In American history, Caribbean music is the elephant in the room. It is obvious — yet taboo, ignored. American music has changed the world and owes much to the Caribbean. However, its crucial role in the development of this music is largely overlooked. We are often familiar with the Americanised versions that emerged from the diaspora, but Caribbean blues and jazz, despite their remarkable qualities, remain little known. To combine listening with reading, each chapter corresponds to a CD box set available from Frémeaux et Associés. A specialist in Caribbean and American music, Bruno Blum offers a radical reinterpretation, backed by his erudition, that a very substantial part of modern American music is an offshoot of the Caribbean: jazz, salsa, rap, soul, ska, funk, etc., all of which have common Creole origins from Jamaica to Cuba, Martinique to New York and Haiti to New Orleans. In turn, they have been nourished by American music in a fascinating and dazzling back-and-forth, recounted here.
Patrick FRÉMEAUX

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