"Work It" by FLO

"UP, UP, UP"... That's what we first remember when listening to FLO's "Work It", from her first studio album "A Long Time Coming". When I found out about this album almost three years ago, I was amazed by the number of featurings. Indeed, FLO's hip-hop allows you to navigate through the musical styles specific to Guadeloupe such as zouk with Jean-Michel Rotin, kako music with Dominik Coco, gwo ka with Wozan Moza. However, she’s on her own to sing "Work It". I think it's the first track I kept on repeat over a few days to help me escape during my bus trips in winter at 7 AM. As the rapper explains in her interview for Karukerament.com, the song was produced by "Staniski, the West Indies hitmaker, which we no longer present." She commissioned him to "a track with a bit of electro Afrobeat and a Caribbean touch, a world sound that could appeal to the greatest number of people". With a verse in English, Creole and French, she is openly targeting an international market, but the music video directed by Cigey Design and released online in December 2018 anchors this atmosphere of freedom and the desire to dance in a Guadeloupean setting.

Fun but authentic Guadeloupe

Just like Rachelle Allison's "Caribbean" music video shot in Martinique (?), the “Work It” music video promotes a shared visual identity in the Caribbean. I may question the representation of Guadeloupe as a "bright-multicolored paradise", but I enjoy looking at any image presenting this aspect while keeping the local point of view. In the "Work It" music video, we do not just see the postcard-like Guadeloupe that tourists are looking for. We see Guadeloupe as a place where people live, as a space where people can feel good. Whether it's the dancers on the pier or on the Grande Anse beach, whether it's FLO strolling through the streets of Deshaies with her friends, the music video shows us natural and urban scenery without falling into the heaven-like representation or falling into documenting the harsh living conditions. Simplicity but authenticity like their outfits matching the colors of the sets sum up the beauty of this visual that captures the timeless aspect that the Caribbean can have.

Dancing Guadeloupe

I've been a dance fan since I was very young. I loved learning choreographies of American singers. I never had the flexibility to acquire a a dancehall queen beginner's level, but I diligently learned how to "signal di plane", "run da boat" and "willie bounce" along new trends from Jamaica up until 2005. Rare were the Guadeloupean music videos allowing me to express this passion for dance at that time. Watching "Work It" for the first time, I had flashbacks of "Ma Ferrari" by Nèg a Sound which also gave me the impression of encouraging us to have fun in a good vibes atmosphere. The dancers of the Djòk company offer a representation of Guadeloupean youth in its diversity and I still find myself sometimes imagining taking up the choreography with them. Given the importance of choreography in k-pop marketing strategy, I’m not surprised that Sound Republic, the South Korean distribution company for the album, uploaded the dance version of the music video. Although the editing can be clearly seen in a few shots, the dancers live their choreography with a spontaneity and intensity that culminate in the beach sequence. Keeping this energy on uneven ground is worth to be mentionned. I hope to see more music videos with full choreography.

When I discovered FLO in 2018, I realized that my lack of interest in the Guadeloupean hip-hop/dancehall scene was partly due to the absence of women voices. Lulled by the hits of Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, Lil' Kim, Eve or Missy Elliott in the 90's/2000's, I didn't see any women as hip-hop singers that I could identify with in French media. That's not to say that they didn't exist, but the growth of the French music market was never in favor of artists like Lady Laistee or Casey. None of them have experienced the media craze generated by Diam's, who was THE female figure of French rap in the first decade of the 2000s. At a local level, female singers struggle to gain visibility if they don't sing zouk or Kreyol pop. Despite everything, Guadeloupean female rappers, each one with her own style, have been stepping into the spotlight in recent years. Future generations will certainly be able to build memories similar to mine, not just with foreign singers but mostly with Guadeloupean artists first.