Needles & Grooves AotM /// Vol. 46 – April 2023 /// Sissoko Segal Parisien Peirani - Les Égarés
- Thread starter Skalap
- Start date
Skalap
Well-Known Member
Ay Ay Sailors!
Dakar! Here we are! Senegalese music, like many other types of music in Africa, has its origins in the songs of griots who sang to the glory of kings and princes. When Islam arrived, Muslims became master songwriters and developed the art of sung prayers.
From Senegal comes one of my very favorite song ever. Song is called “Tajabone”, a piece in Wolof which ended up becoming a huge hit, but which first traveled quite a bit, like its author. Ismaël Lô was born in Niger in the 1950s, but it was in Dakar that he grew up and studied music and painting. The Tajabone is another folk festival to celebrate Tamxarit (Achoura) by young people in Senegal. Occasionally, disguised boys and girls roam the streets in the evening after dark singing and dancing all around the houses asking for gifts. The origin of this celebration, which is more of a Senegalese tradition, is said to have arisen from a habit of the talibés (students of Koranic schools) who, armed with their begging bowls, went beforehand to ask for alms from their aunts and parents... .
Of course, the most well-known Senegalese song in the world. Youssou N'Dour with Neneh Cherry. Interpreted in Wolof, French and in English, the song evokes "the first seven seconds in the life of a child who has just been born and who does not know the problems nor the violence of our world». The single remained at first position for sixteen consecutive weeks in the French charts, becoming the single that remained in that position the longest.
To go to our next stop, we are going to take a traditional Senegalese transport car. Large batches of reformed Renault coaches are sold in French-speaking countries as public transport vehicles. These decommissioned industrial objects have been invested with indigenous technical, mechanical and sheet metal know-how. They have enabled a large fleet to continue to circulate until now, with each vehicle accumulating millions of kilometres. In Senegal, they provide daily intra- and inter-urban public transport, in competition with the buses of state companies, private collective taxis, and even carts. Each van officially loads 25 passengers, not counting travelers standing or occupying the running board!
Before we leave, we are going to take some food because we will spend a few days on the road. This last song gives you an hint, in case you still need one, of where we are going :
See you tomorrow!
Dakar! Here we are! Senegalese music, like many other types of music in Africa, has its origins in the songs of griots who sang to the glory of kings and princes. When Islam arrived, Muslims became master songwriters and developed the art of sung prayers.
From Senegal comes one of my very favorite song ever. Song is called “Tajabone”, a piece in Wolof which ended up becoming a huge hit, but which first traveled quite a bit, like its author. Ismaël Lô was born in Niger in the 1950s, but it was in Dakar that he grew up and studied music and painting. The Tajabone is another folk festival to celebrate Tamxarit (Achoura) by young people in Senegal. Occasionally, disguised boys and girls roam the streets in the evening after dark singing and dancing all around the houses asking for gifts. The origin of this celebration, which is more of a Senegalese tradition, is said to have arisen from a habit of the talibés (students of Koranic schools) who, armed with their begging bowls, went beforehand to ask for alms from their aunts and parents... .
Of course, the most well-known Senegalese song in the world. Youssou N'Dour with Neneh Cherry. Interpreted in Wolof, French and in English, the song evokes "the first seven seconds in the life of a child who has just been born and who does not know the problems nor the violence of our world». The single remained at first position for sixteen consecutive weeks in the French charts, becoming the single that remained in that position the longest.
To go to our next stop, we are going to take a traditional Senegalese transport car. Large batches of reformed Renault coaches are sold in French-speaking countries as public transport vehicles. These decommissioned industrial objects have been invested with indigenous technical, mechanical and sheet metal know-how. They have enabled a large fleet to continue to circulate until now, with each vehicle accumulating millions of kilometres. In Senegal, they provide daily intra- and inter-urban public transport, in competition with the buses of state companies, private collective taxis, and even carts. Each van officially loads 25 passengers, not counting travelers standing or occupying the running board!
See you tomorrow!
Last edited:
avecigrec
Well-Known Member
All-timer! Absolutely brilliant song.
Skalap
Well-Known Member
Ay Ay Sailors!
This road trip took a bit more than expected but here we are at our final destination. It has been quite a journey and I am very excited to see how you will react to our AotM announcement.
I picked this album, and mostly this duo, because their music is kind of a bubble in which I enjoy being able to find myself. I have been following the music of V.. S... and B.. S... since the beginning of their collaboration. I fell in love with their first two albums C... M..., released in 2009, and M.. d. N..., released in 2015, both on the great N. F..... French label (second time an album from this label is picked as AotM). I wanted to put them in the spotlight because their music allows us to take a break from the continuous agitation that surrounds us. We spend our lives running, constantly, after everything. We run as soon as we wake up, then to get to work, then to lunch, then to go home, eat a meal, sleep and start again the next day. The last few years have been even more stressful with Covid, political and economic crises. We have spent the last few years trying to make up for lost time without taking advantage of the one that presents itself. In these recent years, I also became the father of two wonderful kids, Robin and Anna, and it brought a lot of changes in my life.
These albums are breaks in our frantic races. I invite you to take the time to listen to these albums. Not just streaming them on Spotify or letting the record spin while you do other things. No, take the time to sit down. Take the time to listen carefully to the dialogue of our two musicians (now four on this last album). Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a peaceful place, far away, free from daily stress. Feel the wind and the warmth of the sun's rays. Imagine yourself in front of these silent musicians who express themselves only through their hands. Appreciate this moment. Live it. Share it if you want.
But before I reveal the AotM I wanted to share another great album from another great duo from this country where we are know: Mali. I could have picked this album as the AotM but I thought that this albums is already fairly known and it would be great to bring the spotlight to another duo whose music is "quite" close to this Farka/Diabate's. Not only because of the Kora but more because they create a similar musical environment in which is feel safe anytime I bring their music to my ears.
If you never took the time to listen to this album, it's your time now. It's one of the best album ever made in Africa. Ali Ibrahim "Ali Farka" Touré (31 October 1939 – 6 March 2006) was a Malian singer and multi-instrumentalist, and one of the African continent's most internationally renowned musicians. His music blends traditional Malian music and its derivative, African American blues and is considered a pioneer of African desert blues. Toumani Diabaté, perhaps the best-known kora player in the world, has released a string of albums alongside the likes of Ballake Sissoko (New Ancient Strings). Refusing to be pigeonholed, he's worked with the blues legend Taj Mahal and Spanish superstars Ketama, and is always willing to mix various styles with his Malian roots.
In the Heart of the Moon is a 2005 record by these two Malian musicians. The album was recorded in the "Toit de Bamako" conference room on the top floor of the Hotel Mandé overlooking the Niger River in Bamako, Mali. It is the first in a three-part series released on World Circuit Records entitled "The Hotel Mandé Sessions" followed by Savane and Boulevard de l'Independence. The album's title is derived from Touré's own more lengthy descriptive title for the recording session; "A very important meeting in the realm at the heart of the moon. The album includes twelve tracks, based mostly on Songhai traditions of the north of Mali and the Bambara traditions of southern Mali and neighboring Guinea, harking back to the period immediately before independence. The album was recorded without rehearsals; both musicians claimed that the music flowed naturally and effortlessly, Touré being long acquainted with Diabaté's family and musical traditions. Despite their mutual admiration the musicians had previously only performed a total of three hours together over fifteen years.In 2009. It was awarded a gold certification from the Independent Music Companies Association which indicated sales of at least 100,000 copies throughout Europe.
Enjoy this last day! Tomorrow is the release date of our AotM and I'll finally reveal its name.
See you tomorrow!
This road trip took a bit more than expected but here we are at our final destination. It has been quite a journey and I am very excited to see how you will react to our AotM announcement.
I picked this album, and mostly this duo, because their music is kind of a bubble in which I enjoy being able to find myself. I have been following the music of V.. S... and B.. S... since the beginning of their collaboration. I fell in love with their first two albums C... M..., released in 2009, and M.. d. N..., released in 2015, both on the great N. F..... French label (second time an album from this label is picked as AotM). I wanted to put them in the spotlight because their music allows us to take a break from the continuous agitation that surrounds us. We spend our lives running, constantly, after everything. We run as soon as we wake up, then to get to work, then to lunch, then to go home, eat a meal, sleep and start again the next day. The last few years have been even more stressful with Covid, political and economic crises. We have spent the last few years trying to make up for lost time without taking advantage of the one that presents itself. In these recent years, I also became the father of two wonderful kids, Robin and Anna, and it brought a lot of changes in my life.
These albums are breaks in our frantic races. I invite you to take the time to listen to these albums. Not just streaming them on Spotify or letting the record spin while you do other things. No, take the time to sit down. Take the time to listen carefully to the dialogue of our two musicians (now four on this last album). Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a peaceful place, far away, free from daily stress. Feel the wind and the warmth of the sun's rays. Imagine yourself in front of these silent musicians who express themselves only through their hands. Appreciate this moment. Live it. Share it if you want.
But before I reveal the AotM I wanted to share another great album from another great duo from this country where we are know: Mali. I could have picked this album as the AotM but I thought that this albums is already fairly known and it would be great to bring the spotlight to another duo whose music is "quite" close to this Farka/Diabate's. Not only because of the Kora but more because they create a similar musical environment in which is feel safe anytime I bring their music to my ears.
If you never took the time to listen to this album, it's your time now. It's one of the best album ever made in Africa. Ali Ibrahim "Ali Farka" Touré (31 October 1939 – 6 March 2006) was a Malian singer and multi-instrumentalist, and one of the African continent's most internationally renowned musicians. His music blends traditional Malian music and its derivative, African American blues and is considered a pioneer of African desert blues. Toumani Diabaté, perhaps the best-known kora player in the world, has released a string of albums alongside the likes of Ballake Sissoko (New Ancient Strings). Refusing to be pigeonholed, he's worked with the blues legend Taj Mahal and Spanish superstars Ketama, and is always willing to mix various styles with his Malian roots.
In the Heart of the Moon is a 2005 record by these two Malian musicians. The album was recorded in the "Toit de Bamako" conference room on the top floor of the Hotel Mandé overlooking the Niger River in Bamako, Mali. It is the first in a three-part series released on World Circuit Records entitled "The Hotel Mandé Sessions" followed by Savane and Boulevard de l'Independence. The album's title is derived from Touré's own more lengthy descriptive title for the recording session; "A very important meeting in the realm at the heart of the moon. The album includes twelve tracks, based mostly on Songhai traditions of the north of Mali and the Bambara traditions of southern Mali and neighboring Guinea, harking back to the period immediately before independence. The album was recorded without rehearsals; both musicians claimed that the music flowed naturally and effortlessly, Touré being long acquainted with Diabaté's family and musical traditions. Despite their mutual admiration the musicians had previously only performed a total of three hours together over fifteen years.In 2009. It was awarded a gold certification from the Independent Music Companies Association which indicated sales of at least 100,000 copies throughout Europe.
Enjoy this last day! Tomorrow is the release date of our AotM and I'll finally reveal its name.
See you tomorrow!
Last edited:
Skalap
Well-Known Member
Here is our new AotM! Congratulations @avecigrec, once again! A copy of this record is on its way to your door!
Please all, love their music as much as I do.
Album is out tomorrow. The long wait is almost over. You'll be able to listen to the whole album in few ours on this page.
HuddieLedbetter
Well-Known Member
Les Egarés is more than a record. It’s play space, a locus of musical life, a poetic asylum inhabited by two twosomes who for years have excelled in the art of crossfertilising sounds and transcending genres. They are Ballaké Sissoko (kora) and Vincent Segal (cello) on the one hand and Vincent Peirani (accordion) and Émile Parisien (sax) on the other.
In the case of these magicians, 2 + 2 no longer makes 4, it makes 1. Because what they concoct is most definitely a unity of spirit, a single and fluid sound that disdains all forms of egotistical competitiveness and puts each participant at the service of a common musical good. Neither jazz, nor trad, nor chamber, nor avant-garde, but a bit of all of them, all at once, Les Egarés is the kind of album that makes the ear the king of all instruments, an album where virtuosity expresses itself in the art of complicity, where the simple and grandiose idea of listening to one another results in the birth of a splendid song with four parts.
It all started with a summit meeting – high on a hill overlooking Lyon. That night in June 2019, at Les Nuits de Fourvière Festival, everyone was preparing to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the NØ FØRMAT label in a beautiful setting of Roman stones under an open sky. Vincent Segal played the role of master of ceremonies and held a kind of musical salon, gathering together guests of choice, among whom were Ballaké Sissoko, Vincent Peirani and Émile Parisien. The participants signed a pact: rehearsing must never take precedence over anything that showed signs of being a moment of spontaneous creation. But how to reign in such inspired musicians, all of them enlivened by this desire to converse in music? That afternoon, in an arbour that shielded them from the hot sun, they started to jam, just for the beauty and pleasure of it, and the music just flowed like a spring, fresh and limpid. It was the memory of this spontaneous outpouring that gave rise to the idea of forming a quartet of Egarés (‘those who have gone astray’). And that’s what the recording of the album felt like too: a spontaneous sharing of impulse and know-how.
Only one promise couldn’t be fulfilled, one long held dear by Vincent Segal, and that was to record in Bamako with his accomplice Ballaké Sissoko, as the pair had previously done for their divine debut Chamber Music. The extreme tension that currently holds sway in Mali scuppered this dream and, in the end, the four musicians set up their creative workshop in the alpine town of Gap. Outside, the weather was unpredictable; in the studio, the sun came out almost immediately. But it wasn’t a bland unchanging beauty: from the first notes, everything was volatile, in motion, vibrating. No surprises there: none of these four free stylers likes to be imprisoned, whether it’s in a particular role, or in a particular style or sound to which their instrument could so easily be confined. Each bought a few rough diamonds along in their knapsack and submitted them to the group.
Tempered by that common fire, in the natural crucible of a live acoustic setting, those gems took on a new form, sublimating themselves and soon providing the material for an authentic and communal trove of music–musical gold in fact, melted down into a singular alloy of tones, touches, breaths and phrasings, that starts with a motif in unison that straightway spells out the basic alchemical formula.
NØ FØRMAT___________________________________________
Here is our Needles & Grooves Vol. 46 – April 2023 AotM. I explained the reasons why I picked this album as our AotM on this post that I kindly ask to read. I trully believe following these suggestions will help to take the best from this great album. I say great album but there are actually three albums. It happens that when a few months ago I contacted NØ FØRMAT to inform that I was planning to pick Chamber Music as my AotM, they told that a new album would come in the first months of 2023. So I waited and the timing is now perfect to introduce the music of Ballaké Sissoko and Vincent Segal, joined here by Emile Parisien and Vincent Peirani. NØ FØRMAT also wanted to participate in our event and they did a discount code, NEEDLES, that gives a 20% discount on each album by the duo and on their
NØ FØRMAT pass. If you are not in France and not even in Europe, I still strongly recommend to order directly from the label as their shipping prices are really cheap and it might end being cheaper ordering from them than from a local shop or even Amazon.
Buy CHAMBER MUSIC
Buy MUSIQUE DE NUIT
Buy LES EGARES
About the NØ FØRMAT annual pass. There are actually three different options. CD, Vinyl and Collection. All of these options give you all the albums released in the year on digital files, premium access to their platform, videos, podcats, gifts with each package and 20% discount on all the catalogue.
To make it simple, when you subscribe you are in for the year and will receive four shipments. If a shipment was already made before you joined, you'll receive it anyway but with your next shipment. CD and Vinyl options are easy to understand, Collection is like Vinyl but you can pick three additional records from the catalogue.
You pay 60€, 80€ or 130€ and that's it. Shipping is included, there is nothing else to pay. I want to remind that this is the second time a NØ FØRMAT album is picked as AotM after Melissa Laveaux - Radyo Siwèl picked in March 2021 by @Colonel_Angus. I can also recommend Koki Nakano, Trio SR9, Blick Bassy and Piers Faccini albums.
Learn more and/or subscribe to NØ FØRMAT pass
Thank you all and please love these albums as much as I do.
Subscribed to the year and grabbed three. I loved the @Colonel_Angus selection and am delighted to go on the journey. Thank you both for bringing me a bit of joy. yay music
TenderLovingKiller®
Well-Known Member
Wow! What a deal! Ordered and shipped for under $18 US. Looking forward to checking this out. Thanks for an enjoyable excursion!
Here is our new AotM! Congratulations @avecigrec, once again! A copy of this record is on its way to your door!
Please all, love their music as much as I do.
Album is out tomorrow. The long wait is almost over. You'll be able to listen to the whole album in few ours on this page.
Nee Lewman
बैस्टर्ड
Ordered the record and joined the club with cds...
Skalap
Well-Known Member
Why CDs when you could have had vinyls?
Nee Lewman
बैस्टर्ड
Various reasons, I'm going to be more likely to check these out in the car to work... I am getting to the point where I need another vinyl shelf and am not ready to figure out what that means to the room. I plan on buying a fancy cd player in the next year or so and wouldn't mind having some newish things to play on it... I already destroyed my vinyl budget for April so a little less out of pocket... worried about their shipping costs... less giant packages at the door to catch an eyebrow... etc.
shinyteeth
Member
My No Format pass package arrived yesterday, just in the time for the AOTM release. Listening right now to Les Égarés and enjoying it very much. Thanks for this great AOTM thread! I had never heard of No Format before.
BazookaTooth
Well-Known Member
ive done this with many of these ROTM , CD is also easy to just go in blind. i probably never paid more than 5 € on any of em
Nee Lewman
बैस्टर्ड
By the way, their customer service is top notch. Because I am a dumb American, I accidentally gifted myself the pass which made their system act like I don’t exist. They quickly set it up for me and dispatched my first package within hours of me signing up.
Skalap
Well-Known Member
Great to hear some of you already subscribed. I did too yesterday evening. Took the collection pass as there were some other records I wanted. So far they have released 3 records this year and another is already announced. So for 104€ I am receiving a minimum of 7 records. It's 15€ per record, shipping included. No brainer and kicking myself for not joining sooner.
avecigrec
Well-Known Member
Happy Payday, I did the thing!
Which, I guess, is going to net me another copy of this month's AotM, but that's fine because it'll make a great gift or PIF.
I also nabbed both of Sissoko's 2021 albums (which I eyed up the pass for in the past, but was between jobs at the time) and the @Colonel_Angus pick from before I arrived at N&G (which I think will be my 8th past AotM picked up over the past 6 months!)
Also, first listen to the album was exactly as wonderful as I expected - looking forward to going deeper with it in the coming weeks!
Which, I guess, is going to net me another copy of this month's AotM, but that's fine because it'll make a great gift or PIF.
I also nabbed both of Sissoko's 2021 albums (which I eyed up the pass for in the past, but was between jobs at the time) and the @Colonel_Angus pick from before I arrived at N&G (which I think will be my 8th past AotM picked up over the past 6 months!)
Also, first listen to the album was exactly as wonderful as I expected - looking forward to going deeper with it in the coming weeks!
mgp
Well-Known Member
Really cool Pick! And thanks for the journey. (I was partial to the Portugal section, as it was my last "big" trip with just my wife, and loved every second including an amazing night in Coimbra, which was basically just picked as a stopping off point)
This is why I love this site - this would never have been on my radar. More of the N&G aotms have made it into my rotation than not.
Not to ruin the conversation, but how many of the 46 AOTMs has avecigrec gotten right? It's uncanny!
This is why I love this site - this would never have been on my radar. More of the N&G aotms have made it into my rotation than not.
Not to ruin the conversation, but how many of the 46 AOTMs has avecigrec gotten right? It's uncanny!
avecigrec
Well-Known Member
Ericj32
Well-Known Member
I just signed up for the yearly pass, too. I listened to the Lucas Santtana and Msaki x Tubatsi albums that were released earlier this year and really enjoyed both of those, in addition to the newly released AOTM! I wasn't exactly sure if the yearly pass will give me everything released in the calendar year 2023 or everything released from this point in the year through next April - from the confirmation e-mail, it looks like the new pass runs from April 2023 to April 2024, but it also looks like the pass itself includes a 20% discount on any albums in their catalogue - which is great.
Great choice, @Skalap !
Great choice, @Skalap !