Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant

Wyclef Jean

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 4, 2007)
• Original Release Date: December 4, 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000V9KDMK
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #14,219 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Haitian born, Wyclef Jean, is a world renowned artist, songwriter, producer, Good Will Ambassador and activist through his Yelé Haiti foundation. He began his career as a member of the The Fugees. Their classic release, The Score, sold over 18 million copies worldwide and certified the trio as international superstars. Jean then began his solo career with 1997's platinum plus album The Carnival Featuring the Refugee All-Stars. Wyclef went on to work with diverse artists including Santana, Destiny's Child, and Mick Jagger. Recently, he produced "Hips Don't Lie", a Grammy®-nominated duet with Shakira. The track broke the record for the most amount of airplay in the history of Billboard magazine’s airplay tracking. The Grammy® Award winner returns to Columbia Records to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of his first solo album with The Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant, which is slated for release on December 4, 2007.

Wyclef Jean Photo

More from Wyclef Jean and Friends

Presents the Carnival Featuring the Refugee Allstars	The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book	The Preacher's Son
Greatest Hits	The Score	Blunted on Reality

Product Description

Wyclef Jean Carnival II (Memoirs of an Immigrant) Includes the hit Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill) featuring Akon & Lil Wayne, plus songs with Chamillionaire, Nora Jones, Paul Simon, Serj (of System of A Down), Shakira, TI, & more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Seductively summery., December 3, 2007

By	modern jazz - See all my reviews

Now Lauryn Hill's gone bag-lady bonkers, the Haitian Fugees' boss rifled through his little black book for more laydeez to play with.
Norah Jones, Shakira and Mary J Blige are a few that answered his call.
Wyclef Jean is a rare artistic breed - the more big names he collaborates with, the better he gets.
On this laid-back fifth album he rounds up another impressive cast list, mixing rock, rap, reggae, Bollywood beats, dancehall and even samba.
His latest star-studded collection sees him returning to one of his favourite themes: immigration and identity.
The heroes and heroines of his narratives are illegal immigrants, strippers, deadbeat dads and single mothers - but, with the help of his guests, his portrayals of these outcasts are remarkably sympathetic.
The reggae-lite production is seductively summery (especially on the gorgeous "Slow Down"), if slightly aimless at times; despite the influence of Wyclef's conscience, his eye is too firmly set on a carnival atmosphere to ever sound preachy.
The new single "Sweetest Girl" has "hit" written all over it, a reggae-tinged track with a vocal contribution from Akon, Lil Wayne and Niia that fits in perfectly with Wyclef 's sound.
Paul Simon provides a classic chorus on "Fast Car", a folky warning against youthful foolishness.
Sizzla's slot on "Welcome to the East", "What About the Baby" featuring Mary j Blige and the silky "Any Other Day" with Norah Jones also stand out on this impressive display
Easy on the ears, this album is a shot of summer for the chilled days ahead.
Enjoy.

15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Eclectic Collaborations hurt by over-production, December 5, 2007

By	D. Hoelck (Chico, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Wyclef Jean likes music, and he doesn't discriminate by genre. His jack of all trades approach to his past albums brought a distinctly unique feel to them, but with this latest effort, it seems that while he may well be a jack of all trades, he's a master of none.
Jean's a producer at heart, and it's always shown. Relying on the collaborative effort to produce his visions has always worked well for him, and this album is no exception. A huge issue in production, however, is knowing when to stop.
Almost every one of Jean's songs feels like a mess. There's energy and passion, but there is no clarity to it. Mixing genres is fine, but the plan wasn't realized here, and just taking the different musical styles and throwing them into a blender isn't going to be enough.
For all the passion, talent, and exploration here, there just wasn't enough planning.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's like King Midas as I was told...., December 11, 2007

By	Joshua M. Fischer (Macon, Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Everything Clef touches turns to gold. Wyclef has definitely sold out (see his "concert" exclusively for WalMart) but it only means more of his easily earned cash will benefit the charitable causes he sustains. He is one of the few stars who blends activism and humanitarinism in his lyrics, his phat beats and the resulting non-stop Carnival vibe he rides on.

The collaborations on this party album have matched voices no one else would ever attempt...Wyclef and Norah Jones??? Paul Simon??? Wow. Shakira leaves her imprint as does Mary J. Blige, but they're regulars.
More impressive to me is Clef's ability to weave the legendary voice of Sizzla Kalonji into this record. Sizzla doesn't disappoint, but he might get outshined by Akon and Weezy on "Sweetest Girl," or by Chamillionaire on "Hollywood Meets Bollywood." See, Wyclef knows there are billions of potential fans in India, so he puts some wicked bhangra on his record. He knows Mexicans love music, so he sings a tribute to Selena, accompanied by the impressive Melissa Jimenez.

This may be part two of the multicultural masterpiece Wyclef dropped on Carnival, but it's decidedly less Carribean, and less emotional. Now you hear juicy beats and pumping bass, even the intense ramblings of Serj Tankian from System of a Down. Wyclef is a mad chemist!

Just wait for the finale, the 13-minute "Touch Your Button" Carnival extravaganza, the surest way to drive totally across town riding Clef's raucous riddims. Now let's see Wyclef lead the way to solve problems in Haiti and everywhere else where people starve.