Tel Aviv rock with 17th century Yemeni poetry, it’s Yemen Blues and suburban surfers on a concrete wave, it’s Aälma Dili!
Our 1st guests in the #SessionLive are Yemen Blues for the album release Shabazi.
Let’s not go four ways. Yemen Blues is a phenomenon and it’s not normal that you haven’t heard of it before.
Founded in 2010 by the singer, multi-instrumentalist and performer Ravid Kahalani, born in 1978, originally from Yemen and sailing between Tel Aviv and Helsinki, it is through the telluric strength of their concerts that the group has been able, for more than ten years, to forge a solid reputation on the international scene, between States United States, Europe and Arab World. And whoever was able to experience these performances could not remain indifferent.
The recipe is simple. It draws its strength from the culture of Yemen, the crossroads of the Arab world, East Africa and Jewish cultures. Culture reconciling the learned and the popular and mystical experience. Connect these secular and essential trances with the most contemporary energies of Blues, made of Funk and Rock; have it played by extraordinary musicians. High energy and depth; freshness and mastery united in the world of Yemen Blues. It must be said that the leader Ravid Kahalani is a man of liaisons. Liaison between the culture of which it is the custodian and the culture club of which it is an integral part; connection between Arab and Jewish cultures; liaison between the eastern world and the western world; connection between his inner universe and the world around him.
As such, Ravid Kahalani has always known how to surround himself well and Yemen Blues is rich in collaborations. First with the composer and famous jack-of-all-trades Omer Avital, musical director of the eponymous debut album released in 2011. Then began a rich collaboration with bassist and oud player Shanir Blumenkranz, a key figure in the Tzadik Galaxy, he worked with John Zorn, but also with Yo-Yo Ma on the Silk Road project. Together they will release the album Insaniya in 2015, directed by the legendary Bill Laswellproducer of rock it by Herbie Hancock, George Clinton, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Sly & Robbie, Touré Kunda… Album which also contains a duet with Oxmo Puccino. For the scrapbook Shabazi, the mix was made by producer Tamir Muskat (co-founder of the Balkan Beat Box and producer of Asaf Avidan, Gogol Bordello, A-WA, Ester Rada…). A special project imagined by the group putting to 21st century music the most beautiful texts of the greatest Yemeni poet of the 17th century, Shalem Shabazi. A further reconciliation of the secular culture of the leader and his ability to project it in the trendy clubs of New York, Paris, Tangier & Tel-Aviv.
Titles performed at the big studio
-Eretz Veshamaim Live RFI from new album (Shabazi – A Tribute to the Poet)
– Im Nin’Alu – Ofra Haza, Excerpt
– Jat Mahibathi Live RFI (1er album Yemen Blues 2011) see the clip
– Insaniya Live RFI (album Insaniya 2015 produced by Bill Laswell).
Line Up : Ravid Kahalani (vocals and gumbri), Shanir Blumenkranz (bass and oud), Rony Iwryn (percussion), Dan Mayo (battery) + Laurence Haziza (translation).
Sound: Mathias Taylor, Benoît Letirant.
► Album Shabazi (Kalahani/Yemen Blues/Pias 2023).
– see the clip Aane Shir Hadash
Then we receive Aalma Dilifor the release of the new album Fratoi (brother in Esperanto).
Aalma Dili: “ the soul of fools », in gypsy. Formed in the eastern suburbs of Paris, this group offers a repertoire faithfully inspired by the Balkans, parties “ svadba » and world music with ease and good humor. Composed of two violins, a guitar and a double bass, the quartet knows how to give voice to awaken the gypsy soul of all the spectators. Their nomadic universe offers itself to you and takes you on an intoxicating and eccentric Balkan ball. Aälma Dili invites you on a journey along the little-known paths of gypsy culture and make you lose all bearings, from madness to melancholy.
It is in hindsight on this 1time decade that fate Fratoi, and on this album, Aälma Dili called on the poetry of Willy Franck Mathieu who opens the album with a text by Robert Desnos, against a backdrop of western music. The encounter with the actor, storyteller and poet is decisive in the narration of Fratoi. In parallel with this album, the group works alongside him on actions in prison, in a semi-freedom center to collect stories, accounts, slices of life and restore them in music.
Fratoi is a continuation of the previous album For a handful of dinars with notably For a few dinars more, composition in homage to Ennio Morricone, source of inspiration of this group of Apaches without limit.
Titles performed at the big studio
– The 4 Without Neck Live RFI
-Riptidefrom the album Fratoi
– ENA party Live RFI.
Line Up: Gabriel Seyerdouble bass, Benoit-Vincentguitar, William Frankvoice, Emilio Castielloviolin, mandolin, vocals.
Sound: Mathias Taylor, Benoît Letirant.
► Album Fratoi (Vlad Productions 2023).