Over the past decade, European archival label Flee has been unearthing some of the globe’s most distinctive sounds. Reissuing out-of-print rarities along with new interpretations from contemporary artists, their albums have included 2017’s exploration of Kenyan Benga music, a 2021 recording of the oral traditions of Gulf pearl divers and most recently a catalogue of Greek orthodox singing from the monastery on Mount Athos. Their latest edition is equally specific, delving into both archival and new French-language Creole music from Louisiana.
Influenced by the birth of jazz in New Orleans, as well as early blues, rock’n’roll and French colonial legacy, this largely African American folk music of the 1950s to the 1980s veers from poignant lyricism to rollicking, full-throated celebration. The dancefloor-focused side of the archival material features several infectious songs from bandleader Clifton Chenier. Known as the founder of Creole folk genre zydeco, Chenier’s arrangements incorporate bluesy guitar riffs alongside scraping washboard rhythms and the metallic twang of piano accordion. The resulting sound, on Laissez les Bon Temps Rouler and Jolie Blonde, is deep-swinging and joyous, anchored in Chenier’s own whooping vocalisations.
