In 1962 writer-folklorist-ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax journeyed to the heart of the Caribbean--deep into the musical traditions of the Lesser Antilles and eastern Caribbean that are, in fact, living records of a greater journey, from Africa to the Caribbean isles run as absentee plantations during slavery days by European nations. This CD takes the listener to the tiny island of Carriacou, which is part of the country of Grenada, where Lomax brings to life the Calypso tunes, 19th-century English quadrille dances, Baptist rhythms recast into Yoruban musical forms, cantiques (French hymns), sea chanteys, and, most stunningly, Cariacou's legendary Big Drum songs. These songs, laden with ritualistic overtones--each with its own accompanying dances--fall into nine groups with nine different West African ethnicities. From the very first drumbeat, a note of mysterious allure pervades the set, recalling a stolen past and offering entry into the richness of a people's polyglot present. A raucous African chorus swells over a thick weave of polyrhythms from drums and percussion and the lilting melodies of rudimentary string instruments. The shrill triumph of a rooster's cry conjures up the scene: a circle of celebrants playing, singing, and dancing in a dusty, outdoor "balm yard." "That's bongo!" an old man announces triumphantly. In the midst of another swirling drum song, Lomax asks in undertones, "Is this sugar? I'd love one!" "Oh, yes?" a husky female voice replies teasingly. Another woman delivers a heated a cappella plaint against an employer, written just the previous Boxing Day, she explains. Lomax's probing questions and the singers and players' answers draw the listener even further into this intoxication, so one encounters each discovery along with Lomax. This is more than a record. It's a stunning recovery preserved through the visceral warmth of "old-fashioned" analog equipment, a triumph of essence over technology. --Elena Oumano