Putumayo Records recently released "Caribbean Party," a compilation of songs from Martinque, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and other Caribbean islands. Although a good compilation of uptempo party music, "Caribbean Party" is not an album to create rumbles throughout the world music industry.
To understand the accessibility of the tunes on this album, one must know the label's philosophy: "Putumayo World Music began as a way introducing people to great world and contemporary folk music. Each song is selected for its melodic and uptempo appeal. It is music that makes you feel good!"
The album contains an adequate mix of well-known acts like Bunny Wailer (from Bob Marley and the Wailers) and obscure acts like Bago. The one thing that ties the ten tracks together is the uptempo, happy party feelings from each song.
Ralph Thamar's "Dokte" has some cool rhythms. Unfortunately, it's impossible to have an attention span on this album since every song is so -- for a lack of better word -- cheesy.
Listening to "Ice Cream" is torture. I had hopes that this would be a remix of Cheff Raekwon's (from Wu Tang Clan) "Ice Cream," but I couldn't have been more off.
It was also very disappointing to read the liner notes on the album. There is a good description of each song, but the introduction completely supported America's stereotype of the Caribbean: "Hot sun, blue sea, languid white beaches, spicy food, green jungle ... and music."
This album is a shallow introduction to Caribbean music.
The songs on "Caribbean Party" are funky, fast, and fun. It borders on cheesy, but if you're looking for a good album to play at a summer theme party, or just looking for a compilation that gives you a quick look on different styles of Caribbean music, this is the album you're looking for.
However, if you are looking for a more fundamentally sound album from the Caribbean, bypass "Caribbean Party" and go get yourself a Lee Perry or Jimmy Cliff album. There are better world music albums out there for those of you looking to branch out from your Nirvana or Led Zeppelin collections. Look for Zap Mama's "Seven" -- it's an excellent album from Zaire with funky beats and great a cappella.
