Emblematic and undisputed star of African reggae, Alpha Blondy love the Caribbean and the feeling is. If his last stay in Saint-Martin in 2007 for a concert at Sonesta really did not give him time to explore the island, shooting the video "Vuvuzela" led him to the best places: the Calmos Café, the Samanna, the Waikiki ...

On the beach Galion last Wednesday, Alpha Blondy turned the most important section of the clip. Dozens of extras recruited on the island, some initial mishaps when tide replaces turquoise water seagrass beds, mini fortune moving to find an idyllic landscape ... The shooting occurred and the artist once the feet in water, laughs while ultimately "everything is going." Kindness and simplicity characterize the charismatic singer who quietly cuddled her daughter on her plastic chair when he took the sun hiding behind the clouds. Because no sun, no shooting, obviously.

Bomba’s Productions and Sxm Prod

Many energy had to be mobilized to enable the filming of this clip is a real boon to the fame of St. Martin.

Sandra Zeitoun, manager of Bomba’s Productions, frequent the island with her husband Valéry Zeitoun for over 10 years. Their heart for our tropical landscapes so naturally transformed into production project and it is in a record time of 48 hours the clip of Alpha Blondy has been achieved.

Close collaboration is carried out with William Sxm Prod, general manager of the local shooting and must relay to complete all the administrative barriers. Shooting in Galion in particular could be done through the courtesy of the Natural Reserve of Saint Martin.

"Production in Saint-Martin is largely up other places where we worked, such as Brazil and Miami," says Sandra Zeitoun. "Alpha Blondy was in total confidence, this is an extremely deliberate artist and contact with our extras of Saint Martin was fabulous."

Bomba’s Productions continues filming clips for other artists this weekend: Daddy Killa and Typic Hall.

conversation with Alpha Blondy ...

SMW: Alpha, how do you live each stay in the Caribbean? What do you like and especially in St. Martin?

AB The West Indies is a bit like home. The climate, the people, the faces, miscegenation. I feel at home here. I even met on the island of French who had lived in Ivory Coast! Saint-Martin, it’s really for me the island vacation. I’m only here for a few days, it’s intense, but I do not really feel like working, everything was very fluid. Your island is fabulous and I loved the Calmos Café, there turned a skit of the clip. I also have lunch at Waikiki, very different but really nice.

SMW: In your new album, "Vision", the majority of titles are this time in French. Furthermore, you are doing almost no reference to events in the Ivory Coast, then we know you as a very committed artist. Can you explain these choices?

AB: It’s true that my other albums included more songs in English and in Dioula (editor’s note: African language). So I wanted to right a wrong and honor Francophone Africa. A kind of cultural revenge! In terms of the uncommitted aspect of "Vision": I did not feel locked into a label. But bred in the title ... "Cha Cha Cha CFA" is the small exception, I could not help myself (laughs).

SMW: If you had to choose a single title throughout your career, what would it be?

A.b: My songs are like my children. A father never prefer one child to another and my title is the same. I love them all because I have them all deeply ripened.

Alpha Blondy left Saint-Martin last Thursday to Spain where he gives two concerts this weekend. Next Tuesday, he will be in concert Place de La Bastille in Paris; there will be the Stade de France in June for the "African Night".

Interview by Delphine Gavach

They participated in the shooting ...

Assalaï, figuration

"Nancy choreographer of the clip is a longtime friend. When she arrived on the island with the production, I said this to his call with great pleasure. It was fun and we were a beautiful representation of St. Martin, with a mix of colors and ages. I also handled the make up of Alpha, it is great fun. "

Bea figuration

"This is the first time I participated in a clip. I must say that this is a real life experience, because besides the choreography performed in Galion, I was also offered a small role that was shot at La Samanna. So I invested a little more than I had expected and I am really pleased. A remake! »

Nancy, choreographer

"I live and work in Paris, where I am an actress, dancer and choreographer. I work regularly with Bomba’s Productions. For the clip of Alpha Blondy, we looked for young people from 14 years since "Vuvuzela" is a message of prevention against AIDS. I also wanted a cosmopolitan representation, something that was easy to do in St. Maarten. I am pleasantly surprised by the seriousness and willingness of local extras, because it was not necessarily easy to dance in the water under the blazing sun for a whole afternoon. Congratulations to them! »