“I thought it was a fascinating idea to look at the way the British presented these foreign cultures,” Soul Jazz founder Stuart Baker told The Guardian, referring to the label’s new documentary, Mirror to the Soul: Music, Culture and Identity in the Caribbean 1920-1972. “It’s a real insight into the whole postcolonial thing, and the attitudes to race and women, in those days. But I also like bananas. And so I am genuinely interested to learn how they were grown, packaged and transported.”
Bananans, and music, of course, which explains why the film’s hallucinatory collection of 60 British Pathé clips is mirrored in an impeccably curated compilation of 40 sun-baked songs.
“Pathé played a big part in defining the way we perceive the Caribbean,” said Baker. “These clips are full of the escapism, the exoticism, the tropicalness. The whole Bond-film feeling is there. But I was also really surprised by their incredibly positive and enlightened attitude towards things like immigration.”
Take a closer look at the movie’s trailer below, along with a 9-minute mix of tracks that’ll make you want to push one of these pre-order buttons…
1. Andre Toussaint – Nassau Cha Cha
2. Cachao – Descarga Cubana
3. Carlos Malcolm – Filthy McNasty
4. Irakere – Bacalao Con Pan
5. Celia Cruz – Chango
6. Lord Brynner – The Queen Sings Calypso
7. Peanuts Taylor – Canela
8. Mark Holder – Saturday Night Reggae
9. Edmundo Ros – London Is The Place For Me
10. Russ Henderson – West Indian Drums
11. Duke Of Iron – Calypso Invasion
12. El Gran Combo – Baila Mi Shing A Ling
13. Slim Smith – My Conversation
14. Grupo De Experimentacion – Repentino
15. Bebo Valdes – Mambo Caliente
16. Duke Of Iron – Vitalogy
17. Conjunto Roberta Faz – Aprieta Suavecito
18. The Techniques – I’ll Be Right There
19. Frank Ferrer – Pa’ Los Obreros
20. Jose Fajardo – Pa Coco Solo
21. Fabulous McLevertys – Don’t Blame It On Elvis
22. Count Ossie – Way Back Home
23. Gina Martin – Elegua
24. Manuel Santos – Mira Como Los Pollos
25. Lord Flea – Calypso Be Bop
26. Grupo Cuba Afro Jazz – Gozar
27. Grupo Afro Cubano Oba-Ilu – Chango
28. Gilla And The Wageira Le Drummers – Fiura
29. Drummers Of The Societe Absolument Guinin – Djouba
30. Tradition Gwo Ka – Beloka
31. Dugu Ensemble – E E Au Gayu
32. Grupo Oba Ilu – Agayu Toque
33. Son Malagana – Rama De Tamarindo
34. Drummers Of The Societe Absolument Guinin – Africanadou
35. Tumba Francesca – Camaguey
36. Tradition Gwo Ka – Ola Ou Tu Ye
37. Bato Drum Group – Wanaragua
38. Societe Absolument Guinin – Agoue Dambala
39. Tradition Gwo Ka – Adan Et Eve
40. Rara Group – Pistache Grie Remon
