Gwakasonné* – Vwayajé

I agree the record sounds great. I didn’t kno it existed till finding one second hand today, so I bought on sight as it was pretty cheap. Gotta say tho, between the shuffle up of all the albums across 2 records, and the sorta millennial re-branding job on the cover art, it all seems a bit heavy handed, especially considering none of these individual albums have been re-issued, which I think might better serve the music. But yes great tunes and nice big sound across these 45rpm discs!

Gwakasonné's Vwayajé (Traveller) is the ecstatic articulation of Robert Oumaou’s artistic and political vision, a unified expression of his interests in American jazz, pre-colonial rhythms, Guadeloupian independence, and Créole poetics. Over the course of three albums, all released in the 80s, Robert piloted a revolving cast of musicians, a venerable who’s-who of Point-a-Pitre avant-jazz pioneers, to deftly intone his creative communal concepts. The songs on Vwayajé are compiled from these three releases, Gwakasonné, Temwen, and Moun, along with an electronic mantra taken from his 2007 solo album Sang Comment Taire.

This is a phenominal introduction to Gwakasonné's music. This compilation was originally intended as a way to share Robert’s brazen work with a wider global audience, but it now also serves to immortalize his indomitable spirit since he sadly passed away in 2018.

The LP is pressed beautifully and sonically sounds stunning, clear and warm. Highly recommended. This reissue came out of nowhere and got little press. This is why we collect records.

Gorgeous essential compilation of this group. For fans of Gwo ka, nyabinghi drumming, new age vibes, Cedric Im Brooks, and 70s spiritual jazz.