The Creole Choir Of Cuba - Santiman (2013) [Official Digital Download]

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The Creole Choir Of Cuba - Santiman (2013) [Official Digital Download]

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The Creole Choir Of Cuba - Santiman (2013)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time - 61:32 minutes | 700 MB
Studio Master, Official Digital Download | Artwork: 2xPDF sleeve

The members of the Choir are descendants of former freed slaves from Haiti. They are people twice exiled: first to Haiti from Africa through the iniquitous slave trade; then from Haiti to Cuba tricked into second slavery on Cuban sugar plantations by their French masters after the Haitian Revolution of 1790. Other Haitians arrived in the 20th century fleeing political upheaval, poverty and oppression during the barbaric regime of Papa Doc Duvalier which held power from the 1950s to 70s, marked by reigns of terror and the brutality of his private militia, the Tonton Macoutes.

On Santiman, freedom songs that have been passed down through generations of Haitian emigrants in Cuba are brought to life with vibrant harmonies, lilting melodies and rich, deep Caribbean rhythms. A hefty dose of Cuban flair creates a rich, soulful sound that evokes their proud history of resistance and resilience. The album also includes an original song written in the wake of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, where the Choir visited and undertook humanitarian efforts.

Santiman was recorded at Real World Studios in Wiltshire, and produced by composer/arranger John Metcalfe (Morrissey, Blur, John Cale, Peter Gabriel). The arrangements for Santiman show an enrichment of the group's vocal harmonies through the addition of piano, flute and trumpet. Co-incidentally, during the Choir's recording session in The Big Room, a group of fellow musicians were in another of Real World's studios exploring the links between Cuba and West Africa as part of London's 2012 Cultural Olympiad celebrations. The parallels were clear, and the musicians naturally came together to experiment in an informal, relaxed atmosphere. From this session, flautist Dramane Dembele (from Burkina Faso) and trumpet player Paul Bilson (born in Ghana, now UK-based) feature on the album. The brilliant jazz pianist/composer Tom Cawley (who joined Peter Gabriel on his New Blood orchestral album and tour) brings his distinct virtuosity to two tracks, "Simbi" and "Balada de Annaise".
The poignant songs on the album – many handed down through their families and learned from their grandparents – vividly express a broad range of emotion in both Haitian Creole (a mix of French, English and West African languages) and Spanish. Stories about survival despite abject poverty and potent cries from the heart mingle with extremely humorous and celebratory songs about everyday life.