Customer Reviews

Welcome to Haiti Creole 101

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've been an appreciator of Wyclef's musical output since the Fugees first dropped in 1994. As I've said in other reviews, I don't always agree with his public persona (in fact, I think familial allegiances currently, sadly have him on the wrong side of the Haiti independence/JB Aristide issue) but it's his musical output that resonates one million times and here is where Wyclef never fails to deliver. I cop everything that Clef (and Jerry Wonder) puts out. He constantly pushes the boundaries of our musical sensibilities and we'd be wise to just grab on and let him steer the ship. He hasn't failed us yet. Sure, he's taken us into unproductive directions before (like the lackluster duet on Tanya Stephens' "Gangsta Blues" album), but he always rights the vessel and puts us back on the radical course we signed up for.

This is the best Wyclef album that most of us will never hear. It's rich with musical texture and rhythmic experimentation. Clef has provided previous musical hints of this creative undercurrent and I'm glad he finally found the time to pull it all together in one package. This is Clef's Pan-African-Caribbean masterpiece. He sounds more relaxed here than he has since The Carnival. He sounds like he's having a great time and we, the listeners, benefit from it all. This is a light, uplifting, thoroughly enjoyable disk.

It's not a hip hop album, it's not a traditional Haitian pop album, the closest musical peer I can compare it to is Zouk as typified by early Kassav', however, even that comparison is just a rough estimate. This album has cousins in the Reggaeton/Cubaton camp, in the Ragga camp, in South African Township music, in African American song structure, the skilled listener will also hear some Papa Wemba in there, etc. Clef appears to have taken the truest definition of the word "creole" to heart and mixed it all up in a gumbo/jambalaya that we can't help but love. Good one, Clef. Again. As usual.

I hope this album will inspire more visibility for the lesser known areas of Caribbean music. The next obvious step for Clef would be to produce a compilation of Haitian musicians, however, I fear his political affiliations will silence some of the more vital Haitian voices. Anyway, enough speculation. Buy this one, NOW. You owe it to your ears.

This is a great CD to get and provides you a blend of Haitian Compas, Haitian Rap & Ragga. In summation, a great overview of old and new generation Haitian music. Try it out, you may learn something.

Liberals who have been curious about hip hop will find this a nice entry point. First of all, it's not really a hip hop record, especially if all you know of hip hop is what you might hear on (someone else's) radio. This isn't Eminem. There is some hip hop on this album, but Wyclef weaves in several forms of carribean music: a touch of salsa here, maybe some soca elsewhere. If you like international pop, you might enjoy this CD. The lyrics are intelligent with a social conscience. There are some party tunes too, though. Even when the politics are serious, the music is fun.

This is quite possibly my favorite album ever. It doesn't fit in with Wyclef's past rap and hip-hop albums, but it is an excellent world/carribean cd. I especially like Bicentennial. If you want to have an uplifting album with great flow, buy this one. I believe that Wyclef should continue both with this carribean and his rap as well.

Wyclef manages to blend almost every type of music found in the carribean scene into one album without any abrupt changes within the song/album. I have been to Haiti and this brought me right back to the music we listened to while we were there.

I love this cd. It's upbeat and fun. I listen to it everyday. I hope he puts out another cd in this same style. My favorite song is President but Fistibal festival is a close second. There's not a song on here that I don't like. I highly recommend this cd.

I was happy that he came out with this cd giving respect to his heritage, waive ya flags. I love every song on the cd, they all have a unique feeling. I was suprised to hear to full song from the score, the interlude before manifest... Yes this is a masterpeice.

Before buying this album I only ever saw Wyclef Jean once on TV. He made an impression. So I bought this, my first of his albums, and I can't stop listening to it, especially when enjoying a drive in my car. Interesting, profound, exciting. I love the blend of rapping with creole sound and rhythms. Ooh, and that vibrato wailing that he does better than any reggae artist I've ever heard! Thanks for this one Wyclef! I am surely going to look into more of this music.

I really only bought this for one song I heard on the Chappelle Show. "If I Were President" is pretty cool.

Big shout out to Wyclef for kickin Haiten style. This album is mostly done in Creole. I can't understand most of the raps but it grooves none the less.