What?! You don't know Saïan Supa Crew?

Well, you better! Especially dedicated to the ones living in France, this post goes to remind the fairly distracted minds that happen to fancy the flare of top quality hiphop that the top of the pops lives there. That's right, Saïan Supa are a musical phenomenon. It's hiphop, that's true, but with an own, exclusive flavour. Great rhymes are accompanied by reggae style, choruses, soul, beatbox, african, arab, world music. It's like a bag of M&M's.

The initially six-piece act is made out of different styles of MC's, who ride the all-perfectly produced beats and rythms that serve as background for this fully loaded melting pot masterpiece. We got Feniksi, full voice smart-pace MC; Vicelow, bass voice and consciousness; Sly, the human beat-box after Rahzel; Sir Samuel, the reggae ambassador to the band, brilliant; Leroy Kesiah, light-speed rhymin'; and Specta, bad-ass gangsta Saint Denis-sur-Seine mafia kind of guy, Wu-Tang style. The last two guys are no longer part of Saïan Supa Crew in 2007.

These six guys make up this whole thing. I can say for myself, I'm not the biggest hiphop fan, but I made a trip to Madrid just to watch their show last year. Saïan is something that stretches out into a different universe of hiphop pace and skill. Starting out in 1999 with the debut album KLR - with hits Angela, La preuve par trois, Raz de Mareé -, and then evolving to a second album (2001) called X-Raisons, equally good - main catchies were X-Raisons, Soldat and A Demi-Nue. 2005 was the year they released their latest album, called Hold Up. Not as good as the old days, in my opinion, but with two very funny singled-out songs Blow and La Patte (featuring some guy from the Black-Eyed Peas).

The first guy to leave the group was Specta, but things did become a little different without the lyrical storm Leroy Kesiah, which was like a landmark for the band's originality. They will be coming to Portugal, finally! After 6 years of having offered the first myself-to-myself gift ever in my life (their first two albums), they will be coming here. Festival Sudoeste is the venue, so I advise you all to show up if you're nearby, believe me, it's worth it.

I'll take this chance to further introduce you to the Saïan Supa Crew world, since they all took up their own personal projects outside the main band. Here's what they've done: ´

1) Leroy: three albums, two good hiphop ones - 1erCoup de Massue and 2éme Coup de Massue-, and a crazy beats compilation called Bollywood Trip. All 2006 releases. Check www.leroy.fr .

2)Explicit Samouraï: Gangsta hiphop with expertise. Leroy teams up with former Saïan Specta to create a really dark-side-of-the-force kind of music. Recommended for experienced french hiphop listeners only. All 2005 prints: La danse du sabre and Jump up Millennium maxis, and the album RAP.

3)OFX: African rooted Vicelow and Feniksi came up with this perfect album called Roots (2004). It's got the soul of an Alabama tobacco-plantation worker and of tribal ceremony from Zambia. Great flow, spirit and positive vaibréachone. Great music.

4)Sir Samuel: Wanna listen to a great reaggae album with a flavour of hiphop here and there? Check this out: Vizé Pli O (meaning "vois plus haut" in Martinican French). This is one of my top french reggae albums of all time, and believe me, I know. I may not know a lot about hiphop, but I ken mi lotta reggae style inna di frenchland and this is one of the very best prints you can ever get. Check www.sirsamuel.net.

5) Sly the Mic Buddah: Has a beat-box skillz album, 100% fait de bouche. The guy is a freakshow, since he beatboxes everything. I don't know his 2005 album Something You've Never Heard Before, but check it out at http://www.myspace.com/themicbuddah .

Go to http://www.wmaker.net/saiansupacrew for more information. But really, if you don't know this legend, go listen to it. One of my very favourites and one of the most admirable projects I know of. On top of it, they throw a killer show.

Really, you listen to these guys and you understand why MTV is all about money - I just came back from a 3-week vacation in New York, home of hiphop, you think I heard anything that even gets close to this? Believe me, I haven't, and all those kids selling their promos on Broadway are all in all 50Cent Puff Daddy wannabes, and most stuff isn't worth shit. Teach'em Paris!

No, I'm not making mony out of this post; but for those who love the music and get carried out talking about it, I just might fit the profile.

Le SaïanSupa agrippe le mic sans jamais se noyer
Rapide comme le vent, emportant les âmes enflammées,
Telle une flamme le cyclone décime la masse d ‘affamés,
Désormais sur la plage, c ‘est le raz d ‘ marée

Stéphane Pompougnac / Hello Mademoiselle

The Frenchman, mostly known from his Hotel Costes compilations, released his second album on May 2007. His debut album “Living on the Edge”, in 2003, didn’t meet gross success but “Hello Mademoiselle” is here to shout that this guy is not just a DJ or remixer. The fact that the album’s two most catchy songs are remakes is not a reason to let you down as his touch on them is apparent. Firstly he converted one of the most mediocre and colourless Morricone’s songs (“Here’s to You”) to a fascinating tune. In his second experiment he managed to bequeath to a great but dusted 60’s blues a modern electro-jazz style (“On the Road Again”). As regards the rest of the content, it is without doubt equally elegant where its variety of sounds and styles make it difficult to categorise.

While listening to the album for the first time, I caught myself saying that these rhythms would be nice on a beach, laying down, doing nothing… I’m not sure whether it was due to my holiday mood that specific day, but after a closer look I realized that these melodies will accompany my summer this year.

In a phrase, it is certainly an album that won’t pass unnoticed!

creme de la creme

Como dizia o outro, mais vale tarde que nunca. E como se não bastasse, trago a mala cheia de doces para os ouvidos!

Já foram considerados como creme de la creme do electro urban francês, os JUSTICE. Ainda hoje nomes como Daft Punk e Air estão em todo o lado, como grandes ícones da música francesa, mas os JUSTICE vêm trazer algo mais a cena electrónica, a salvação com a sua grande cruz que brilha em todas as suas exibições.

O duo Gaspard Augé e Xavier de Rosnay lançaram o projecto em 2003, e misturaram nomes sonantes como Daft Punk, Fat Boy Slim, N*E*R*D, Franz Ferdinand e até Britney Spears.
O primeiro album, ainda com cheiro a fresco, foi lançado a 11 de Junho e vem mostrar que os JUSTICE vão marcar muitas noites. O single de lançamento D.A.N.C.E (dedicado a Michael Jackon) é uma mistura de música e moda, onde ao som de uma infataria electrónica podemos seguir dois pessoas à medida que se movimentam num clube. Nas t-shirts que vestem são projectados designs e padrões de uma qualidade excepcional que vão mudando à medida que andam. Parece que a moda das t-shirts está a pegar!


Justice, Ed Banger Records
D.A.N.C.E video clip

Considered as creme de la creme of the french electro urban genre, I present you JUSTICE. Apart from names like Daft Punk and Air, who were pioneers of the french touch and are still huge icons, JUSTICE could be seen as the saviours of the electronic scene, as their main trademark is a large light-up cross that shines throughout their shows.

The project started in 2003 by the fingers of Gaspard Augé e Xavier de Rosnay by remixing an incredible number of stars including Daft Punk, Fat Boy Slim, N*E*R*D, Franz Ferdinand and also Britney Spears.
Their first album, fresh from the record label, was launched on June the 11th and shows up that JUSTICE are causing fervour. Their first single D.A.N.C.E (dedicated to Michael Jackson) features a mix of music and fashion. With the sound of a disco infantry we can see torsos with moving along a dark club. Their t-shirts act as projection screens for evolving graphic designs and patterns of an extraordinary quality. It seems that there is a feeding frenzy around these t-shirts designs!

no music = no life

Detektivbyrån

(i'm posting on a hurry, so here it goes ...)

if you ever liked Yann Tiersen give a try to the Swedes Detektivbyrån. It's a bit more electronic and less minimalistic, definitely not worse.

from the official website:
mp3#1
mp3#2
mp3#3

See ya

I'm from Barcelona

IFB defined in moods: Cheerful, Playful, Happy, Exuberant, Freewheeling, Carefree, Innocent, Summery, Gleeful, Celebratory.

I'm from barcelona, a Swede band brought up to light in 2006, is a mix of Light Rock and Indie/Chamber Pop. After a first debut in 2005 when Emanuel Lundgren (the mentor of the project) asked all his friends (all non-professional musicians) to help him recording a first EP in his house and in some public places nearby Jonkoping, Sweden. 29 people formed then I'm from Barcelona. The first album "Let me introduce my Friends" has a little bit of everything from songs about Oversleeping, Chicken Pox and Stamp collections, lots of Glockenspiel and even a vocal choir. A Brilliant pop record. Inspirations come from Broken Social Scene being less experimental, Sufjan Stevens without his melancholic touch and The Flamming Lips without their drug recalls.

All i all, have no doubt about it, I'm from Barcelona, is (most probably) by far the best 29-member Swedish band you will ever know.

Curiosity 1: "I'm from Barcelona!" comes from the sentence often said by Manuel, excusing himself about his incompetence in the British Sitcom Fawlty Towers.

Curiosity 2: It's (somewhat) difficult to schedule concerts of IFB because of the availability of all (29) band members. Today (11-May-2007) they're going to be in the Alpheus Club in Rome. I'm there!

Bossa n'something

For Bossa Nova lovers, this is a name to hold on to. This band sings songs of well known artists such as Rolling Stones and Guns n'Roses or even Bob Marley. Some versions are really close to the originals, but others are a true challenge to identify! It's a blend of hits we are all familiarized with, perfect for those days when the state of mind requires something calm and relaxing! I personnaly recommend both Bossa n'Stones albums, and the recently found (Thank you, Leonidas!) Bossa n'Roses and Bossa n'Marley. If you are aware of any other albums, please let us know! :)

Para os amantes de Bossa Nova, esta é uma referência a reter. Esta banda canta versões de artistas bem conhecidos (até agora conheço Rolling Stones, Guns and Roses e Bob Marley), e o resultado é uma combinação de sons calmantes e relaxantes de músicas que todos sabemos cantar! Algumas versões são bastante fiéis aos originais, mas algumas músicas são verdadeiros desafios para tentar identificar! Recomendo todos os albuns que conheço (2 Bossa N'Stones, Bossa n'Roses e Bossa n'Marley). Se souberem de mais algum, por favor avisem!! :)

WELCOME Leonidas!

I would like to welcome our new co-writer Leonidas - WELCOME!

Our goal to get to more people, all around the world, is being achived. Leonidas is from Greece, and therefore I would ask our writers to post in english (at least some bits, enough for foreigners to understand it!), and our readers, as far as possible, to comment in english also!

Publicity is also welcome! Spread the word about this blog to all your contacts, who can (and should!) also post and comment as much as they want!

WE WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT WORLD MUSIC!