IN THE MIX: A birthday feature celebrating August “Kid Creole” Darnell

Written by Vocalo Radio on August 13, 2019

This week we celebrated the 69th birthday of August ‘Kid Creole’ Darnell aka Dr. Buzzard.

The musician, singer and songwriter is best known for co-founding Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band, where he helped to pen the 1976 hit “Cherchez La Femme.” Some of you may be familiar with this jam because of Ghostface Killah. Check out the #1 Disco charting song here, with lead vocals by Cory Daye.

In 1979, Darnell left Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band. He joined the band Machine, and co-wrote their best known song “There But for the Grace of God Go I”

In 1981 August Darnell formed Kid Creole and the Coconuts. Its music incorporates a variety of styles and influences, in particular a mix of disco and Latin American, South American, Caribbean, Trinidadian, and Calloway styles. and conceptually inspired by the big band era. The Coconuts are a trio of female backing vocalists/dancers whose lineup has changed throughout the years.

Kid Creole & the Coconuts (USA), live in Forest National, Brussels, Belgium, 19831008 (August Darnell was 33 at the time)

We decided to show love to the funkiest zoot-suiter we know by curating some classics, reworks, and b-sides during a special broadcast we posted to our Mixcloud page.

Enjoy this great playlist along with commentary about Kid Creole’s career by Jesse De La Peña and special guest Ayana Contreras (Reclaimed Soul). Click on the link to listen