L'inoubliable Perfecta

Perfecta was a legendary and avant-garde cadence group from Martinique. The selections on this compilation are taken from their fourth and fifth albums recorded in 1978. Perfecta brought to the traditional biguine, mazurka, bel air, and calenda a new form of musical expression by incorporating horns, piano, organ, percussion, and vocals. Their fame spread to the rest of the Antilles, France, Germany, Francophone Africa, Miami, and New York City. This compilation is a small, but excellent, sample of the group's work. The songs are extended grooves that show the group's facile ability to seamlessly change rhythms and keys. The horn arrangements are deftly crafted and underpinned by solid percussive layers and throbbing bass. Unguent guitar solos leave licks in your head that stick with you. It is unfortunate that the cadence era is long gone. Modern zouk owes a big debt to this music. Perfecta is truly unforgettable and a gem of a group. Luckily, Henri Debs has reissued some of their finest moments. Highly recommended.