What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time, Gasman Pierre more commonly known as “Gazzman Couleur” was the charismatic Lead Singer of the popular Miami based band Nu Look.
Now, Gazzman, is the leader of his own band, DiSip and has just released a new CD, Mission.
The band released their first single entitled “Pa Kondanenm” in March 2010, a song addressing his departure from Nu Look. The song received lukewarm reviews but that did not deter the devoted fans of Gazzman Couleur to proclaim him the new King of the Court. Undoubtedly, the band created a lot of buzz leading up to their grand premiere, without an album and just one song. Even then, as if by sheer force of will, the band still managed to bring out an estimated 3,000 curious spectators and fans. Many observers believed that such numbers were not sustainable in the current economic climate and predicted that the dust created by the Gasman Hype Machine would settle and the curiosity would diminish, bringing down future attendance numbers to more realistic levels.
From their debut on Easter Weekend, the band continued to perform non-stop every weekend with one of their best performances taking place at KREYOLFEST 2010, when Gazzman Couleur came out of the crowd, walking toward the stage singing “Legacy”, a moderate hit with music written by Arly Lariviere, and lyrics by Gasman Pierre. That song remains Gasman’s most successful contribution to any Nu Look Album.That performance earned Gazzman Couleur many new converts and solidified the faith of his disciples in the New York area.
In August came rumors quickly confirmed that the band diSip de Gazzman Couleur’s upcoming Debut CD had been leaked. The Announcement came right before the group embarked on a 30 day-tour in Haiti. In order to combat the bootleggers, management later stated, the band had to rush the release of their album with no promotion, while they were on tour in Haiti. The tour was a complete success. However, one question still lingers: Can diSip de Gazzman Couleur deliver a good album containing at least one, preferably several hit songs without the help of the singer’s former band, and especially the touch of Arly Lariviere, Nu Look’s maestro.
If you’ve heard the song “Pa Kondane m”, then the rest of the album offers no great surprises. The opener “Mission “(a fitting title track for the album) picks up right where the previously released “Pa Kondane m” left off. It is just a personal testament from the artists about his experience in the business and why through it all he remains standing, a message you’ll hear throughout the entirety of the album, which at a point begins to sound a little redundant.
The second track Bope Pa Papa, a mid tempo love song, is a little out of Gazzman’s element but he delivered nonetheless. One of the problems Gazzman has always had in the past was delivering love songs that sound sincere and heartfelt. But he piled on the emotions in the one.
Ban’m Gaz is definitely going to be popular amongst the die hard diSip fans and while it may not become a hit, it makes for a good slogan, one thing Couleur is well known for.
My Angel switched toward the Bolero genre. The song is a really nice duet with a female artist by the name Rose Herby. This song will be greatly appreciated by the older generation ranging in age from 30 and up.
Gazzman’s past successful collaborations include; Ou Sé (with Richie of Zenglen), Sexy Love (Djaz la 5 with Shedly), Young Blood, Ti Clé, and Legacy, all with Nu Look. Judging from this new Mission, there may not be any new addition to that list.
However there are a few memorable tunes on the album that I wouldn’t count out just yet. The live circuit is known to turn some studio misses into popular songs and even moderate hits. Avè’w M’ap Maché, and Anti-Stress seem to fit that category. The good news for diSip is even if this album doesn’t produce any major hits, the band will still be alright.
Gazzman has formed an alliance with the public, which loves him for not just for his voice and charisma but also for the warmth and appreciation he shows them every time he performs. As long as he keeps on singing, there is doubt that they care what he sings or sings about.
On a scale of 1 to 10 Mission receives a 7.
Cheyna Pierre © 2011
