ABSTRACT
A brief biographical sketch is necessary to situate Bernard Lavilliers in terms of his personal as well as his musical development. The lyrics of all the tracks show Lavilliers's keen awareness of the abject poverty, violence and oppression of many of the societies which produced their musical styles, which is more than one can say of many examples of 'World Music'. Lavilliers is one of the most impressive figures in the contemporary world of chanson, someone who in his best work has succeeded in creating his own style in both music and lyrics, as can be judged from his numerous concert albums. In the mid-1970s in France, reggae had become a very popular style, and Lavilliers's status as a rising star enabled him to persuade Eddie Barclay to allow him to record two tracks in Kingston, Jamaica, using local musicians: 'Stand the Ghetto' and '
