"Gainsbourg Percussions" is the sixth studio album by French musician, Serge Gainsbourg. It was released in the year 1964. This album is a unique music project in Gainsbourg's discography as it was heavily focused on Afro-Cuban rhythms, something fresh in comparison to his previous chanson and jazz style music.
The content of the album was inspired by Gainsbourg's trips to the tropics and was greatly influenced by Antillean and African artist traditions. Musically, "Gainsbourg Percussions" is a fusion of Latin jazz, Afrobeat, and pop music. In this experimental album, Serge Gainsbourg paraded his love for exoticism along with his infatuation with percussive, polyrhythmic beats.
Notably, three songs on the record, "Joanna", "New York USA", and "Couleur Cafe," are direct adaptations of songs by African legends Babatunde Olatunji, and Miriam Makeba, and Antillean band Les Leopards, respectively. However, it was controversial because Gainsbourg didn't officially credit these other artists on the album.
"New York USA", one of the album's top songs, is a tribute to the modernity and appeal of the city, while "Couleur Cafe" plays with sensual metaphors through the guise of colors and coffee. Despite the controversy surrounding it, "Gainsbourg Percussions" marked an important shift in Serge Gainsbourg's style bringing an innovative approach to pop music at the time. Today, it's considered a key album in his discography.
