Various Artists — Disques Debs International, Vol. 1 (Strut)
Disques Debs International Vol. 1 by Various Artists
Disques Debs collects 1960s and early 1970s music from Guadeloupe, a group of islands in the Caribbean whose culture bears the imprint of a complicated colonial past, a history of slavery and bloody rebellion and constant, sea-going contact with Europe, Africa, the Middle East and other Caribbean nations. The collection’s focal point is one Henri Debs, a musician and entrepreneur in the urban hub Pointe-a-Pitre, who began selling music out of a market clothing stall, expanded into recording and marketing records and, in the process, nurtured a fascinating scene that encompassed suave big bands, raw indigenous talent and visiting artists from throughout the region and beyond.
Henri Debs opened his shop in 1958 and began selling records on the side. Local musicians began gathering there, and Debs set up a small recording studio in the rear of his store. Debs, a guitar player, himself participated in a number of different ensembles. His Quintet’s “Douce Kombass,” from 1962, with its double swagger of saxophone and syncopated tumba rhythms, captures the mix of urban sophistication and island heat that distinguishes this collection.
Soon larger ensembles were clamoring to record with Debs. His brother and recording accomplice Phillipe recalls, “For the bigger orchestras the back of the shop was too small, so he would use the Renaissance cinema on the Place de la Victoire to record after hours. We would take a tape recorder and microphones and set the bands up on the podium. Everything was recorded in a single take so if there were any mistakes the group would have to start again; there were no overdubs at the time.” The Orchestre Esperanza et Jean Leroy recorded in this manner; the band’s “Ou Pas Bel” marshals a full swinging line of reeds and brass, intricate, multi-playered percussion, a grand piano and a slew of back-up singers.
Much of the material is lush, swank big band music, but Debs also had an ear for gwo ka, a rougher, rawer afro-indigenous folk music named for its big drums. You can hear direct links to field chants and African rhythms in the call and response of “You You Matayango,” one of the disc’s most stunning cuts, from Sydney Lérémon et Ses Amis du Calvaire Baie-Mahaut.”
Under Debs proprietorship, the Debs label attracted talent from outside Guadaloupe, further enriching the already complex mix of cultures and traditions at play. From nearby, Les Shupa Shupa D’Haiti brought the ebullient sax-blaring “Batterie Shupa” while from further away—the Congo, to be precise — Ry-Co Jazz introduced a furiously-paced rumba.
The music is rather wonderful on its own, but for those seeking more information, there are essays from curator Hugo Mendez, Debs’ younger brother Phillippe and local journalist, radio personality and musician Maxo Severin, as well as contemporary photos and album art. The 21 tracks here (and there will be more on Vol. 2) suggest a complex and vibrant local scene, with lots of cross pollination and for a small island community, an astonishing supply of musical talent. Who knew that Guadaloupe was the center of anything, let alone such a rich and varied musical tradition?
