Hot on the heels of their last compilation Panama 2!, Soundway hit us with another solid selection of 20 tracks. Tumbélé: Biguine, Afro and Latin Sounds from the French Caribbean, 1963-1974 explores the unique and overlooked sounds from the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique. Researched and well dug by Hugo Mendez who provides the 24 page liner notes complete with vintage cover art and untold stories behind the music.

Lilting biguines, heavy gwo ka drums and tumbélé rhythms collide with the sounds of the carnival. Haitian, Congolese and Puerto Rican influences are added to the pot in a percussive celebration of Afro-Caribbean spirit.

Martinique and Guadeloupe are overseas départements of France, situated in the Eastern Caribbean island chain of the Lesser Antilles. Successive waves of immigrants and a strong French colonial presence have combined to produce a strong musical culture that takes in African and latin rhythms alongside Jazz, calypso and the local biguine style.

Often overlooked in the English-speaking Caribbean, the scattering drums and soaring clarinets of the beguine ruled the airwaves and dancefloors of Martinique and Guadeloupe in the l960s.

This album showcases the vibrancy of the scene on the islands in the ‘60s and ‘70s — a scene that would go on to develop the all-conquering sound of zouk in the ‘80s. Uptown bands like Ensemble La Perfecta and Les Loups Noirs combine heavy rhythms and psychedelic effects in an inimitable style — check out the crazed Jet Biguine for a better idea! The deep and introspective sounds of Monsieur Dolor and Guadeloupean hero Robert bison show the deep African roots of the music — songs born out of the plantations, with an insistent rhythm and mournful vocals that are unique to these islands.

Overlooked outside of France, Montreal and the French Caribbean for too many years, this collection redresses the balance by presenting the vital sounds of Martinique and Guadeloupe - two essential pieces of the musical jigsaw puzzle of the Caribbean.

Compiler Hugo Mendez spent several months on the islands researching the stories behind the music and searching for forgotten records. This CD/LP features music that has never been released outside of the islands and is practically unknown outside the French-Caribbean communities.

Buy a copy of Tumbélé: Biguine, Afro and Latin Sounds from the French Caribbean, 1963-1974 released by Soundway on 5th October.