English and French colonizers, along came their music, which evolved into many different styles in St. Lucia and the surrounding islands of Martinique, St. Vincent, Jamaica and others.
Renard shares the modern jazz recordings that have defined the area to its modern day. We’ll also hear a little traditional Garifuna music, a style of Afro-Creole folkloric music that taps into the traditions of its original indigenous population, and hear from the "Godfather of Jazz" in St. Lucia himself, the saxophonist Luther François, who currently resides in Martinique.
Five Essential Caribbean Jazz Recordings:
- "The Devil Tried to Kill Me," David Murray & The Gwo-Ka Masters Featuring Taj Mahal, The Devil Tried to Kill Me
- "You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)," Jazz Jamaica, The Hideaway Live
- "Morne du Don," Luther François & Caribbean Jazz Workshop, Morne du Don
- "Amiral Robert," Malavoi, L'Autre Style
- "Allies or Enemies," Zara McFarlane, Arise
Also featured in this segment:
- "Sa Malere," Malavoi, L'Autre Style
- "Change of Tone," R+R=Now, Collagically Speaking
- "Hunguhungu," Nicho Flores, John Castillo, and Paulino Castillo, Traditional Music of The Garifuna of Belize
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