Editorial: Back in the old city...
Posted September 13, 2005While we are still comparing notes about our various holiday adventures, the tan is slowly fading and the music, more concentrated at the summer festivals in the last two months, is reclaiming all its place in our lives. At those lovely French summer festivals, by the way, we saw a lot of the Rumanians of the Fanfare Ciocarlia, a lot also of beautiful Renata Rosa from Brasil and of the Warsaw Village Band- amongst others. It is heartening to see and read that most of those festivals have been very successful, increasing both the scope of their musical choices and their audiences – there must be a connection between the two…!
Now, with a great variety of releases under preparation or already on the way, the bustle is increasing daily:
We are just arriving at the starting blocks with Manuel Wandji, percussionist with origins in Cameroon and France, who has his latest album “Planet Groove” on release through independent distribution here at the end of the month of September. Other world music releases in September include the great groove of Bantu “Fuji Satisfaction” on Piranha/Nocturne, and the melancholy, dramatic and very melodic Boris Kovac from Pannonia with “World after History”. You work it out…
In the jazz context, Brad Mehldau album “Day is done” (Nonesuch Warner) and the Italian pianist Giovanni Mirabassi trio album “Prima o Poi” (Minium/Discograph) with trumpet player Flavio Boltro as guest are scheduled for the first half of October: we are very much looking forward to both of them. Brad Mehldau will tour with his new trio in October. Giovanni’s CD which carries a video of one of the brightest tracks on the album will also be on release in Japan, in November, with a tour of around 10 dates around that period, to be followed by European dates in 2006.
And then there is the elegant VINICIUS CANTUARIA, whose next album “Silva”, recorded in Brasil with a string ensemble called the Bessler Quartet, as well as with the trumpet of Michael Leonardt and two renowned Brasilian percussionists is due in October also, on Hannibal/Ryko/Naïve, with some European dates to follow. On the album, there are enticing collaborations to be discovered with Arto Lindsay, the Japanese JUN MIYAKE and Beatriz Azevedo, the Brasilian poetess and songstress.
And on the electronic/rock/post rock front, there are two very interesting releases in the offing: the French duo Man with their third release, “HELPING HAND” on Subrosa, in October, too, with a series of French dates together with the adventurous German electronic rock band Tarwater; and Frenchman from Wales John Greaves in collaboration with two French rock and electronic artists, to be released under the name Maman, which will be out on French independent Ici d’Ailleurs. Both should be well received, particularly in the context of synchronisation. Greaves’ most recent CD appearances, by the way, were with young French saxophonist Julien Lourau (Label Bleu), as a guest vocalist and author. And he has a great new solo project on the boiler – but then he always does !
Blues rock great Popa Chubby has recorded his album due for release beginning of 2006 – so now he will be touring all across Europe and then in the US, just about until the end of the year.
For young Tom Vek from the UK, who is conquering Europe with his garage rock, two dates are announced in France at the end of September and beginning of October.
The brilliant New Yorkers the KLEZMATICS are at last back with a proper tour of France rather than one offs: 10 dates in October.
And the reggae men of GROUNDATION, a band based on the West Coast of America that has already graced us with a number of French dates before the summer, are coming back for an extensive tour in the autumn. There is obviously a great demand here in France, a country that loves reggae, for all of their CDs, which are licensed to Nocturne.
For all tour information, please take a look at the appropriate section on the Métisse Music website.
Last not least, we are preparing for WOMEX, the world music convention, this time in the North of England, in Newcastle, where we hope to meet a number of close partners and make great musical discoveries.