As the year wound down, I found myself thinking a lot about my favorite albums of 2009. They’re not falling into an easy categorization but there is a thread that ties them together. They all are based on crossings of musical boundaries. My runaway favorite album of 2009 is Omar Sosa’s Across the Great Divide, a brilliant jazz album that does the usually impossible: tells an engaging story, melds music and spoken voice, and makes a profound musical statement without losing the listener. A wonderful album that ignores boundaries of musical genre as it traverses the Black Atlantic, incorporating a diverse range of musical influences (including the incredible “Northern Roots” singer Tim Eriksen), to capture the musical and spiritual profundity of the Middle Passage. The other album that keeps finding its way to my digital turntable is the debut release of Warsaw Village Band. Brilliantly executed Polish music that crosses musical borders—check out the wonderfully funky “Skip Funk” and “Polska Fran Polska,” an inspired meeting of Swedish and Polish dance musics—but always remains rooted in Warsaw. It has a sense of travel, meeting, and exchange but it’s always rooted in a sense of place, a sense of home. That sense of musical travel, meeting and interchange is what is drawing me to cds this year. Last year’s Snakeskin Violin by Markus James was another effort that worked for me but there are all the misses, mostly World Music endeavors that perpetuate the worst of the North–South colonial heritage under the auspices of intercultural understanding. It’s the forefronting of the “Western” artist or musical reference and a certain rhetorical smugness that stands out. But all of this is just preamble to an album I don’t know what to do with. I should hate it. It’s rootless, “multi-cultural” music produced by “musical nomads.” On the surface, it’s all too precious but it’s got something and, sometimes, it’s got a lot.  (to read more click: Deciphering Watcha Clan: Interview with Jeffrey Callen).

Watcha Clan

A recent conversation with “Northern Roots” singer Tim Eriksen set me to thinking about the strategic nature of genre identification. Eriksen is an exception in that he has created his own genre label to identify his quirky mix of  American “roots” material. For him it’s hopefullly a way-station on the way to defining his work as simply his own — in the way that a Bob Dylan album is always first of all a Bob Dylan album. Still, for most artists, genre identification is a necessary exercise in balancing self-identification (comfort with a label) with industry categorization (so interested listeners can find you). You got to play the game if you want to get heard.

Nowhere is the conundrum of genre more tangled than in the so-called World Music realm where issues of marketing and how to sell to the Western consumer take precedence. Although, aesthetics and some power dynamics have shifted in the almost three decades since World Music emerged as a marketing term. The following observations still seem pertinent.

World Music “fusions” are often little more than marketable forms of aural tourism in which exotic locales are tamed and made approachable for Western consumers. This use of “fusion” reflects the overwhelming preoccupation in Western discourse with “difference” in which interactions with non-Western cultures are presumed to be infrequent and of minor importance. While this orientation has come under intensive critique during the last several decades, it still exerts an intense pressure upon the Western mindset (see for example the writings on this by James Clifford and Arjun Appadurai) — plagiarizing myself from my dissertation French Fries in the Tagine (2006).

World music means music of the poor…. You get music from the poor and try to get the rich to listen to it… It’s like a big European producer coming in and saying “This is a good sound but you know it’s not well-exploited. We are going to do something better with that” (Interview of Reda Allali of Hoba Hoba Spirit, 2002).

Allali, of the Moroccan band Hoba Hoba Spirit, was stating a sentiment I heard repeatedly from African musicians, including Moroccan rapper Don Bigg and Malian bandleader Cheikh Tidiane Seck (for Salif Keita and Oumou Sangare). World Music is not a category meant for them and it doesn’t satisfy them, artistically or financially. It’s a matter of who has the control, musically and financially. But what about the opening up that can occur with crossing cultural and musical boundaries. That is the primary emphasis of Western artists who make the journey across musical boundaries between North & South, Western & Non-Western. I must admit that I disregarded the sincerity of that sentiment in forming my opinion of the World Music phenomenon. A recent interview of French World ‘n’ Bass ensemble Watcha Clan set me to reconsidering my opinions. For me, it’s still in process. Below are extracts from some of the source material I’m considering: the interview with Watcha Clan (available in full at Afropop.org) and a piece I wrote on Moroccan musicians and their positionings regarding the World Music label a few years ago (available here).

Watcha Clan

…but there are all the misses, mostly World Music endeavors that perpetuate the worst of the North–South colonial heritage under the auspices of intercultural understanding. It’s the forefronting of the “Western” artist or musical reference and a certain rhetorical smugness that stands out. But all of this is just preamble to an album I don’t know what to do with. I should hate it. It’s rootless, “multi-cultural” music produced by “musical nomads.” On the surface, it’s all too precious but it’s got something and, sometimes, it’s got a lot. (to read more click: Deciphering Watcha Clan: Interview with Jeffrey Callen).

Hoba Hoba Spirit

The songs of Hoba Hoba Spirit fuse rock ‘n’ roll, reggae, and punk with cha’abi and gnawa. The members of Hoba Hoba Spirit were among the numerous musicians I met last year in Morocco who are creating music that transcends the narrow constraints imposed by the Moroccan music industry and media. Many of these musicians are making music that blends Moroccan traditions with musical styles from around the world. They feel this is simply a reflection of their lives which are both rooted in Moroccan tradition and enmeshed in webs of connection that make rock ‘n’ roll, hip-hop, reggae and salsa as much a part of their world as cha’abi, melhoun and gnawa.  Like numerous other musicians from the global South, they are  not interested in creating raw material for American or European artists or acting as exotic aural scenery for the Western market. (to read more click: Don’t Call it World Music).

Once again, Chicago is showing itself to be a culture lover’s paradise: This week, Chi-town is offering up free world music, fireworks, ballet and nature programs to one and all. There are activities for every age and interest – at the best price point – in this great city.

Sunday, September 13

Nurture the Druid in you at the Celtic Fest Chicago. Festivities run from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Grant Park and include a little something for everyone! There will be a Men in Kilts Leg Contest, fantastic music, dancing lessons, a play area for the young among us, Scottish athletic competition and much more.

Monday, September 14

The weather is perfect for a long walk and a picnic, and the Chicago Botanic Gardens are the perfect locale! Stroll through 23 gardens from 8 a.m. to sunset, and while there, pick up some tips on gardening in Illinois. If you really want to commune with nature, check out the low-cost yoga and tai chi classes offered!

Tuesday, September 15

After a long day at the office, some soulful grooves are always in order. Fortunately, the MCA’s Tuesdays on Terrace has got you covered: This Tuesday, the Corey Wilkes Quintet will enchant the Terrace with their unique blend of funk, groove and jazz. The concert begins at 5:30 p.m. and runs until 8 p.m.

Wednesday, September 16

What could be better than an evening of toddlers, tunes and turtles? Bring your lil’ ones to Humboldt Park for fun with musicians from the Old Town School of Folk Music. From 5-6:30 p.m., there will be marshmallow roasting, nature activities and lots of four legged friends.

Thursday, September 17

Would you care for a little grace and beauty to complement your cultural calendar? Look no further than Millenium Park where the world famous Joffrey Ballet will be offering a free performance! Watch in wonder as the dancers wow you with Joffrey Co-Founder Gerald Arpino’s Confetti, Valses Poeticos choreographed by Helgi Tomasson, Edwaard Liang’s Age of Innocence, and Aria by Val Caniparoli. The performance begins at 6:30 p.m.

Friday, September 18

There are all kinds of good times going on at Navy Pier this weekend. After dinner, make your way to Festival Hall for SOFA Chicago 2009, the Sculpture Objects and Functional Art fair, which has expanded this year to include installations by individual artists. Then, Japan’s pai no pai and the Watcha Clan will be rockin’ the World Music Festival from 7 p.m. – 11 p.m. As if that weren’t enough, fireworks will fill your time between the shows.

Saturday, September 19

Chicago may be a large city, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still have a traditional county fair! Make tracks to the Garfield Park Conservatory for the 9th Annual County Fair, which begins at 11 a.m. There will be all sorts of hoe-down happiness, including pony rides, a petting zoo, food vendors and composting demonstrations.

- Shannon Sankstone

Click here to read more posts from Shannon.

nortec collective

Sarà un affascinante percorso nell’Irpinia dei paesi e dei sapori ad aprire la terza giornata del XIV Ariano Folkfestival. Alle 9, infatti, parte da Piazza Plebiscito la seconda tappa del Folkintour, la più importante delle tante iniziative collaterali create dall’AFF per intrattenere i tanti turisti che scelgono il Tricolle per immergersi nella world music e conoscere l’Irpinia. Spazio anche all’arte con Folkart che, alle 11, realizzerà un happening di street art per dare un tocco di colore ed allegria a qualche muro di cemento del centro storico di Ariano e far esplodere la creatività dei giovani artisti che già nelle scorse edizioni dell’AFF si sono fatti notare per l’originalità e la qualità delle opere esposte. Per questa edizione, però, Folkart propone anche qualcosa di totalmente innovativo, fino al 23 agosto infatti sarà “Color street Plague! Graffiti session + non artisti”. «Per tutta la durata del Festival – spiega Dimitri Grassi dell’Associazione Red Sox e curatore con Igor Grassi della comunicazione dell’evento – Ariano sarà invasa dal colore, protagonisti i giovani artisti che con spray, stencil, sticker art, proiezioni video, sculture e installazioni tenteranno di dar vita ad una galleria a cielo aperto, un’ occasione per rilanciare un modello di fruibilità e interattività degli spazi pubblici». Ariano quindi, cittadina dell’entroterra campana che dorme sui tre colli, durante l’Aff si sveglia, cambia volto, diventa luogo di incontro, di scambio, di crescita. «Gli artisti che parteciperanno – aggiunge il “web artist” di IKN Studio e dell’AFF Igor Grassi – avranno il compito di immortalare le sensazioni e le emozioni che questa manifestazione provoca, “appestando” (“plague” vuol dire infatti pestilenza) con il colore tutta la città. Il dinamismo del colore come contrapposizione alla staticità delle nostre mura! Vogliamo che lo spirito dell’Aff ci infetti e che la nostra ”Peste”, sia chiara e visibile a tutti, anche per il resto dell’anno». Come sottolineato dalle due pittrici arianesi Maria Teresa De Gruttola e Valentina Pietrolà: «Le città sono un insieme di tante cose: di memoria, di desideri, di segni di un linguaggio, sono luoghi di scambio, di pensieri, di ricordi e progetti. Anche noi vogliamo scambiare la nostra anima pulsante con la struttura immobile della nostra città». Dopo l’arte alle ore 16 è la volta del cinema che, nel cineforum Cinezone presso l’Auditorium Comunale, trova lo spazio per la proiezione della pellicola “Rata Nece Biti!” e l’incontro con le scrittrici Elvira Mujcic e Edvige Ricci. Dalle 16 alle 18 è Circuszone nella Villa Comunale per insegnare, in collaborazione con l’associazione Castellarte, la magia educativa del crico a bambini e non. «Da circa tre anni – spiega la presidente di Castellarte Maria Pia Di Nardo – è nato un bellissimo rapporto di amicizia tra i nostri due festival, diversi per genere prescelto ma vicini nello spirito. Tolleranza per il “diverso”, apertura alle realtà di un mondo che cambia, stupore per la capacità dell’arte di essere linguaggio comune che unisce ed, last but not least, un amore per il territorio che ci spinge ad un grandissimo lavoro finalizzato allo sviluppo turistico, sono caratteristiche comuni che ci hanno avvicinato e che ci avvicineranno anche in futuro». Dopo il reading poetico con Mariangela Gualtieri è finalmente la volta della musica con Massimo La Porta al Boschetto Pasteni e, alle 22, l’atteso appuntamento con Watcha Clan, Nortec Collective: Bostich + Fussible e Penny Metal e finale a Camporeale con il dj set di Sonazone con Banned_Rec e A.V. Project. «Watcha Clan – spiega il direttore artistico Francesco Fodarella – arrivano dalla Francia, il loro è il “vento caldo” che sta infiammando l’Europa e che ti conduce in un viaggio dai dancefloor londinesi alle feste mediterranee, dalle montagne balcaniche alle spiagge del Maghreb, dalla ricerca delle proprie radici alla ribellione. Nord e sud, arabi ed ebrei si riuniscono dando vita alle sonorità che li caratterizzano, un’incontrollabile tempesta di sabbia che spazza via strutture e pregiudizi. La loro musica apre gli occhi a chi ancora non si è accorto dei popoli senza voce che vivono tra noi. Il sound dei Watcha Clan è una spassosa, gigante miscela di elettronica, musica gipsy, chaabi, dub, Francia ed Algeria, un groove di grande vitalità ed energia perfetto per ballare e per riscaldare l’ambiente».

L’altro colpo gobbo messo a segno dall’AFF quest’anno è rappresentato dai messicani Nortec Collective: Bostich + Fussible.
«Dimenticatevi quello che sapete di Tijuana, Messico – dice il responsabile p.r. dell’AFF Gianfranco Cardinale – il cliché fatto di prostitute, narcotrafficanti e peep show, di paura e pericolo. Il Nortec Collective di Tijuana ed Ensenada è formato da musicisti, designers, architetti, film makers, artisti visuali e disegnatori di moda. La loro Tijuana è una metropoli di frontiera di circa 2 milioni di persone, dove culture, soldi, linguaggi, stili e suoni si scontrano e si contaminano».
Il Nortec Collective, infatti, è nato ufficialmente nel 1999, quando Pepe Mogt dei Fussible ha cominciato a campionare e stravolgere i suoni delle vecchie bande di fiati del catalogo Norteño records (musica tradizionale messicana). Nortec è un neologismo creato da questi musicisti per indicare la Norteño-techno, è la convergenza musicale tra high e low-tech, Nord e Sud, che mescola musiche tradizionali Northwestern come la ranchera, le bande sinaloense ad altre atmosfere folkloristiche.
A chiudere le danze sul Folkstage il dj set dell’inglese Penny Metal una dj straordinaria che riesce a scaldare gli animi e a portare in giro per il mondo il vero divertimento, quello più sano ed eclettico. Ha uno stile unico ed inimitabile che non si limita al suo amore per la tradizione russa e per l’est Europa. Il suo suono è un mix eclettico e irresistibile. Il suo suono è un mix di horas, polka, sirtaki, kolos, tarantella, klezmer, ska russo e pop ukraino.

Lo scorso anno una macchia gialla ballava senza interruzione. Erano le t-shirt (ticketshirt) indossate dagli spettatori. Quest’anno si ripeterà la splendida idea di sostituire il biglietto d’ingresso con una maglietta (solo per la serata del 23 a 15 euro, le prime cinque sono invece gratuite).

Premessa necessaria per far capire l’originalità di un festival che va avanti da da 14 edizioni ed è diventato un punto di riferimento per gli amanti della world e folk music. Dal 18 al 23 agosto Ariano Irpino sarà invasa pacificamente dalla marea di campeggianti, amanti della musica, curiosi, girovaghi, che assisteranno a sei giorni di musica, cinema, turismo rurale e tanto altro.

Come rendono noto gli organizzatori: “Con un minuzioso lavoro di ricerca le Associazioni Ariano Folkfestival e Red Sox, continuano a dare rilievo internazionale alla rassegna, con nomi come Istitudo Mexicano del Sonido, Watcha Clan, Caravan Palace, Shazalakazoo, Deolinda, Caravan Passe, Enzo Del Re e Vinicio Capossela, con il gradito ritorno di Dj Shantel e di Lord Sassafras e tanti altri. Storie, geografie, uomini e donne che rendono il pianeta meno rumoroso! “

L’epicentro è il folkstage, sistemato in Piazza Piano Della Croce, dove si potrà viaggiare virtualmente: “ i Balcani elettronici di Dj Shantel, il fado dei Deolinda, i suoni tzigani- rock dei Caravan Passe, le follie balkan di Robert Soko, una gigante miscela di elettronica, musica gypsy, chaabi, dub dei Watcha Clan, il dj-set glocal di Penny Metal, il Messico come non lo avete mai ascoltato dei Nortec Colletive, il GypsyJazz di Dario Pinelli, la Serbia eclettica dei Shazalakazoo, l’electro-swing dei Caravan Palace, il Mediterraneo di Enrico Capuano con Zulù e il “disimpegno folkloristico” dell’Instituto Mexicano del Sonido. L’ultima sera sarà un evento nell’evento, perchè sul palco ci saranno un monumento civile come Enzo Del Re con Vinicio Capossela e la Banda della Posta, che promettono qualcosa di inedito e prezioso. In chiusura la solar world music con il dj set di Lord Sassafras“.

Nortec Collective

E poi numerose attività collaterali: l’ormai rodato “volkscamp”, campeggio gratuito, la distribuzione del Folkbullettino, il cineforum Cinezone, la dancefloor post-concerti Sona!Zone (20, 21 e 22 agosto), l’esposizione di opere d’arte Folkart e la gita turistica Folkintour quest’anno è previsto anche lo spazio teatro, lo spazio poesia e l’area circense Circuszone.

Multiculturalità, impegno sociale, divertimento, creatività e tanta musica. Questi gli ingredienti dell’AFF. Ecco il programma completo. L’ingresso è gratuito, tranne la serata del 23 che costa 15 euro acquistano la ticketshirt.

Dj Shantel
(Germania; esibizione in Piazzetta S. Stefano)

Mercoledì 19 Agosto:

Deolinda (Portogallo; esibizione all’Auditorium Comunale)
Caravan Passe (Francia)
Robert Soko & Tagada Set (Germania/Francia)

Giovedì 20 Agosto:

Watcha Clan (Francia)
Nortec Collective present:
Bostich & Fussible(Messico)
Penny Metal (Inghilterra)

Venerdì 21 Agosto:

Dario Pinelli Italian Trio (Italia)
Caravan Palace (Francia)
Shazalakazoo (Serbia)

Sabato 22 Agosto:

Enrico Capuano & Zulù (Italia)
Lou Dalfin (Italia)
Instituto Mexicano del Sonido (Messico)

Domenica 23 Agosto:

Enzo Del Re (Italia)
Vinicio Capossela & Banda della Posta (Italia)
Lord Sassafras (Spagna)

Per info: AFF

Dopo i primi due nomi ufficiali, ecco il terzo tassello per la XIV edizione dell’Ariano Folk Festival in programma dal 18 al 23 agosto 2009 ad Ariano Irpino. Si aggiungono i francesi Watcha Clan, dopo l’annuncio dei conterranei La Caravane Palace ed i messicani Nortec Collective.

I marsigliesi Watcha Clan, autori di un godibile electro-world, si esibiranno il 20 agosto. Per ora questa è l’unica data italiana: la band ha pubblicato lo scorso anno l’album Diaspora Hi-Fi.

Si inizia a delineare così il cartellone di uno dei principali festival etno-folk dell’intera Europa. Negli scorsi anni ci hanno regalato artisti come Gogol Bordello e Ojos De Brujo, e per questa XIV edizione, ci sembra che non si scenderà di livello.

Previsti anche per quest’anno il folkstage (palco principale), volkscamp (area camping), cinezone, sonazone (per la notte musicale) ed il folkintour (turismo rurale), per una maggiore valorizzazione di una terra splendida ma spesso dimenticata.

LF

il sito dell’AFF

WatchaClan

6th Annual globalFEST – 12 artists from around the world

Sunday, January 11, 2009  7:00 PM
Webster Hall
125 E. 11th Street (between 3rd and 4th Aves)
212-545-7536
$40; $35 World Music Institute Friends

A world music extravaganza featuring 12 acts from around the world on three stages: Calypso Rose, the legendary Queen of Calypso; Brooklyn’s own psychedelic surf cumbia band Chicha Libre; New Orleans’ funky Hot 8 Brass Band; Bollywood’s Sufi pop idol Kailash Kher’s Kailasa; Barcelona’s rumba catalana mestizos La Troba Kung-Fu; swinging French chanson band L Brazil’s samba soul innovator Marcio Local; Chicago’s Occidental Brothers Dance Band International (highlife/rumba); southern Iranian trance music and dance master Shanbehzadeh; Canadian Inuit vocal experimentalist Tanya Taqag; France’s electric Mediterranean dance band Watcha Clan.

(Update, January 7: Brooklyn Qawwali Party will be performing in the place of Femi Kuti who had to cancel his appearance due to illness.)

Co-presented with the Public Theater & Acidophilus: Live and Active Cultures  in association with The Bowery Presents.

Support has been provided by The Cultural Services of the French Embassy with additional support from the French Music Export Office.

WNYC Radio and NPR Music will present a live webcast of globalFEST on WNYC.org. Hosts David Garland, Banning Eyre, and Rob Weisberg will report from the three stages, providing insights and commentary. Log on early to catch a pre-show behind-the-scenes special at 6:00 p.m. Eastern time at http://www.wnyc.org/music/articles/118424.

For further information visit www.globalfest-ny.org

Submitted by World Music Institute

Chronique publiée sur le webzine “The French Touch”.

Déjà auteur de 2 albums studio et d’un live, Watcha Clan revient avec ce nouvel opus intitulé “Diaspora Hi-Fi (A Mediterranean Caravan)”. A peine le temps de se poser dans des locaux d’enregistrement, les Watcha Clan sont déjà retournés à leur passe temps favori : la scène. En véritables obsédés des prestations lives, ces globe-trotters du son dévorent avec un réel plaisir les concerts et festivals avec comme maxime, en ligne de mire, “Libres, nomades et engagés”.

Cette sensation et envie de liberté se ressentent instantanément à l’écoute de cet album. En guise d’ouverture, ‘Les hommes libres’ samplant la voix du naturaliste et savant Théodore Monod (“Pour les ministères, pour les bureaux, un homme libre c’est inacceptable…”) est un véritable plaidoyer et hymne electro pour le respect de toutes sortes de gens du voyage en quête d’espace et de liberté. Entre samples, véritable assemblage de diverses influences musicales – hip-hop, reggae, ska, musiques traditionnelles du Maghreb – et rythmes jungle, la chanteuse Sister Ka s’insinue dans ce melting pot musical et dévoile son envie de liberté en différentes langues (français, arabe, hébreu, anglais), marquant un peu plus cet esprit sans frontières.

A l’image des chansons ‘Balkan qoulou’, ‘I mean diaspora’,‘Oued el chouli’, il est assez difficile de se fixer sur un morceau en particulier tant l’album ressemble à un bloc. Non pas un bloc inaudible, bien au contraire. Mais plus comme un ensemble indissociable (dans lequel chaque membre du groupe et invités sont les stèles) où chaque piste semble être une clé permettant, un petit peu plus à chaque fois, d’accéder, du moins de s’en approcher, à un sentiment réel de liberté.

Bref, face à cette ethnie de la mélodie percutante, il est impossible de rester inerte, inimaginable de ne pas avoir envie de goûter à toutes ces saveurs musicales… Et quoiqu’en aboient “les chiens” de Théodore Monod (entendez par là “ses détracteurs”), la caravane méditerranéenne n’en finit pas de passer.

____________________

EDITION :
2008 – Piranha, CD-PIR2230 (1 CD)

TRACKLIST : 15 titres – 65:35 min
01/ Les hommes libres
02/ Goumari
03/ Ch’ilet la’yani
04/ Balkan qoulou
05/ Tchiribim
06/ Marashtein
07/ I mean diaspora
08/ Call of hagar
09/ Les courbes de ton corps
10/ Gypsy sugar (Warhan warhan)
11/ Eli
12/ Travellin’shoes
13/ La patera
14/ Lei le ha
15/ Oued el chouli

STYLE MUSICAL :
Electro / world music

CREDITS ALBUM :
Watcha Clan = Sister Ka, Clem, Matt & Soupa Ju.

OBSERVATION(S) :
L’album comprend le clip vidéo live de “Eli”, ainsi que les traductions et explications des paroles.

____________________

By Derek Beres

There comes that moment when you realize why you do what you do. As a music journalist, it often happens at a live show. Unsuspecting, you’re standing in the crowd, enjoying, perhaps dancing, perhaps relaxing, and suddenly you’re pulled into the vortex, the “sacred space” that solders the connection between sound and human, that the musicians create and invite you to step inside of. Some call it trance, hypnosis, divine; it is the reason they play, the reason we go, the reason that doesn’t need reason.

After an overnight flight (delayed four hours on the runway) and a full day canvassing the streets of Paris, we were exhausted walking into the basement of La Maroquinerie. I had just interviewed Les Primitifs du Futur co-founder Dominique Cravic at his studio, nearly passing out in the 18 Euro cab to the club. I was pleasantly surprised to see the supporting band on the ticket stub—Londoners Transglobal Underground. We grab inexpensive wine (which my friend Jason assures me is better than a lot of expensive wine in the States) in plastic cups and head inside. The room is no larger than the Bowery Ballroom, but it is packed, throbbing, the sound equivalent or better.

Transglobal sounded good, which I expected. Their records have always been hit or miss, usually a bit of both on each. Songs like “The Sikh Man and the Rasta” and “Stoyane/Male-Le” stayed on constant rotation in my iPod for months, while a lot of their latest, Impossible Broadcasting, was forgettable. The banging dhol, the pulsing bass, the British patois—it certainly set the stage for what followed.

Before coming to Paris—a trip centered around the Les Printemps de Bourges festival—my friend Cecile at the French Music Export turned me onto Watcha Clan. I was excited to check them out live, via the strength of their MySpace page. They reminded me, in some way, of Ojos de Brujo. Little did I know how correct that assumption would be. Their show was much different in scope; Ojos travels with over a dozen people, while Watcha had three, and another rotating in on guitar and vocals. Musically they were also worlds apart, though fragments of flamenco did seep into Watcha’s set, and both use hip-hop as a foundation for part of their material.

Click here to read the full article on PopMatters

JUEVES 15 DE MAYO
EN SALAMANDRA 2
21:00 / 2:00
Con La Selva Sur y 2 Mini Dj’s