Malavoi

Led by Martiniquan pianist Paulo Rosine, Malavoi has been recording since the late '60s. The original band featured a horn section and consisted mainly of Latin music enthusiasts. The band added a string section in the late '70s and recorded a superb album of charanga-style music that included percussion by Dede St. Prix. Only this one album captured the brief period when Malavoi had both a horn section and a string section; the horns left soon afterward. An anthology of hits from this era is now available on the Hibiscus label release L'Autre Style. The albums listed below are among the best of the band as it exists today, presenting a varied repertoire of "Creolized" European dance forms like the quadrille, mazurka, and waltz along with strong elements of biguine and charanga. Pipo Gertrude, who replaced long-time Malavoi vocalist Ralph Thamar in late 1987, appears on Jou Ouve and Souche (which is not listed because it's not among their best), as well as the group's latest. The Live au Zenith album features Thamar.