For 'HaitiaNola', Lakou Mizik, the Haitian answer to Buena Vista Social Club, joined forces with a whole range of artists and bands from New Orleans. The Caribbean island and the American metropolis share an extensive Creole history, culture and spirituality (voodoo). The album was produced by Eric Heigle, who, among others, invited Trombone Shorty, Tank (Tank and the Bangas), Cyril Neville, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Jon Cleary, Leyla McCalla, Lost Bayou Ramblers, Arcade Fire, 79rs Gang, Raja Kassis (Antibalas) and Anders Osborne.
The most recognizable song in the track list is undoubtedly 'Iko Kreyòl', for which Lakou Mizik collaborated with Win Butler, Regine Chassange, Preservation Hall Jazz Band and 79rs Gang, and which is actually a Creole version of 'Jock-A-Mo', better known as 'Iko Iko', an often covered song (Sugar Boy and his Cane Cutters, The Dixie Cups, Natasha, Dr. John, The Belle Stars...) from New Orleans that tells of the clash between two Mardi Gras Indian Tribes during the annual parade, but this whole disc sounds like one big gumbo (a soup or stew popular in the US state of Louisiana, having its origins in the ethnic mix that Louisiana has always been, combining French, African, Spanish and Indian cooking methods and ingredients, consisting primarily of a strongly-flavored stock, meat or shellfish, a thickener, and what Louisianians call the "Holy Trinity" of vegetables, namely celery, bell peppers, and onions) of Mardi Gras meets Karnaval.
Laissez les bons temps rouler (Cajun-French for "Let the good times roll!")!