I have loved Kassav since I first heard them in the late 1980' on their LP (yes, vinyl) Vini Pou, and then their magnificent live double album recorded at the Zenith in Paris. Even though I did not understand a word they were singing, it was just so joyful. Even without translation, the idea that zouk means party radiated through the music.
I had seen them live 4 times since, and the sound systems at each of the venues was always dreadful, draining most of the joy out of seeing them. The last time, a few years back at the Hammerstein Ballroom I actually walked out in the middle. I ran into a sound techie who told me that their plane had been delayed, so that the group went on without having done a sound check. It was painful.
I therefore knew I was taking a chance going to see them in what was essentially a converted warehouse.
The show was great!
Even though the overmodulated bass muffled the beauty of the voices and overpowered the keyboards, and despite having only two brass pieces instead of five, the experience was sheer exuberance.
2000 french speaking black folks, and me. (I didn't see another white face in the place, other than Terminal 5 stagehands.)
I still didn't understand a word, but everyone jumping up and down during the non-stop 90 minute set; people from Haiti,Guadeloupe, Martinique, Dominica, French Africa. And I was jumping up and down with them.
How sad that so few other white Americans know about this group which packs stadiums
in French speaking lands.