BARON BLACK

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Review written by Rémi Capdevielle on Tuesday, December 06th 2011 - 9 667 views The first solo album from the former toaster of Big Famili blows a breath of fresh air through a Martinican scene won over to dancehall. "Tradisyon Mwen" sets the clock back to the time of Bèlè and island traditions. An identity carried with pride and fervour by Baron Black, who leaves the heat of the sound systems behind to gain a little height and record an acoustic opus to very fine effect. Originally, Bèlè combines dance, music and verbal heritage. Whether poetic or more tribal, this cultural transmission (comparable to that of the African griots) remains essential. Except that the words of Frantz Fanon or Aimé Césaire find less and less echo in Martinican society, and Baron Black has understood that well. Deeply rooted in the soil of his native island, Baron Black's sense of identity comes above all through music. The omnipresent Bèlè rhythm, set by telluric drums and flights of flute from the mornes, points to forgotten times that ask only to resurface. A musical carpet that lends itself at times to enthusiasm (Toujou Rileve) and at others to deep sadness, as on Man Mwe. This ode to his sick mother is the cornerstone of "Tradisyon Mwen", which would take 3 years to see the light of day. Forged in grief in 2007 after he learned the bad news, Baron Black nonetheless had time to play it to her before she passed away a few months later. A traumatic exercise that at least had the merit of "awakening the roots" and of seeing 14 other tracks of the same acoustic vein flow out. A handcrafted album, embroidered by hand in his Black House studio in Pantin, where work is already under way on the next Big Famili street-tape...

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