Kreyolicious Music…in which…in which I review a record by a band, group or artist.
Album: Verdict
Group/Artist: Dat7
Musicians: Lead vocalist: Olivier Duret. Congas and Maestro: Ricot Amazan. Eddy Viau: Percussions. Vladimir Alexis: Drums. Michael Keyboards: Michael Junior Bellevue. Bass: Ramenshy Fausin. Guitar: Telusma Morizio.
Guest Musicians: Nickenson Prudhome, Gerald Kebreau, Harold St. Louis, Ralph Menelas, Sanders Solon, Rivenson Louissaint, James Monplaisir, Valery Lezin, Jeff Medelus, Dukens Pierre-Louis, Alain Fleurine, Duval Hummer, Guy Brisse, Jude Severe, Michael Benjamin, Jean Levelt Vital, Fantom Barikad.
Sa w Tap Fè
I like the frenetic pace at which lead singer Olivier Duret belts out this track. What would you have done? We judge others everyday, especially when they make decisions we don’t agree with—as if we were walking in their shoes. In reality, we don’t really know how we would react and counteract…unless we were actually in said position.
Verdict: Some serious moralizing going on in this song…Sure, I can dig.
Why
What’s happening in “Why”? A gent is calling out his girl on the interference of her girlfriend in their relationship. From his point of view, the bestie has gone past reasonable boundaries with her meddling and counseling. She’s out to destroy him, her…them…and their relationship. I remember once, the writer JasFly (was it?), had written something about what she termed “bad weather friends”, and these so-called weather friends are the sort who bask and rejoice when you’re in a woeful situation. They do this, not because they get some sick pleasure in seeing you through “bad weather”, but I guess because it gives them some purpose. This said, there’s this rather interesting line in this song:
Pouki yon fanm pa janm vle wè lè yon lòt fanm ap fè siksè
Li vle toujou wè ou toujou ap viv nan bezwen
How come a girl never wants to see another woman have a successful relationship
She wants to see you needy
Excuse me, Dat7 boys, but surely this isn’t your business. This is a matter for the sisterhood to discuss privately. Yes, there are some, er, issues within some members of the sisterhood. But, we’ll wash the sisterhood’s laundry in our own washers. We don’t need ya’ll to point it out to us. [Whispering in the ears of the sisterhood] Ladies, we have to get our acts together, okay? Now, we have Dat7 squawking our business in their lyrics. Ladies, we have to do better.
Verdict: Your honor, objection, based on the mere fact that the sisterhood’s issues do not concern Dat7.
Tribunal Lanmou
I really like the concept of this song, “Tribunal Lanmou”—the whole idea of a court system where people are judged based on crimes they’ve committed against a relationship, and against love. Senseless and heartless players would finally get their comeuppance. Those who love passionately and genuinely would cease to suffer at the hands of their less-than-noble companions. Sounds good to me!
“Tribunal Lanmou” can be viewed as the companion song for another song on the album entitled “Se Konsa”. Everyone who fails to adhere to the “Se Konsa” principles and statutes will be subpoenaed to “Tribunal Lanmou”. Even if they were to get Gloria Alred as their attorney, they won’t be able to escape the final verdict.
Verdict: Your honor, I’d like to recommend that all participants—that is to say the defendants, not the plaintiffs—in “Tribunal Lanmou” be given 120 hours of mediation, coupled with counseling by a high-performing specialist, after which they can attend a therapy session to sort out their problems. Wait, the plaintiffs should also be treated accordingly. It’s not all the times that defendants are in the right.
No Need to be Fancy
Thought this was going to be a relationship song, but it’s about camaderie and challenges of the brotherhood in a band.
Verdict: Yes, there is the need to be fancy.
Je Veux M’enVoler
This song right here…this song right here, and that’s all I’ll say about it. No, I need to say more. This song is delivered so beautifully. Would have been nice for it to have been recorded in Creole. You know when all the elements of a song from vocals to arrangements and delivery are well-done…well, this track is a great example of that.
Verdict: Your honor, do you think this song could be played in the courthouse whenever divorce court cases are being argued Bet it’ll make both plaintiffs and defendants think about the time they first fell in love. And the Clerk of Courts will have to file less divorces. What do you say to that, your honor?
Jwe Wòl Ou
The philosophy behind this song is rather faulty. The whole idea is that if only we play “our roles”, and we do “our duties”, all will go well. Are you sure about that Mr. Amazan and Mr. Duret? What’s that maxim? The one about how it doesn’t matter how good a relationship is, someone who’s a heel and a douche bag will find a way to violate the rules, whether it’s taking part in infidelity, or verbal and/or physical abuse. And what’s the reverse of that maxim? That it matters not how bad and destructive a relationship is, a person who’s in love will find a reason to stay in it.
“Jwe Wòl Ou” tries to explain away why men stray.
We’re like little babies
Where the attention is, that’s where we going to play ball
Wow, interesting take on the male psyche, Dat7. The thing about “Jwe Wòl Ou” is that it places all the responsibilities at the woman’s door for everything…even if it professes to be addressing “Madan Marye” and “Mesye Marye”.
Verdict: Great job on the track’s vocal and musical arrangement by James Monplaisir and Olivier Duret. Please with that “Jwe Wòl Ou” mess. Why? Because in Tribunal Lamou, there’s no need to be fancy, okay? You’re responsible for your own Depozit okay? Experience has shown “Saw Tap Fe” will depend on your moral values. Pafwa se pa nou menm ki vle non/Sometimes it’s not us who wanna. Negroes, please. Yeah, it’s you, and it’s because you want to. Cheaters and philanderers! Ugh! The song tries to play things Both Ways…on one hand, it’s trying to excuse philanderers, and on the other hand, it’s also trying to dictate the “Se Konsa” principles. So contradictory!
Thus far, the verdict on Verdict is that…well…they’re tackling a lot of heavy subjects and topics. This Ricot Amazan person, who writes or nearly co-writes the majority of the songs on Verdict is quite a piece of work…Scramble the letters around in his name a little bit, and you get Rico Amazon…as in rich amazon…this dude has quite a lot of things going on mentally…looks like. Are all these songs based on his personal experiences? How old is this guy to have gone through all these things? Overactive creative imagination? Or perhaps, he hangs around under people’s beds, and on roof tops, and eavesdrops on people’s conversations and then runs home to write his songs? Goodness only knows.
But what of the second half album…what does it hold for us? The answer…next time.
This concludes Part 1 of the review of Dat7’s Verdict. Stay tuned for Part 2.
Meanwhile…
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