Jonathan Perry, known as JPerry on the stage, can get the badge and the sash as the unofficial cultural ambassador of Haiti through his music. One of his past singles “Dekole” might have served as track music for a commercial on Haiti’s tourism, and its subsequent music video as visual for a travelogue. The song stroke such a chord, with verses praising Haiti’s natural assets and its tropical beauty.

The song “Enjoy” takes over where “Dekole” left off. After the smooth flow of the “Dekole” video from Mage Entertainment, one’s expectations for the “Enjoy” video was as high as can be, and when the firm behind it is none other than commercial bastion Bruno Mourral’s Muska Group, one expects something up to par. So, when one is served with cut-offs of heads and a scene where Perry, riding a motorcycle, can only be seen from the hands up to his arms, one is compelled to scratch one’s head. Until, that is, one fully grasps the true concept of the video. With images of Perry on performing on stage interceded with casual shots of him in a recording studio with his entourage, sitting on algae-permeated rock at the mouth of a beach, and intermingling with everyday people on the streets of Haiti, the video is meant to show a more personal view of Haiti than “Dekole” did. Kinda like if one is given a video camera to film one’s neighborhood and one’s country with a personal flair.

Anh, oke!

Mr. Perry propels a message about Haiti’s beauty, and that’s fine, as he does a stupendous job at it. But it must be said that to grow as an artist, Mr. Perry should branch out to other subjects next time. Songs like “Dekole” and “Enjoy” have a perennial aspect to them. But, the time has come for Perry to break out of the mold, even if it has procured him a great deal of well-deserved attention.

For instance, how about a romantic ballad in Creole next time to diversify the artist’s portfolio?

Ahem, this said, let us turn our attention to the music video itself. Want to sing along with the video? The lyrics are below (followed by a translation).

LYRICS

Intro:
Baoli Records baby

Paradise
Ayiti cheri
M ap enjoy
M ap trip nan peyi a
Ann ale

Paradise
Haiti baby
I’m enjoying
I’m tripping in this country
Let’s go

[Chorus]
Gadon ti peyi mezanmi Ayiti
Gad kijan m ap enjoy
Enjoy
Lakay se lakay
Bon manje, bèl plezi
Yon paradi m ap enjoy
Enjoy
Se konsa mwen wèl
Gad jan peyi mwen bèl
Mezanmi kite l viv non
Li lè pou l avanse

[Chorus]
Man, this Haiti is some country
Look at how I’m enjoying myself
Enjoy
Home sweet home
Some good food, loads of fun
I’m really enjoying this paradise
Enjoy
That’s the way I see it
Look how good the country’s looking
You people need to leave it alone
It’s time for it to make some progress

Mwen renmen Ayiti
M pap janm viv lòt kote
Se ti peyi m, ti cheri m
Se li ke m adore

I love me some Haiti
Can’t imagine ever living anywhere else
It’s my country, my baby
It’s the one that I adore

Nou soti lwen
Yon jou na rive lwen
Peyi sa pa ka gaspiye

We’ve come far
Someday we’ll get far
This country won’t to waste

E lè male, mwen toujou retounen
Paka kite l dèyè
Fò nou voye li monte
Fò nou demele kò nou
Yon jan pou n sa ranje l
Pou n fèl rive pi wo

When I go away, I always come back
Can’t leave it behind
We got it
We got to get things moving
So that one day we can fix it
So it can get further

Ayiti son gwo ti peyi vre
Se pa manti non
Se pawòl serye
Mwen santi m kool lè mwen di se Ayisyen mwen ye
Malgre pwoblèm, ke m konnen l genyen

Ayiti is a fine little country
And that’s no lie
That’s real talk
I feel cool when I say I’m Haitian
Despite all the problems it has

Mwen pa p janm kite bèl peyi sa gaspiye
Pou jan l gen trip ladan l
Imajine kisa l ta ye si nou ta mete lòd
Nou mete l a la mòd

I’m never going to let this country go to waste
It’s too much fun
Imagine what it could become if we were to put things in order
Make it the place to be

[Chorus]
Gadon ti peyi mezanmi Ayiti
Gad kijan m ap enjoy
Enjoy
Lakay se lakay
Bon manje, bèl plezi
Yon paradi m ap enjoy
Enjoy
Se konsa mwen wèl
Gad jan peyi mwen bèl
Mezanmi kite l viv non
Li lè pou l avanse

[Chorus]
Man, this Haiti is some country
Look at how I’m enjoying myself
Enjoy
Home sweet home
Some good food, loads of fun
I’m really enjoying this paradise
Enjoy
That’s the way I see it
Look how good the country’s looking
You people need to leave it alone
It’s time for it to make some progress

M bwè dlo kokoye
M manje lanbi
M souse rapadou
Banm yon ti dous makos
Ak yon ti Barbancourt
M gen annpil lanmou pou wou
Pase mwen konn sa ou vo
Devan lemond antye
Fòw drapo w vole pi wo
Nou gen bèl mòn, bèl lanmè
Bèl sous, bèl rivyè
Bon son, ak frechè

I drink me some coconut water
I eat myself some conch
I suck on molasses bars
Give me a little homemade candy
And a little Barbancourt
Got so much love for you
‘Cause I know what you’re really worth
When compared to everywhere else in the world
Your flag’s will fly higher
We’ve got some majestic mountains, some pretty beaches
Some great waterfalls, some nice rivers
Nice sound, some great breeze

[Chorus]
Gadon ti peyi mezanmi Ayiti
Gad kijan m ap enjoy
Enjoy!
Lakay se lakay
Bon manje, bèl plezi
Yon paradi m ap enjoy
Enjoy!
Se konsa mwen wèl
Gad jan peyi mwen bèl
Mezanmi kite l viv non
Li lè pou l avanse

Man, this Haiti is some country
Look at how I’m enjoying myself
Enjoy
Home sweet home
Some good food, loads of fun
I’m really enjoying this paradise
Enjoy
That’s the way I see it
Look how good the country’s looking
You people need to leave it alone
It’s time for it to make some progress

M ap enjoy, m ap enjoy
M ap enjoy Pòtoprens, e sitou nan provens
Everyday

I’m enjoying, I’m enjoying
I enjoy Port-au-Prince and especially in the other little cities too
Everyday

[Creole Lyrics via Anton Translations by Kreyolicious]
Music video via Kompa Grooves Channel]

As promised, I am going to take a look at Timeless, Volume 1 by Alan Cave. If you missed the Kreyolicious review of Volume 2, CLICK HERE.

CD Image via HMI PIX

The song sequence strategy on this volume is very strong.

Sa Wap Fè Avè’m [Whatcha Gonna Do With Me?]

I truly like the vulnerability on this one. Whatcha gonna do with me…the singer’s delivery is flawless on this track. And, so much begging and pleading. Definitely my type of song.

About time a man is suffering! God knows that women go through so much when it comes to love.

But you almost feel sorry (slightly) for the narrator, when he howls, “Map mande’w ki sa wap fè avè’m. M’pèdi lanmou” in this super-pathetic voice.

Whappen [What Happened]

Two things can happen with the song that opens an album. Scenario one: it’s really boring and plain and its just there as a filler. Scenario two: it’s going to end up being one of the best tracks on the album, and is placed strategically at the beginning of the record to make you anticipate even better tracks. Which category does “Whappen” belong to? The second. The production is very rowdy, and I guess it’s meant to corroborate with the narrator’s tumultuous feelings.

I love how he does a syllable-by-syllable delivery at the lyrics towards the beginning, like a little kindergartener who’s learning to pronounce words for the first time. A great way to practice your Creole and enhance your vocabulary. Check out the lyrics:

Lan-mou sa bèl kon lakansyèl
Li pa ka re-te kon-fi-dan-syèl…

Wout kè mwen ekri nan pla men’w
Lavi mwen trase anba pye ou
Lanmou sa se yon pòt san seri
San bato li travèse lanmè
San paspò, li fè tout latè

This love is stunning like a rainbow
It can’t possibly be kept on the hush-hush

The roadways of my heart are written in the palms of your hand
My life’s roadmap is etched under the soles of your feet
This love is like a door without a lock
It travels the world’s waters without a boat
Without as much as a passport, it tours the whole planet

My goodness! That’s some serious infatuation. No word on how the girl who inspires the “Whappen” feels about this and whether the obsession is requited. Let’s hope she feels this way as well. Otherwise, that’s a whole waste of beautiful emotions.

Café Au Lait [Milk in the Coffee]

This one is sung in French. It’s cutesie-pie and romantic sounding. The arrangements are nice, and the melody sweet as ripe pears.

Jouk Nan Zo

“Fanm sa renmen mwen jis nan zo/Sa’w tande a tèt mwen cho”—-This girl loves me down to my bones/She sends my mind reeling. So begins this song, that features Mikaben.

I like how this strong is structured. Hook first, then bridge, then body. This production on this track is very bouncy. An attention-catcher on Volume, 1.

Lil Mama

I didn’t find this song to be especially memorable. It’s an ideal track to liven up things…you know when you’re having a homey get-together, and the host is less than interesting, and the DJ tries to spruce up things…The singer decided to add a dance version of “Lil Mama”, sequenced towards the end of the album. This time around, it’s livened up by an artist who goes by the name Johnzo.

San Ou M’Se [Without You, I’m—]

Do you realize that half of the love songs we’re served with fall along the line of co-dependence? Well, this song is one of those and I rather liked it. For some reason, it called to mind another of this singer’s songs…”Ou Se”. Kinda of like a reversal of it—so to speak. On “San Ou M’Se”, Alan Cave/the narrator has a whole laundry list of how life will be for him without the woman he loves.

San ou M’se
Yon twoudabdou san tanbou
Yon inosan ki kondane
Yon batiman san fondasyon
Yon gita nèf ak kòd kase
Yon finisman san kòmansman

Without you
I’m a street musician without his drums
An innocent who’s been found guilty
A boat without a platform
A brand new guitar with broken chords
A conclusion without a beginning

I truly loved those similes. Just when you thought man had run out of words to express himself and his love.

Ou Pap Pi Bon

After having listened to “San Ou M’Se”, this song sounded just standard. I like the guitar that comes in around 1:53, but other than that, it didn’t stand out too much for me. It’s not a bad song…it’s not a blah track or anything. It was just plain.

Good Thing

There are two versions of this song, including a world version that incorporates pop.

Grave Sou Kè’m [Etched On My Heart]

Alan Cave’s voice is the highlight of “Grave Sou Kè’m”. It can shush you to pleasant sleep if you’re feeling depressed with its verses about romantic love.

Si lanmou aprann pale
Se pa de koze ki tap tonbe
Tout fèy papye ap pran dife
Inspirasyon mwen pap manke

If this loved learned to talk
Only God knows what it would say
All the paper in the world would get on fire
There wouldn’t be a lack for inspiration

Mon Seul Regret [My Only Regret]

On this track, Cave is joined by two other singers Jim Rama and Fabrice Singer. I rather like this collabo. The music is more French Caribbean than Haiti Caribbean.

Bispidida (feat. Kimberly) [Dismissed]

Alan Cave enters this song at the 1:10 and what an entrance. I’m going to go ahead and say that the singing he does from 1:10 to 1:31. Oh, Alan Cave. Apparently, the song’s title is a distortion of the word “despedida” (Dismissed) in Spanish, or what? Check out all the desperation and lovesickness in the lyrics:

San ou mwen pa tap ka respire
Kelkeswa tan mwen fè deyò, map retounen
Kwè mwen, trezò

Without you, it’s hard to breathe
Don’t matter how long I stay away, I’ll eventually come back
I’ll always love you treasure of mine

Ooh, lala! The Kimberly girl has some really sensuous vocals. Maybe it’s because they’re singing in different languages (she in Spanish and in French, and he in Creole), but you know how when there’s a duet, you can feel this unity between the male-female leads? I didn’t get that from this singing team. This isn’t to say that they don’t have chemistry—they have plenty.

How does Volume 1 compare to Volume 2? Watch out for the second part of the Kreyolicious review of this double album. In the meantime, CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT OTHER KREYOLICIOUS MUSIC ARTICLES.

CLICK TO VISIT ALAN CAVE’S WEBSITE | CHECK OUT ALAN CAVE’S MUSIC ON AMAZON | ALAN CAVE’S MUSIC ON CDBABY

Before you even know what she sounds like, Devyn Rose catches your attention. Firstly, her clothes. They are best described as New Bohemian, very hip and dope—a little bit vintage, a bit flashy Nineties, and a slight dash of contemporary. She also borrows from other centuries—heavy eyelashes that could have been worn by Hatsheput or a maiden from an Egyptian dynasty, and a string of earth-tone chains that could have adorned the neck of someone from the Grecian era—say…Penelope of Ithaca.

And then there’s the way her skin glows. Maybe it’s because her powerful pipes make her shake down to her pores. But, nah; the glow is probably from the fact that she’s a vegan. Yes, Kreyolicious ones, Devyn Rose does not indulge in unhealthy eats. Sure her outfits are pure coolness, but after hearing her, you’ll probably agree that her voice is the best thing about her. The natural hair-sporting singer has been singing since she was a little girl. She loves to get down on the dance floor, and occasionally dabbles with the drums as well.

Born in New York to Haitian parents, Devyn has always breathed music. Now, she’s exhaling all sorts of musical goodies. Her song “Falling 4 U” has peaked at #2 on Billboard’s Hot Singles chart. The track brings to mind the classic album From the Bottom Up by Brownstone. Yeah, her pipes are that powerful. “Cupid is my witness/I’m falling in love like it’s nobody’s business,” she sings over a drum-heavy beats honeyed with some luscious R&B. In the video for the song “Falling 4 U”, she cuddles up to her love interest, and as the song comes on and she mouths some of the verses, you’ll think back to the time you first fell too.

Her voice can adopt a Jacksonian range on a song like “Heartbeat”, and she can get it down to a Eartha Kittish snarl, like she does on the bridge to “Falling 4 U”. On the Kaze the Producer-produced “Trouble”, she curses out a boyfriend who doesn’t have fidelity on his list of personal virtues.

Kreyolicious: Devyn Rose…so what sort of rose are you…a fragile rose…a steel rose, or a deadly rose?

I would definitely describe myself as a steel rose. My journey has been great—and whether I face any ups or downs–I embrace it all. Regardless of anything, I remain strong and focused.

Kreyolicious: Your song “Falling 4 U”…It’s hard not get pulled in by this track.

Thank you.

Kreyolicious: What exactly inspired it?

I never knew what falling in love with someone felt like until I experienced it. It was a great feeling and so I decided to write about it as I knew so many people could relate to it.

Kreyolicious: Your music is very ear-catching. What does your creative process consists of?

Thank you. I love creating spontaneous music. For example, I could just be chilling in the lab vibing out with my producer and a dope melody or idea pops up and I lay it down on the spot. That is when I am most creative—although writing when I am going through something—good or bad—helps me too.

Kreyolicious: Do you style yourself?

No. I have an amazing stylist who keeps me on point and his name is Rajé Styles…we work hand in hand. He knows what I like and keeps me looking hella dope!

Kreyolicious: How do you stay connected to Haitian culture?

I am so happy to represent my people and to help wherever I can whether it is through music, supporting a cause, etc. Every time my team gets a request from a Haitian organization, I get so excited. It’s another opportunity to help and to work together. We are like one huge family!

Kreyolicious: Coolness…What do you think of the current direction of the music industry?

It is definitely changing and I do like where it is going in terms of being indie…we no longer have to sign with a label to get where we have to get..all we gotta do is work hard and believe.

Kreyolicious: I feel you…An artist—no matter how original—has been influenced by other artists…whether it’s conscious or not. Who has influenced you?

Yes, definitely. Bone-Thugs-N-Harmony, Whitney Houston and Aaliyah have influenced my sound!

Kreyolicious: “With every album you have to reinvent yourself”, is a quote that’s been attributed to Jay-Z. What should we expect from your first full-length album?

It took me a very long time to find my sound, look, style—my entire image. “Falling 4 U” was the first record I recorded. Once I found my sound—it was like the debut—me showing the world who Devyn Rose is. Because I am multi-genre, you can expect all kinds of music from hip-hop to pop, alternative, zouk, etc. I am really excited and proud of this project and can’t wait for everyone to hear it!

VISIT DEVYN ROSE’S WEBSITE| DEVYN ROSE’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL | BUY HER MUSIC ON iTunes

Don’t forget to take a peek at Devyn Rose’s video for “Falling 4 U” below…

Song: Triye. Artist: Kreyol La

According to the relationship coach Bruce Muzik, relationships have 5 stages. The song “Triye”, by this band named Kreyol La reflects the second stage—the power struggle stage. According to Mr. Bruce Muzik (interesting that this should be his last name), couples going through that particular stage tend to try to change their partners. And, when the change they try to impose on their partner doesn’t happen, they punish their partners. At which point, there’s all sort of havoc. What’s more, contends Bruce Muzik, couples in the second stage resort to focusing on a partner’s flaws and shortcomings and begin to withdraw emotionally from the relationship.

This song “Triye”, credited to singer-songwriter Joe Zenny, Jr., practically describes this stage word for word.

The first couple of times I listened to “Triye”, I thought it was preaching that people should settle and put up with a partner’s crap (infidelity, physical abuse, etc). But that isn’t what the song is saying. It’s not encouraging anyone to stay in a toxic relationship (I think). What it’s saying is that nowadays folks give up too easily when difficulties arise. The idea of starting over with someone else seems much more appealing, than trying to work things out with the current partner. But as the singer says in the song, it’s best to smooth out the creases in a wrinkled relationship, then going out there in search of lawns where the grass is greener. For, to go in search of greener grass…well…who knows if you won’t get hit by some serious pesticide…Who knows if there aren’t any broken glass buried in that greener grass, or some nails…or some other toxin, just sitting there and waiting for the bottom of your feet…and before you know it…So, as Kreyol La contends in “Triye”, it’s best if you stay put, and try to rekindle the passion and work out the problems. Triye!

Pa vinn di mwen
Ke ou ka leve kite yon relasyon
Pou ninpòt stipidite
Pa vinn di mwen
Ke li fasil pou rekòmanse
San menm eseye
Jwen mwayen pou sa mache
Mounn yo telman chanje
Lanmou tèlman chanje
Mounn yo tèlman chanje

Don’t come telling me
That you can just get up and leave a relationship
For just any petty reason
Don’t come telling me
That’s it’s easy to start over
Without even giving a second go at it
Folks nowadays have changed so drastically
Find a way to make it work
Love nowadays isn’t the way it used to be
People have changed so drastically

Gade bien
Gade lari a bien
Dim si-w gen chwa
Fèm wèw fon chwa
Fanm pa bezwen gason
Gason pa bezwen fanm se tout vis kap devlope
On dirait tout mounn deraye
Gade lari a bien
Dim si’w gen chwa
fem wew fonw chwa Gason kou fanm nan tout sak pa bon
youn twonpe lòt san rezon
on sosyete san moralite
au nom de la modernite

Take a good look
Take a look at what’s out there
Does it look like you have a choice
Let me see you pick someone else out
Women swear they don’t need men
Men claim they don’t need women
It’s like the whole world’s gone haywire
Look at what’s out there, and look at it good
Does it look like you have a choice
Let me see you pick someone else out
Men and women are all up to no good
They creep on each other for no reason
It’s truly a world without scruples
All in the name of being with the times

Triye, triye pouw jwen on bon grenn
Pour la nuit li fasil
Pour la vie li difisil
Triye

Pick and choose, pick and choose so you can land a good one
One night stands are easy to come by
But the “Til death do us apart” is another matter
Pick and choose

Bon grenn yo deja gen mèt
All the good ones are already taken

Fow triye pouw jwen on bon grenn
Pick and choose, pick and choose so you can land a good one

Viv a saw genyen an
Rete a saw genyen an
Si wak on mounn ki renmenw e ki chwazi respekte w
Pa pran defol sou preteks ke ou ka jwen pi bon pasel
Lari a telman pieje ke chwa nou vrèman limite
Si’w pral chachonw mennaj,
Ki pa gen mennaj,
on ti mounn ki saj,
Ki pap tounonw loraj fow triye

Live with the one you’re with
Stay with the one you’re with
If you’re sharing your life with someone who loves you and respects you
Don’t take their little weaknesses as an alibi that there’s someone better otu there
It’s dangerous out there
You don’t really have any good picks
If you’re going to get someone
Who’s not already attached
Someone who has sanity of the mind
That’s not gonna turn into a thorn in your flesh
You gotta pick and choose

Triye, triye pouw jwenn on bon grenn
Jwenn yon bon pa fasil
Fòk ou chache anpil, triye

Pick and choose, so you can get hold of someone good
Finding a good one ain’t easy You’ve got to search a whole lot
Be picky

Ret a saw genyen an eh eh
Viv a saw genyen an eh eh….

Stay with the one you’re with, hey, hey
Get along with the one you’re with, he-hey

Lyrics (c) Kreyol La/Joe Zenny. Transl: K
CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE KREYOL LA WEBSITE |

Artist: TPO
Song: “Sou Do’M”
Director: Abdias Laguerre

Okay, here’s the thing with this song…I thought, from the title that it was going to be something in the sensuous vein. But no, that isn’t the case. It’s “Sou Do’m”…as in “Behind My Back”…and the song, well, is rapper TPO’s rebuke of doubters, haters, and skeptics.

“Sou Do’M” is produced by T-Ced and TPO himself.

Oh, and in the video…

TPO sits on an ottoman (his throne?), surrounded by two leggy models, who grind their hips, flip their blonde manes, and show off their leather-tightened buttocks. In the opening scene, there is Mr. TPO, shirtless, and displaying quite a chest. He’s being handed all his baller-status accessories by his live-in dame…chain, designer shirt, and his kicks. A smoking Impala is on the roof of the penthouse…waiting for its owner to jump in the driver’s seat and make the rounds of the nightlife.

Chak lè yo di mwen pa vini/Mwen fè espre mwen parèt
Every time they tell me not to show my face/I defy ’em and show up

It’s easy to dismiss this song as yet another braggadocio-type of rap song. At the core of it, though, is a message some may be able to identify with. It’s about sustaining oneself emotionally, when others are backbiting you, pulling you down in vicious attempts to kill your dreams. It’s about believing and pushing forward to fulfill your purpose when the whole universe seems to have a vendetta against you.

Well, see the video for yourself…below—

CLICK HERE TO VISIT TPO’S WEBSITE | CLICK HERE TO BUY TPO’S MUSIC

Artist: Carimi and Mikaben
Song “Baby I Miss(ed) You/Baby, I Miss You”
Director: Abdias Laguerre

In which I write my thoughts as I watch this Kreyolicious music video entitled “Baby I Miss You” by Carimi and Mikaben…

Ah, a summer bungalow…looks almost like Martha’s Vineyard…or somewhere deep in the East Coast…

The obligatory leading lady with long, silky hair that flows nearly past her knees…and the spectacle-wearing leading man, on his way out. They share a passionate embrace before his departure. Wait, they kiss and hug? Okay, either this relationship is new, or it’s been through the rocks, and they’re rebuilding.

Dude #1 goes down the steps, guitar in hand. He must be a musician! A shot of him going down the steps again. And he’s already checking his phone? That’s obsessive love for you!

Another time, another day. This time it’s him saying goodbye to her, as she climbs a red sedan. But who’s this other dude? Dude #2?

Oh, a tour bus. A guitar player.

It’s abuzz inside the bus. Guitar practice. Business phone calls.

Ah, new apartment. Nice minimalist decor. Green pants, huh?

Wait, Dude #2 is a lefty? Oh, perhaps not?…we do tend to hold iPads on the left hand, and use the right to navigate.

Oh, he’s rushing to the door. OMG. But isn’t that…

Uh-oh. While the rat is away, the little mouse will play.

Podyab, Dude #1. While he’s singing his little heart out, his girl is knocking on someone else’s door…

Poor other fellow. While Dude #1 is on the tour bus getting all sentimental and singing about missing his baby, his girl is being swept off the ground by another man.

Look at the smile on the face of the other fool, as he drags her luggage in that penthouse.

Ki sa! Girl’s clothes are swung down her body and fall in a pool on the tiled floor. Oh, dear, something tells me that something immoral is about to go down in this joint. Ooh, and the skillful way the green pants wearing boyfriend drops those clothes, you get the feeling that this has been going down for quite a while.

“Baby I Miss(ed) You”, er, um, okay, but does baby miss you? Looks to me like the Jezebel is getting it on.

All I have to say is, the video’s director has an interesting take on this song’s theme. You expect it to depict a relationship where the love is mutual, and it’s being presented as one-sided…one baby misses the other baby…but other baby…er, not so much.

Deep, deep down inside…Dude #2 has a gut feeling that she doesn’t wholly belong to him. Watch Guy#2 at the 1:44 mark.

He sleeps with his eyes seemingly close, but there’s a slight gap between the eyelids. And watch how his head is centered on the pillow, but the edge of the pillow sticks out. A person sleeping soundly would have more than likely turned his head on the sticky edge of the pillow, and woken up with a neck ache. A lack of trust, clearly. He wants to keep a close eye on this girl. And look at his lips, so pink and so sensual. He must be taking his 30 grams of Vitamin E daily, and he probably eats lots and lots of blueberries, and consumes lots of greens.

Why is Dude #1 hiding under the hood of his gray tracksuit half of the time in this video? He’s not bad looking and he could never scare little children.

Dude#2 is looking so lusty as he holds ‘ole girl. His hands run smoothly across her arms. His eyes are glistening with lust.

Oh, she had her lingerie, her Jezebel-wear ready!

Oh, no, Dude#1 is back early from his tour! It’s about to go down. The green pants-wearing, Vitamin E-consuming side piece is about to get it!

Cinderella left a shoe behind for the prince. Girl leaves her scarf. If anything, you can’t say she’s not original.

Oh, Dude# 2 is having his fun! Oh dear, he looks like he’s about to give in to some serious fleshly desires.

Uh-oh. Dude #1 is climbing up the steps of the Martha’s Vineyard-looking bungalow.

Finally, we get a better view of Dude #1 and I must say he’s well coordinated. What great choice of colors. Nice scarf, Dude #1.

There is a pool beneath that balcony. Is a body about to be thrown in it?

Okay, red car…gray truck…something is amiss here. One-story bungalow and high-rise, sea-side building…Could it be…

Oh, inside a music studio comes the pretty lady.

Okay, either this girl is in one of these guy’s past, and in the other’s present…but she can’t be in their present at the same time…something about these visuals is not adding up.

My guess, at this point, is that one of the dudes is being delusional (my gut feeling is telling me that Dude #1 currently has her, and Dude #2 once had her, and he’s now reminiscing about his past with her). Perhaps she used to be his girl and he screwed it up somehow…Look at that faraway, distracted look that’s on Dude #2’s face during each closeup. Look at him, kalkileying.

Let’s see…

Dude #2 is making me blush.

Oh, dear.

Wait, so there’s two of them. Ah, dear. That explains a lot…a whole lot.

Here are some points I observed about this video:

How fab is it that the video model(s) is(are) a full-figured woman? She/They has a realistic body proportions and has a real woman’s mid-section. (Yes, I’m a skinny girl, but I like it when all women are presented as beautiful and desirable in music vids).

There are three musician-members on that tour bus, no? But as opposed to populating the video with all three of them, one of them is given full-focus.

Applause for the ladies for their performances—and the two leading dudes as well for their thespian efforts.

Props should also go to the video’s wardrobe stylist for fashioning the looks for the two dudes. Dude #1 had these cosmopolitan looks, while Dude #2 wore pieces that were refined hood/not-quite-the-suburbs. Dude #1 had the wardrobe of a mature man who’s left childish things behind, whereas the outfits worn by Dude #2 (especially that checkered flannel leprechaun outfit) left one thinking that, well, he may have infantile behavior tendencies.

Aha, that airport scene was squeezed in to clue us in regarding the separate identities of the women…but it was also a throw-off. With a song like “Baby, I Missed You”, it would have been easy to go the “literal route”, and make it all predictable. But all those suspense and surprise elements herein really keep you glued, and make one replay the vid (“Let’s see the clues I missed the first time around.” I knew something was not right. That girl couldn’t possibly have been in their lives simultaneously. [In my grandmother’s voice] Ah, mezanmi.

Main photo: via Kalepwa

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In which…in which I write my thoughts as I watch a Kreyolicious music video…

Artist/Band: Dat7
Song: “Se Konsa” [This Is How You Do It], Written by Ricot Amazan
Produced By: Ricot Amazon and Ti Harold
Vocals: Olivier Duret
Director: New Vibrations, Dalex Saint-Jean
Co-Director: Olivier Duret

Nice brows, girl…and is that a mask of the African ancestors on those earrings? Very kreyolicious.

Bon, in this granm maten, you already got your cut-off shorts on. Summer’s not here yet, you know.

Where are we here? In the Middle East…on the border of Asia…first I see this girl…

And now I see a Japanese—oh…so he’s not Japanese…it’s a dreadlock Samurai.

Oh, dreadlock samurai, your sideburns are cute and you’re looking so fly. Do tip your barber next time to thank him (or her) the perfect alignment. Man, this barber sure is handy with the razor blade.

Oh, wait a minute.

I wish to suspend my compliments for the dreadlock samurai for the time being. I see this girl’s nose is running. Her lips are chapped; her lipstick scraped from her lips! She’s crying, and boy, does she look mad. What has the dreadlock samurai done to her? And he’s coming towards her with a huge, huge book. It’s too thick to be a family album. Is it a dictionary? Boy, don’t bring a weapon to your own beat-down. She just might grab it from you, and Samson that face of yours.

Ah, he wisely puts the book down on the table—several feet away from her. Adorable and wise.

And what is the book’s title? Looks like a ying-yang symbol on there, no? A tome on Eastern religion, perhaps?

Uh-oh, she’s getting up….

Ah, a closer look at the book’s cover.

Oh, the song’s title…

Something’s wrong—something’s very wrong—in this relationship. If her tears weren’t an indication, their rapport is. He places the book on the table and walks away. She waits until he’s removed his presence to express the least interest in the book.

Oh, okay, thanks for letting us know…story-book style…

A new fellow has entered the building.

Oh, look, he and the dreadlock samurai must have the same barber.

And maybe the same wardrobe stylist. Oh, the scarves! But what of the look on the face of this new dude? He looks like a human terminator, sunglasses and forbidding look and all.

Look at his figi. I bet he’s trying to blame things on the girl.

Don’t tell me he’s going to play psychologist in all of this. And should we say something about those lips of his? So kreyolicious…so cherry-like, so sensual…so full…and you thought the dude in the “Baby I Miss You” video had Vitamin E lips! This one…I bet this one exfoliates every day. I bet he eats all his vegetables…I bet he uses fermented castor oil on those lips…Oh, and organic shea butter. I bet he drinks the required half-gallon of water to regularly nourish those lips. I bet he uses those lips to read Psalms 119 before he goes off to bed.

Oh, yet another friend has joined the conversation. See, what guys do behind our backs, girls? We already know that the conversation that’s about to ensue is going to center on one thing…women…how terrible they are…and men…how righteous they always are.

Let’s talk about his new guy…His skin is so smooth…he probably moisturizes it with homemade tomato soap…And, look at his teeth.

So cute. His gums are so brown. I bet he flosses and brushes three times a day. I bet he gargles with coconut oil. And his hair…nice tape, homey….they sure are giving that barber a lot of business.

And this guy with the red shirt on…almost, almost had a dimple. Nice kreyolicious smile.

So, wait…there’s a fourth guy in the room? Oh, boy, it’s about to go down. Ooh, some serious backbiting is about to go down.

He’s removed the hater blockers. He doesn’t look so forbidding now. He looks friendly. Who is he? A relationship coach?

Oh, and we get a better look at his outfit. Very, very kreyolicious. Gray is definitely his color. Nice kicks, relationship coach…if that’s what thou are.

So, I was wrong…no backbiting. A sort of relationship-how-to…set to music…a relationship coaching session.

That barber, that barber…that barber…look at that tape.

I like the fact that the director inserts scenes from the relationship coach’s own life into his lecture to demonstrate that behind closed doors, he’s practicing what he preaches. We all know those types of people who are geniuses when it comes to lecturing others and cretins when it comes to applying the principles they sermonize. Well, thankfully, this relationship coach is not of that cloth—all the more easier to ingest his message.

I think the most powerful line from this song is this one: (“Pa kache santiman ou pou yon fanm ki chè pou ou”/(Don’t keep your feelings on the low from a woman who means the world to you). I had to really think about this sentence, and about how deep it goes. I think a lot of times guys are fearful. They think that in telling a girl that they love her and care for her, they’re somehow stripping themselves of their manhood…but as the song goes on to say, it’s good to make sure that a woman has full-coverage love insurance/assurance. I really like that latter concept. It’s interesting to note that the word “chè” in Creole also means ‘expensive’…as in materially expensive…and it’s also used to mean something that’s ‘dear’? Rather curious, no?

All the principles and suggestions made by the relationship coach are what makes a relationship: flowers to show appreciation, a canoe ride for spending time together, quiet time at home over glasses of wine to reminisce and reflect together. I dig.

Now that the relationship coach’s students have been given suggestions on how to improve their relationship, they’re ready to apply his sermons. Hooray!

This participant has shed his glasses. Smooth skin, no?

He gives his girl a thoughtful kiss. He then steps back to watch her as she undresses. This is a body that he probably sees on the daily, but he takes his time to savor it, and lets her know he appreciates her bodily gifts. They take a shower together. There’s nothing like quality time that purifies.

Ah, this one…guess the heart of the problem for his relationship was his workaholic ways.

He misses all the cues. His girl is on the couch…in her, ahem nightly wear, and he’s just sitting there…typing away. He probably has an internet business. Or perhaps he works in an office…spends the entire day at the office, and then brings more work to his home. She rolls her eyes. He doesn’t notice. She flips her hair—he doesn’t blink.

She gives him a huge twaze. He’s still typing away at his keyboard.

Meanwhile, the relationship coach’s other patient…er…other client is applying the affection principle to his relationship—with marvelous results. Beautiful.

He’s even happier in the studio. Thumbs up, indeed. Compare this smile to the stern look he had on his face at the beginning of the relationship coaching session.

He gets an unexpected surprise from his girl. See? He’s already reaping the fruits of taking to heart the relationship coach’s lessons.

Sometimes all you need is one piece of wisdom.

Ah, the last student from the coach’s roster. Will he successfully implement the advice of the relationship coach and cherish his woman?

OMG, see what I told you guys earlier about the book being used as a weapon! And I thought I was over-imagining things!

While we’re discussing this scene, can we take a look at the recho in the background? There’s nothing on there…not even boiled water. This girl is on strike against this Negro. He must have done something serious! Dreadlock samurai, I’m mad at you. You’re the only one in the dude therapy group who didn’t execute the “Se Konsa” theorem. So at the beginning of the vid, he hands her the book…perhaps he thinks she’s the problem. It’s possible that she’s the problem. But in that scene where she tries to kiss him, you could tell that he is indeed the problem. He just sits there, expecting to be catered to…and he’s not returning her show of affection. He just sits there, immobile. And you can’t just hand her the book! Why not read it together if she has some things of her own she needs to fix in the relationship?

Let’s hope this video has a sequel where the braided hair samurai gives flowers, make her go “ooh la la”, and gives her a $500,000 love assurance/insurance policy. Love without reservations. Or, let him be the main actor in a cautionary tale on what not to do. Some people will never think they’re the problem. It’s always the other person. And for every success story the relationship coach has, for every relationship he’s able to transform, there’s some that he’ll never be able to change.

Very charming little vid from the boys of Dat7. Kudos to this Mr. Dalex Saint-Jean. Se konsa…se konsa…

In which…in which I write my thoughts as I watch a kreyolicious music video….by this group called Djakout #1.

Artist/Band: Djakout #1
Song: “Libre D’aimer”
Vocals: Steeve Khe
Director: Abdias Laguerre/Lux
Editor: Ron Mentor

Ooh, a driveway…that sun-yellow paint…and the natural stone on that building…that isn’t New York, LA or MIA architecture. Are we on an island somewhere? Oh, wait, is that barbed wire on the walls. Whose house is this?

A shadowy figure slides down the steps of the ascending-style, stoney driveway. He’s male.

Could this be his family? Or the family of the woman he loves? If it’s her family, this is probably going to be those class differences story lines.

A closer look at the family…upper middle class, and having some quiet time at home.

Oh, tights!

Wait! Those tights are worn by this dude? Well, at least he knew to bring a rose. How romantic.

Oh, Romeo, Romeo wherefore are thou…wearing tights…my dearest, Juliet! He rings the doorbell. That’s some door. Pure natural wood, and a gold brass handle to boot. Ooh, you know some opulent living goes on, on the other end.

Look at pop’s face. I wonder if they’re expecting him….This must be a first meeting…

She rises upon hearing the bell ring. How come neither mom or pop rise or at least accompany her to the door? Okay, it’s a first meeting, alright. Ooh, that vase on the table looks so pretty. It goes really well with the wall decor.

On second thought, pop does go to the door after all. He wipes his lip. He’s so proper. Such a slave to decorum. And a slave to tradition and class norms, too, perhaps?

Her face is rather anxious, or nah?

Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, the fuschia-suit, tights wearing gentleman awaits for the door of the elegant home to be opened to him—literally, and perhaps figuratively as well.

Ooh, a better look at Romeo…he’s adorable. Look at those wide-set eyes, and his dreads are neatly bundled. He’s well-spoken. Chocolatey dreadlock samurai!

Whoa. Pop looks horrified at the figure he’s beholding. Ooh, it’s going to be one of those nights, or nah?

Ooh, pops, you’re wrong for that. Shutting the door on the fine creature who can give you cute grandbabies. Gray hair doesn’t always means silver wisdom.

Apparently, she had expected something like this. Why, oh, why didn’t she shield the dreadlock samurai Romeo from being snubbed in this manner and form! Is she testing to see if he can hold a candle to her Old-World poppa?

Pop reopens the door, not to present his excuses for mortifying his daughter’s date, but to insult him some more. Shame on you poppa.

I don’t blame you for walking away dreadlock samurai in tights. Being referred to as a “bagay” must not be a pleasant experience. At least, you maintained some self-control and didn’t give him insult for insult. You respected the fact that he’s older than you, and that he’s the dad of your (possible) future dearly beloved.

Oh, dreadlock samurai in fuschia tights, don’t be so downcast. If it’s meant to be, it will be…

Pop comes back to the door. And daughter stands immobile in the living room. Don’t tell me she doesn’t realize that it was her date coming to the door. Shouldn’t she be running after him, or at least trying to reach him by phone. Okay, she’s testing her guy.

The rose gets hurled to the floor.

The jacket comes off. I don’t blame you, dreadlock samurai. What a perfectly wasted outfit. Can we get an extreme close-up of his face, please? I want to see if he eats his vegetables.

You sure look handsome when you’re brooding, you Absalom! You chocolate dream.

Ah, finally a close-up. So handsome. Smooth skin. The top lip is fine, but the bottom could use a little bit of olive oil. Neat brows, neat locks.

He loves natures too. Ooh, pop, look who you let get away!

Ooh, he’s looking especially kreyolicious here. If you look closely, you can see a little gap in his front teeth.

Ah, look at those two running through the street.

Flannel shirt over blue jeans…girl don’t let this man go. He brings flowers, and he knows how to whip an outfit together.

Aww, look at them. How cute and adorable.

He comes to check up on his daughter…and what does he find…she’s not there! Decoy!

Meanwhile, the two lovebirds are out somewhere, enjoying the view and their surroundings. A tree painted aquamarine…

Dad is going berserk! Ooh, I feel for you girl. Wonder what you’ll have to deal with when you get home.

Mom is little too calm, no? I wonder if she was in on it, and is putting on a show of surprise.

Hah, look at yet another instance of her sneaking to be with him. A ladder. That house is rather cute and unique. Love those stones. This girl must’ve watched a lot of Spiderman episodes when she was little.

Is this the same girl that’s in the opening scene of the video? Just a difference in hairstyle…from curly-permed to frizzy?

This girl sure has a lot of faces.

So, it is her.

Ah, the love birds…Let them enjoy themselves, for tomorrow they may have to part. Sigh.

In his loving embrace—in his loving embrace, she finds comfort.

“They do not love that do not show their love.” So said Shakespeare.

Ooh, she gets a piggy back ride. Ooh.

A medical student textbook, is that what that is? Oh, don’t tell me that our little dreadlock samurai who woreth the fuschia suit with tights is a medical student. Ooh, does poppa know? He’ll co-sign that relationship in a jiffy.

[Janet Jackson voice] That’s the way love goes.

And look who’s helping you recover from your stroke now. Something told me I would see a scene like this…the minute I saw that medical book.

In a flashback, we see what else happened in that house that night…And we’re given a little epilogue…the parents got divorced. They were from the same social class, and yet, they couldn’t make a go at it. Oh, the ironies of life. Wonder who she left him for…

Yeah, they made it through the fire, and got hitched.

And the fruit of their love…is a comfort in poppa’s old age. To think that this child almost never happened. Interesting how humble people are with old age and sickness. So the dreadlock samurai who woreth the fuschia suit with tights doesn’t hold grudges and do the eye-for-an-eye-tooth-for-a-tooth stuff. Good for him.

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Kreyolicious Music Video…in which—in which I write my thoughts as I watch a kreyolicious music video.

Artist/Band: Karizma
Director: F. Reginald Georges/Mage Entertainment
Song: “Rive Sou Mwen”
Album: Virus

Ooh, where are we? Kentucky…somewhere in the ‘Carolinas…Or is this somewhere in Haiti?

Okay, it’s Haiti. Hooray! And look, kreyolicious cheries, there looks to be plenty of vegetation. Far from what the media out here tries to tell us…And who is this boy squatting sitting in the splendor of the grass, there? Is he the leading man?

Or is it this one with those Terminator hater blockers? Oh, wait…are they one in the same?

Um, that granps shirt…

What do we have here? Will this music vid be another one of those about childhood love? Is this a flashback?

At the 0.33 mark he says, “There’s no life without you.” Ooh, I’m loving what I’m hearing at this point.

What a nice view. That sky…those trees…those clouds…

Was this the guys who was initially sitting on the grass? Or is this…

Okay, am not too clear yet on what’s going on here. Is this guy reminiscing about a girl he lost?

And this one with him is the girl he’s with now? He’s pushing her away…like she’s some sort of rebound chick for whom he’s having buyer’s remorse.

Okay, the lyrics aren’t matching the images I’m seeing. He’s singing about how indispensable this girl is to his life, and yet…here he is pushing away this girl who’s stroking him. This could only mean one thing. Poor baby. He’s with this girl, but his mind is elsewhere. On another one…the one he truly loves…the one the lyrics are about. Right? Let me watch some more to see if this hypothesis is correct.

Nice socks, dude.

Oh, there goes the girl again. Okay, let’s try to gather all these images together and come up with something. The main guy is reminiscing about a girl from his high school days. He’s now in his college years, and he has a girlfriend, but he can’t get ‘ole girl from his past out of his mind. Aw, look how she puts on her little makeup, and plays model for him, while he fools around with his camera.

Ooh, ole girl wet that hair! Did they go out swimming? And she left her hair cap behind?

Look at her putting on that lipstick. She’s got skills.

Girl must be in love to be doing spur of the moment, hair follicle-damaging actions without her shower cap. Thou must protect thy mane, dear maiden.

Gee, what part of Haiti is this? Have to add it to my list of places to go to. I could see myself throwing a sleeping bag on that ground…going camping. It looks so peaceful. What a romantic environment for those two!

And look at him…The Chocolate Dream (the teenage years)…enjoying the tease.

Ooh, that shirt doesn’t looks so granps now that I can get a full view of The Chocolate Dream (the college years). Aha, he’s talking about returning! So, my theory was correct. So they were enjoying their days of childhood love and out of nowhere, they must have gotten separated…and in spite of being slightly older, he’s never been able to replace her. And he’s not about to lie to himself. His place is with this girl.

No wonder he barely takes off these sunglasses. He’s crying behind those shades. Can I get a podyab for this boy? On a count of one…two…three…PODYAB!

Ah, the subject of his undying affection and love. Oh, wait…in that scene where he’s in that room all alone…the hand of the girl isn’t pushed away…it’s snatched away…or rather it disappears…Aha…so this isn’t another girl…He’s never tried to replace her…he’s haunted by her…the memories of her…Got it. Just had to rewatch that part again. The things…you miss the first time around.

Those are some kreyolicious lips you’ve got there, Karizma dude.

So, he goes to their old meeting place. Trying to exacerbate those memories. He wants to be tortured, apparently.

Ooh, a botanical garden in a shed.

Where are we now? In the past…or present?

The past! For a moment there, I thought this was going to be a present tense reunion.

Look, he’s with his boys now. I wonder if he’s doing this little gathering to get some news of her…

Maybe this buddy, with his mobile phone on hand, has her current phone number?

Ooh, nice décor.

Yo, who dat?

So, it’s her…and there’s two of her to make his torture complete.

That décor again. Look at the roof. Is that refined rattan? Bamboo? Sisal?

Ah, is this her at the party? It must be. Oh, now she’s a blonde. This music video is not only a story about love, but it’s also a story about hair care. You wet your hair, and damage your follicles, and years later, you have to put on a lacefront. Nice lacefront though.

And it is her. There’s no mistaken that smile.

Er, yeah fellas, hold my drink. Imma be right back. He’s spotted her, and he’s wasting no time getting reacquainted. Hooray for him.

Hah, he gives this guy the brush off, and nearly knocks him down. He’s got to get to this girl.

Is it really her?

No, it isn’t. False alarm. Now, they did seem to look alike. Or is it that he sees her face everywhere?

His boys are giving him looks.

Oh, no, he’s taking up the bottle. Don’t do it Chocolate Dream…she’ll turn up. Pray about it.

And the bottle is more than half-way down…and the day is still young.

Ah, that place again.

A nun at a museum…this couldn’t possibly be her…could it?

Well, could it? This would destroy him.

It must be her. Otherwise, why would she be so fixated on this photo out of all the ones at this exhibit? And why does she go straight to this photo…like she knew its exact spot…has it been on display since the teenage years?

Oh, no…this has to be her. There’s no mistaking the resemblance. How will he take this news? Will he become a monk? If they can’t be reunited in body, then they can be reunited in their mutual vows.

Alright, it’s her. Too many visual clues for it to be otherwise. The photo on the wall. Now, his old camera…

That face…Very kreyolicious.

Reminiscing about the camera…and the memories that come with it.

Uh-oh, it so happens that he’s giving a tour to these kids…

The moment of truth…

He remains calm. But you can bet that his bloodstream will freeze over sooner or later. And those birds in that painting undoubtedly are stand-ins for their past…what they wish they could do now…but can’t. She’s bound by her vows to the church, so if he had dreams of reciting vows with her…those dreams are gone with the wind. This is so sad for him. For the rest of his life, he’s going to be tortured by thoughts of what could have been.

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