biography by Craig Harris
Formed in Haiti as Shleu-Shleu, Skah Shah was reorganized by vocalist Joe Ely "Cubano" Telfort after he moved to New York in the mid-'70s. Their approach to Haiti's compas and zouk traditions has been described by www.real.com as "easy rhythms (that) are inviting for dancers who are entertained by vaguely operatic vocals and seductive saxophones." Dividing their time between Central and North America during the 1970s, Shleu-Shleu survived a critical period after several members elected to remain in the United States. Recruited as a vocal replacement, Talford assumed the band's leadership shortly afterwards. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.