Daniel Bellegarde – Pastourelle (Quartier Général, 2022)
On his second solo album, “Pastourelle”, Hatian-Canadian composer and master percussionist Daniel Bellegarde presents another fascinating set of transglobal musical influences. Even though most of the music is grounded in the traditions of the French West Indies and Haiti (quadrille, contredanse, waltz and Creole polka), Bellegarde also skillfully incorporates world music ingredients from other regions. Indeed, he deftly uses Celtic music elements such as the thin, low and Irish whistle, and Brazilian string instruments, including the cavaquinho, bandolim, 7-string guitar and the viola caipira.
The lineup on “Pastourelle” includes Daniel Bellegarde on kreol frame drum, congas, bongos, ti bwa, chacha, rada (conical drum set), petwo (conical drum), bèlè (conical drum), glockenspiel, percussion; Philippe Toto Laraque on guitar, banjo, vocals; Fritz Pageot on bass; Jean-Christophe Germain on violin; Dave Gossage on thin, low and irish whistle; Rodrigo Simões on cavaquinho, bandolim, 7 string guitar, viola caipira; and Sacha Daoud on drums, timbales, rumba box, and percussion.
Guest musicians: Nathalie Bonin on violin; Pascale Leblanc and Marjorie Walter on vocals; Eric Breton on bones; Francis Covan on accordion; Josh Fink on upright bass; Marco Jeanty on lead vocals; and Eddy Prophète on Hammond B3 organ.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.