When the Rough Guide began to issue their musical collections, there was one thing that set them apart -- fantastic research. What they have consistently presented are exceptionally well-rounded collections of representative music from different countries and even regions within those countries. While it might seem absurd to be able to issue a single volume of music associated with the country of France, at least in this writer's opinion, they couldn't have been more successful. Rather than rely strictly on the ancient and arcane traditions of the "purely French" music (whatever that actually means), compilation producer Guillaume Veillet has taken into consideration how various other cultures have added to the French musical heritage over the last century, when immigration from all over the world took root and flourished on French soil. Therefore, like the United States, France has a truly multicultural society, which is reflected in its musical traditions and developments. Nowhere is this more evident than in the music by Lo' Jo, whose "Memoire d'Homme" is included here. In this single song, musette, chanson, gypsy music, and African and Caribbean rhythms unite to place an illustrious tapestry at the service of Denis Péan and his compatriots -- including African backing vocalists. And Lo' Jo hails not from Paris, but from Angers. North African and reggae influences along with current dance music culture and hip-hop blend inside a series of intertwining French melodies in the music of the Massilia Sound System. A. Filetta is from Corsica, which has been French since the mid-18th century. While the language is Corsican, the polyphony is from the French-Gregorian root. Patrick Bouffard's trio is a stomping traditional band comprised of a pair of hurdy-gurdy players, a thumping electric bass, and killer bagpipes and melodeans. Their sound is locked between the past and the present; it rocks to be sure, but rock & roll it isn't. There are Breton pipe bands here, along with artists performing gavottes and danse plins to modern French Alpine music from the band Kinkerne. Its two greatest practitioners represent the French chanson here: Edith Piaf (for whom arguably the term "chanteuse" was invented) and the incomparable Léo Ferré. There is much more, of course, over 76 minutes and 22 tracks, and the only persons arguably left out are Serge Gainsbourg, who may not have been a French native but nearly defined its decadent pop sound throughout the late '60s and early '70s, and French rap genius MC Solaar, who gave the country an identity in the genre. (This Comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our Blog ´O Púbis da Rosa´)
Tracklist:
1 Les Ogres De Barback– Rue Du Temps 2:57
Written-By – Les Ogres De Barback
2 Lo'Jo– Memoire D'homme 4:49
Lyrics By – Denis Péan
Music By – Lo´Jo
3 Massilia Sound System– Méfi! (Chaabi Mix) 4:53
Music By – D. Danger, L. Garibaldi
Music By, Lyrics By – F. Ridel, R. Mazzarino
4 La Talvera– O Madama 3:36
Arranged By – T. Rougier
Written-By – D. Loddo
5 Marilis Orionaa– Pr'amor 4:14
Music By – Nicolas Martin-Sagarra, Olivier Kléber-Lavigne
Music By, Lyrics By – Marilis Orionaa
6 A Filetta– Sanctus 1:14
Traditional
7 Gabriel Yacoub– Le Garçon Jardinier 3:25
Arranged By – Gabriel Yacoub
Traditional
8 Gabriel Yacoub & Friends– La Mariole 4:21
Arranged By – Jean Blanchard
Written-By – Gabriel Yacoub
9 Trio Patrick Bouffard– Quand Sera-t-elle Mariée? 2:12
Arranged By – P. Bouffard
Traditional
10 Alard / Gineston / Guéniffet / Siquier– La Bourrée Des Capucins 2:42
11 Jo Privat & Didier Roussin– Paris Musette 3:03
Written-By – Didier Roussin, Jo Privat
12 Les Primitifs Du Futur– C'est La Goutte D'or Qui Fait Déborder La Valse 4:15
Written-By – Dominic Cravic
13 Édith Piaf– Les Amants De Paris 3:09
Written-By – E. Marnay, Léo Ferré
14 Léo Ferré– À Toi 3:31
Written-By – Léo Ferré
15 Romane & Angelo Debarre– Légende 3:50
Written-By – Romane
16 Bagad Men Ha Tan & Doudou N'Diaye Rose– Cayenne 4:35
Written-By – Pierrick Tanguy
17 Eugénie Goadec & Louise Ebrel– Deomp D'an Unvet (Pach Pi) 1:50
Traditional
18 Carré Manchot– An Dro / Neg La Cho 4:44
Written-By – J-P Coquerel, Y. Alory
19 Marcel Et Son Orchestre– Fuite De Fantaisie 1 3:23
Written-By – Carlin, Brame, Labit, Huiban, Jimenez, Le Bon
20 La Kinkerne– Filles Du Hameau 1:12
Traditional
21 Drailles– Javalse 2:07
Written-By – Michel Favre
22 Dédale– C'est Ainsi 5:09
Arranged By – Dédale
Written-By – Isabelle Pignol
Another in World Music Network's exhaustive Rough Guide to Music series, the Rough Guide to the Music of Canada is an excellent compilation of artists obscured by pop culture, like French-Canadian acts Florent Vollent and fiddler Emile Benoit, as well as those who skirt the edges (Bruce Cockburn, Natalie MacMaster), and covers ground old (Stan Rogers) and new (Matapat). From the French-Celtic styling associated with the Bretons and Acadians of Cape Breton, Newfoundland to the more western contemporary folk traditions and the influence of rock, the number of styles here are diverse but flow nicely into each other ,making for an interesting and enjoyable compilation of the diversity of Canadian music. by Gregory McIntosh
