"Caribbean Blue" is a song by Irish musician

Enya Enya Patricia Brennan (; ga, Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin; born 17 May 1961), known professionally by the mononym Enya, is an Irish singer, songwriter, and musician known for modern Celtic music. She is the best-selling Irish solo arti ...

, included as the second track on her third studio album, ''

Shepherd Moons ''Shepherd Moons'' is the third studio album by Irish singer, songwriter and musician Enya, released on 4 November 1991 by WEA. After the unexpected critical and commercial success of her previous album ''Watermark'' (1988), Enya embarked on a ...

'' (1991). It follows a waltz time signature, and mentions the Anemoi (Ancient Greek wind gods): Boreas,

Afer Ventus In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, myth, the Anemoi (Greek language, Greek: , 'Winds') were wind gods who were each ascribed a cardinal direction from which their respective winds came (see Classical compass winds), and were each as ...

(Africus),

Eurus In ancient Greek religion and myth, the Anemoi (Greek: , 'Winds') were wind gods who were each ascribed a cardinal direction from which their respective winds came (see Classical compass winds), and were each associated with various seasons an ...

, and

Zephyrus In ancient Greek religion and myth, the Anemoi (Greek: , 'Winds') were wind gods who were each ascribed a cardinal direction from which their respective winds came (see Classical compass winds), and were each associated with various seasons an ...

. The song was released as a single on 7 October 1991. "Caribbean Blue" reached number eight on the Irish Singles Chart and number 13 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. In the United States, it reached number 79 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number three on the ''Billboard'' Modern Rock Tracks chart; on the latter listing, it was the 12th-most-successful song of 1992. The music video for the song features visual imagery based on the paintings of

Maxfield Parrish Maxfield Parrish (July 25, 1870 – March 30, 1966) was an American painter and illustrator active in the first half of the 20th century. He is known for his distinctive saturated hues and idealized neo-classical imagery. His career spann ...

, and was an early appearance for British actress and singer

Martine McCutcheon Martine Kimberley Sherrie McCutcheon (formerly Ponting, born 14 May 1976) is an English actress and singer. She began appearing in television commercials at an early age and made her television debut in the children's television drama '' Bluebir ...

Critical reception

Ned Raggett from

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

noted that on the song, the

singer Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...

'avoids repeating the successful formula of "

Orinoco Flow "Orinoco Flow", also released as "Orinoco Flow (Sail Away)", is a song by Irish singer-songwriter Enya from her second studio album, ''Watermark'' (1988). It was released on 3 October 1988 by WEA Records in the United Kingdom and by Geffen Rec ...

" by means of its

waltz The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position. History There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the w ...

time—a subtle enough change, but one that colors and drives the overall composition and performance, the closest

might ever get to a dance number.' Larry Flick from '' Billboard'' described it as 'dreamy and evocative' and 'multilayered and intricate'. He noted further that 'rich tapestry of sound lulls the listener with the promise of complex musical textures. Enya's understated vocals swell into effective wavelike crescendos that ebb and flow with the picturesque melody.' David Browne from ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...

'' called it 'a breathy, upbeat waltz that personifies everything Enya'. Pan-European magazine '' Music & Media'' wrote that 'it is as dreamy as her

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicenten ...

global hit "Orinoco Flow", but more dressed with instruments'. A reviewer from ''

People Magazine ''People'' is an American weekly magazine that specializes in celebrity news and human-interest stories. It is published by Dotdash Meredith, a subsidiary of IAC. With a readership of 46.6 million adults in 2009, ''People'' had the lar ...

'' stated that 'the Irish singer's angelic vocals lift this elegant and avant-garde waltz heavenward'.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1991 singles 1991 songs Enya songs Songs with lyrics by Roma Ryan Songs with music by Enya Warner Music Group singles