Since the 1920s, the Caribbean was not only a paradise for smugglers and gangsters, but also a preferred destination for numerous US tourists, who found a nightlife on par with their larger hometowns on the islands. Local musical styles, often played by bands in the early hotel bars, attracted a lot of interest, leading to dance trends such as carioca and conga in the U.S. as early as the 1930s, and later calypso took the mainland by storm. The jazz and rhythm'n'blues artists of the 40s and 50s were joyfully open to this development, while their Caribbean counterparts were in any case influenced by the jazz and swing of the USA as well as modern musical instruments and band line-ups
So it's no wonder that music emerged that crossed the boundaries between African-American and Caribbean styles with relish. Like the title song "Geechie Goonie" by the still unknown MARGA BENITEZ, a veritable hit even by today's standards, which unfortunately did not become particularly popular at the time
With THE TALBOT BROTHERS OF BERMUDA, CAMILLE HOWARD, NAT KING COLE & HIS TRIO, JOE LIGGINS AND HIS HONEYDRIPPERS or JIMMY RUSHING, ten wonderful examples of this "mixed culture" are gathered here on the most beautiful of all vinyl formats.
