Robert Christgau: Dean of American Rock Critics

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Boukman Eksperyans

  • Kalfou Danjere/Dangerous Crossroads [Mango, 1992] **
  • Libète (Pran Pou Pran'l!)/Freedom (Let's Take It) [Mango, 1995] *
  • Revolution [Tuff Gong, 1998] B+
  • Live at Red Rocks [Tuff Gong, 1999] Neither

Consumer Guide Reviews:

Kalfou Danjere/Dangerous Crossroads [Mango, 1992]
conscious, fluent, liberal-ready pan-Africanism, Haitian-Congo style ("Zansèt Nou Yo") **

Libète (Pran Pou Pran'l!)/Freedom (Let's Take It) [Mango, 1995]
utopian militance, Haitian worldbeats, soulful vocalizing, near-pop song sense ("Ganga," "Zan'j Yo") *

Revolution [Tuff Gong, 1998]
These righteous Haitians are thought of as a pan-African party machine, but in the aural fact they're devotional. Well past their new flavor moment, they turn out to be one of those bands that develops its craft rather than one of those bands that hits you over the head with an idea they proceed to wear out. Something like soulful, drenched with synthesizers because synthesizers seem natural, their impassioned trance recalls Nyabinghi chants more than Holiness hymns, and is closely related to both. B+

Live at Red Rocks [Tuff Gong, 1999] Neither