Yoanson & Karamie/prof Jah Pinpin 4tet
African Leaders/the Final Bird
Not many info can be found about Yoanson & Karamie, two young artists from the French African diaspora, who randomly met with Nessim Saroussi and his label Ness Music in the late '80s. This meeting resulted in their only EP release 'Kalimba' in 1988. From this EP, 'African Leaders' is a stunning track melting Afro-tropical percussions, disco bass, early electro beats and leftfield vocals in a way that could remind of Doctor L or an Arthur Russell production. Philippe de Lacroix-Herpin, better known as Prof Jah Pinpin is a renowned saxophonist playing and recording for many famous French acts such as Jean-Jacques Goldman, Alain Chamfort, FFF, or even rap band NTM. In 1994, he moved to Reunion Island where he launched the Prof Jah Pinpin 4tet and recorded 'The Final Bird.'