By Christine Jean-Pierre
CSMS Magazine Staff Writer
It has become a tradition here in CSMS Magazine that we review new releases from our Creole artists. Last year, our interest in reviewing their oeuvres reached a new plateau. Thanks to many of our readers who have always conveyed their interests in this genre of information. So, to make them even happier, we have reviewed all performances of 2009 and we have compiled this report below.
The Kompa bands of the year
The kompa bands with the highest popularity this year is a cross between Carimi and T-Vice. First, it is Carimi because the band has generated a big hype for its latest album Buzz, which according to Leblogduzouk.com, the album is the best selling kompa album in Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana with an estimated 18,000 copies sold. Buzz itself is the masterpiece of the album. A video of the song was also produced, which has already reached number 7 on TraceTV’s tropical top ten countdowns for three weeks straight. Second, it is T-Vice because, according to music watchers, the band has managed to draw up to 40,000 people in festive soirees in Miami, Haiti, Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana. T-Vice is also the kompa band with an imposing international status. It has the ability to draw thousands everywhere it goes. Ti-Vice performed last year in places such as New Caledonia, Amsterdam, Switzerland, and Panama in early 2009.
Best zouk video of 2009
The best zouk video of the year is On Line sung by Tina and Ali Angel and produced by Nickenson Prud’homme. On Line earned the most viewed on YouTube this year. There is also a video/short film of the songs mixed with Crazy Feeling produced by Kaysha. The 12 minute zouk short film piece directed by Nathalie Carollo earned an estimated 40,000 views on YouTube alone and dominated the number one spot for Trace Tropical’s top 20 video countdowns for five weeks straight, making it the most watched zouk video in the Caribbean. The success of the short film quickly catapulted the songs Crazy Feeling and On line to the top list of the most requested songs on both NRJ Antilles radio in Guadeloupe and Trace FM in Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and La Reunion.
Best Song of the Year
The number one song of the year is Mene Mwen by Moroccan zouk songstress Soumia produced by MarkG. The song Mene Mwen first appeared on the airwaves on radio station Espace FM in Paris on October 4, 2009 and quickly made the number one spot on Espace fm daily top 5 countdown by the end of the same week it premiered. The video for Mene Mwen directed by zouk hit maker Kaysha was shot in Martinique on a little beach community called Ti Sable. The video Mene Mwen premiered on YouTube on October 16, 2009 giving it about 20,000 views to date. The reason why the song is creating such a buzz is that it’s truly the first time Soumia has done a song with a heavy kompa base and that MarkG produced the song in a way that it gives one a “Nicky” sound meaning. In fact, many believe that the song sounds like it was produced by Kompa producer Nickenson Prud’homme instead of MarkG because of the killer kompa keyboard breakdown on the song.
The Artist of the Year
The Artist of year would have to go the Guinean princess Tina herself. First, Tina performed the most out of any zouk artist in France, Miami, and Haiti this year and performed at Zouk Sacem awards in Au Zenith this year. Second, Tina holds the number one spot for the most played zouk short film in the Caribbean along side Ali Angel for the songs Crazy Feeling and On Line. Third, Tina won the best female zouk artist at both Sacem awards and four nominations for the Zouk diva awards in La Reunion premiering on television live on Trace Tropical in Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and La Reunion on January 30, 2009. Last, but not least, Tina’s latest album released this year, which was the Coleur du Monde special edition with added DVD, sold about 20,000 copies this year. These successes have ushered Tina to the top of the most revered of the year and also gave her slot the number one zouk album of the year. Bravo Tina!!!
Also see Orlane: La Réunionnaise zouk sensation
Tina: La Princesse Guianese has a new hit video climbing the chart
Soumia: Moroccan Zouk diva is back in full force
Konpa/Zouk/Kizomba and the ancillary findings of the week
Stop being bias towards Konpa: Zouk , Kizomba and Konpa are just the same or Just about
Kaalysta: La nouvelle Caledonian zouk sensation
Warren E-Zouk Album: An Artistic Success
Misty Jean’s Li pa two ta has catapulted the artist to the pinnacle of her career
Harmonik’s Jere’m: album review
Jude Jean: the forgotten prince of the nouvelle generation
Kenedy: La nouvelle princesse of zouk
Milca: New Haitian diva crowned in Paris while Konpa is breaking new grounds
Dwindling record sales forces Zouk producers to call Konpa to the rescue
Zouk music producers have turned into Kompa to boost record sales
