|
|
 |
CD Review
|
| Click Here to go back. |
Cranky Crow World Music, CD Review >>
Lo'Jo (France)
Ce Soir Là
World Village
France's Loire Valley is famous for two things, it's wine and it's melange musical group, Lo'Jo. Similar to wine, Lo'Jo also grows richer with age and in their case, experience coming in the form of adventures others just dream about. Back in the 1980's when a do-it-yourself music scene was brewing in the Pacific Northwest U.S. and western Canada (Vancouver, to be exact), Lo'Jo was also defying the usual music industry standards and could even be called a French cousin to the DIY musicians in North America. While we were wallowing in grunge, gothic and art rock in the Pacific Northwest, Lo'Jo was a band of street musicians and circus performers echoing the sentiments of Federico Fellini and Tom Waits. While Fellini only fabricated circus motifs in Italian cinema, Lo'Jo was traveling and performing with circuses. Eventually and after many permutations, Lo'Jo solidified into a sextet. You'll still hear echoes of the circus in the group's music, but also flavors from the French Caribbean, North Africa, Spain and French cabaret.
Lo'Jo is one of those groups that is hard to define. You will find the polyphonic rhythms and call & response vocals of African music, gorgeous harmonies, but also French chanson laced with accordion and odd instrumentation. You will find klezmer-gypsy violin and a wild tribal abandonment, almost shamanic at times, but not quite. While the mainstream music industry wouldn't be able to control or categorize Lo'Jo, they have garnered a faithful worldwide audience, nonetheless. How can anyone say no to this group's infectious enthusiasm and love for music? Like imaginative children, they play with music and they take that serious edge off of music allowing other musicians and non-musicians direct access to music's transcendental energies.
Residing in a commune near Anger, France, the members of Lo'Jo which include, founders Denis Pèan (vocals, harmonium, piano, melodica) and Richard Bourreau (violin, imzad, kora) along with, sisters Yamina Nid El Mourid and Nadia Nid El Mourid (vocals, percussion, saxophone), drummer Mathieu Rousseau and bassist Kham, have toured to various corners of the world. They have recorded four full-length studio recordings, helped to produce a music festival in the Sahara Desert of northern Mali and most recently, their first live CD, Ce Soir Là has been released in North America. Hopefully, they pen a book about their travels and encounters with musicians and others from varying cultures because even though their music chronicles their nomadic adventures, you know there are still some intriguing tales leftover and bursting at the seams to be delivered to the right audience.
In the meantime, Ce Soir Là presents a collection of songs, recorded live during Lo'Jo's 2003 tour of France. While it is a formidable task to distill 20 plus years of music into 17 tracks, I feel that the tracks that appear on this live recording well represent Lo'Jo. Spanning four CDs, (Fils de Zamal, Mojo Radio, Boheme de Cristal and Au Cabaret Sauvage) plus a couple of new songs, this CD is a wonderful introduction for new recruits or a collection for long-time fans of Lo'Jo. And true to their multimedia approach, a video featuring circus artists, Les Sèlène is also included. I am reluctant to choose favorite tracks, but few of the tracks, including, Señor Calice featuring the Gangbè Brass Band, Tangito featuring the circus acrobats and the primal Sin Acabar shouldn't be missed. In fact, the experience that this CD creates shouldn't be missed. Pick this one up and take a ride on the wild side. World Village Also see Braying Camels and Freewheeling Musicians, A Conversation with Denis Pèan and review of Au Cabaret Sauvage.
-- Patty-Lynne Herlevi 11/08/04 >> go there
|
| Click Here to go back. |
|
 |
|
|
|
