Goree

AMG Review of Goree

Mark Romano
All Music Guide

Another Kassav' classic with Jacob Desvarieux and George Decimus collaborating in the thick of the zouk explosion. The solidified personnel combination and creative songwriting of Kassav' had gelled to create a formula that was kicking into high gear. This is 1980s zouk at its best, and no one did it better than the powerhouse Kassav'. They did it by returning pride to the people of the French Antilles through affirmation of their African roots. "Goree" is about the island on which slaves were kept in less than human conditions before being sent to America. The title track sets the tempo of the album. There's no filler here and the energy level is maintained throughout. The grooves stretch out and satisfy. The percussion is merciless, the horns blare, the guitars spit fire, and the keyboards weave around and through the melodies, harmonies, and rhythm. The swing quotient is very high here, and that translates into very danceable music from the godfathers of zouk. Highly recommended.