Already familiar from the Ragga Magazine "Sampler" compilation, Gilgert Pytel offers us here a personal selection of more or less well-known artists from today’s French dancehall scene. It features some big, well-worn singles, such as Papa Tank’s Delire in combination with Elephant man and Seyfu, taken from their album "En Attendant", on a riddim that oscillates between dancehall and new roots, concocted by the composer of the moment Moolood, who is increasingly active on French productions. Also worth noting is the excellent combination between Caporal Nigga and Soundkail’s Dragon Davy, Le besoin d’amour (from the album "Malade Mental"), with an original and poetic lyric: « Love is a pretty flower that contaminates you / but when it wilts you’d better leave ». All on a riddim by T’N’T, composer of Toma among others. Toulouse’s Mr Lezard joins the Showsky Family (Mad Killah, Mr Face and Lee Vayah B) for an unexpected combination on Menteur, which fits the news perfectly. Tiwony paints the reality of the neighbourhoods with Ghetto, an effective and conscious track. The worthy female representative Flya offers her Bongo Dancehall on the Junkanoo riddim, « male chauvinists had better watch out »!
One could criticise a selection that is sometimes easy, with tracks already well known on the underground scene, notably the very good Kisdés 2 by Daddy Mory, released several years ago now, Still Hot inna ghetto by the veteran Azrock, here remixed by Soweedo, and finally the evergreen hit Faya by the veteran Little Danny, present on the French-speaking scene since 1986. What is most appreciated is the choice of singers from outside Paris, not just the capital, to showcase artists long established in sound systems but too little known to the general public. Like the Nantes-born Little Manro, this young DJ who owns his own label Furioso, and who proves once again that the provinces hold talents that only ask to be discovered and listened to.
