Ever since World War I, when the beguine beat swept up out of the French Antilles and into the nightclubs of Paris, the Caribbean has provided the world with wave after wave of exotic, enticing dance music – rumba from Cuba, reggae from Jamaica, calypso and soca from Trinidad. Right now, the hot sound down there is zouk, a lively fusion of Caribbean and African pop styles delivered with all the studio craft and assurance of contemporary dance music. Melodically insinuating, rhythmically intoxicating, zouk seems a natural for the beat-hungry hot-hits radio format – except for the fact that it's generally sung in the Afro-French Creole dialect. Can America be ready for zouk?

Somebody apparently thinks so. The American release of Vini Pou seems less a matter of world-beat curiosity than a recognition that the music has plenty of commercial potential. Not only is Kassav' the biggest name in zouk (the band is generally credited with having invented the style), but Vini Pou is its most tuneful and consistent album to date. From the dark, brassy bounce of "Zou (Zou)" to the giddy carnival exuberance of "Zòt' Vini Pou (Others Come For...)," the songs appeal to American pop tastes without diluting their Caribbean flavor, making this an ideal introduction to both Kassav' and zouk itself. And though the band makes no accommodations to an English-speaking audience, there's no mistaking the enthusiasm in the vocals or in the swirling, hyper-melodic arrangements. But then that's the best thing about zouk – you don't need to know the language to understand the music. (RS 545)

J.D. CONSIDINE