Babel Med Music 2015 Review

 

Babel Med Music – World Music forum (Forum des Musiques du Monde) took place March 26 through 28, 2015 in Marseilles, France. This is regarded as the second largest European world music congress after WOMEX.

Participation figures were similar to the previous edition in 2014, without experiencing significant variables. Organizers provided us the following figures: 2.000 registered professionals, and 160 booths in the fair area. As far as concert audiences, there was an important variation during the three concert nights. It was a total of 15.000 concertgoers (two thousand more that in 2014). Here, we were able to verify the atmosphere, especially with the sold out and somewhat suffocating concerts on Saturday night, where most artists were local or regional.

The Forum’s venue was the usual the Dock-du-Suds. This industrial warehouse converted to new use is located very close to the new port, in an area of modern buildings and new hotels, where we witnessed the great urban change taking place in this Marseilles neighborhood. This time, the demolition crews tore down our favorite restaurant called “Jupiter” so we weren’t able to taste its humble, well-cared for home cooking menu..

During this edition concerts took place on three stages, like last year. The largest one, “Salle des Sucres”, featured the large format acts. Inside the same building there was the “Cabaret” space, where we watched the most intimate and acoustic concerts, as well as the ethno electronic performances. The remaining venue called “Chapiteau” was located under a huge tent outside the building. ,

We counted a total of 13 conferences, presentations and panels As far as the 31 showcases, I’ll tell you about the ones that captivated me the most.

On Thursday, March 26, the great revelation of the Forum to me was the Tcha Limbgerger’s Kalotaszeg Trio, led by Belgian violinist Tcha Limbgerger, accompanied by veteran and efficient Romanian musicians, bassist Berki Victor and Toni Rudi on viola. Even though Limbgerger is blind, he’s a real devil playing the violin. He introduced to us his repertoire based essentially on the traditional music of Kalotaszeg, a small region in Transylvania, located in northwestern Rumania, with Magyar influences.

 

 

Another concert that attracted our attention was Azam Ali & Niyaz, since we’ve been following closely their career for years, listening to all the recordings they release (including Azam Ali’s, Loga Ramon Torkian’s or Niyaz trio). With some differences, all these musicians are separately, or grouped, under the brand, Niyaz, It is a project of musicians of Iranian origin who reside between the USA and Canada, and we never had a chance to see them in action. But thanks to this live performance through the Forum, we finally had the opportunity, and they did not disappoint us. It was consistent and identical to their recorded works. Their music can be described as a fusion of mystical Sufi music, atmospheric environments and rhythmic electronic music, adapting Persian, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean sounds, with lyrics drawn from various poems of Persia, Palestine, Turkey and the Kurdistan, set to music and performed well and with sensuality by singer Azam Ali. In short, we left pleased after hearing their live music.

Also noteworthy was the concert given by the Egyptian duo formed by the great percussionist Tarek Abdallah, and Adel Shams el Din on Arabic lute (oud). In the same vein, we highlight the local “a capella” quintet Radio Babel Marseille, who presented to us its rich repertoire of traditional and original compositions.

Other showcases featured Senegalese singer Omar Pene, a living legend of the “mbalax” style, a very popular genre in Senegal and Gambia, but already well exploited and which we’ve heard before from the great Senegalese musicians. His performance did not go above average. It was followed in the same large “Salle des Sucres” stage of the by the versatile singer from Cape Verde, Mario Lucio, a musician, writer, painter, and currently the Minister of Culture of the archipelago. He made his presence accompanied by a brand new group, where Mario wore his most important songs.

The remaining concerts scheduled for that night, didn’t have much weight and moreover were preceded by excessive modernity. These included South Korea band, Jambinai, with its noisy and uncreative “post avant-garde rock,” and Portuguese act Batida, who provided something more appropriate for a “modern” disco club. The performance by Beninese female Trio Teriba was weak. The night ended with the presentation of the new Malian group, Songhoy Blues, whose “punk rock” style fused with “desert blues”, did not show us anything new.

 

 

Regarding the artistic activity on Friday 27, we highlight what we consider the best concert held in Babel Med 2015, offered by the Polish Warsaw Village Band performing together with Galician singer and multi-instrumentalist, Mercedes Peon (Spain). Being familiar with the beginning of their artistic careers and the musical and vocal characteristics of these two artists from very different cultures, we felt that this musical merger would have a powerful effect, and we were not wrong at all. The compact and spirited music of “alternative folk” (contemporary folk executed with energy and rebelliousness) has little in common with the melancholic American or Anglo “neo-folk” performed by the Warsaw Village Band, combined with the vibrant personal energy of Mercedes Peon, They created a powerful musical force onstage so attractive that it transferred as a hypnotic ray to the expectant public. The magical music we heard, banked between the rhythmic sounds of the two Polish voices and cellists, with the high pitched vocals and electronic beats of the Galician artist, perfectly supported by the rest of the Polish group unfolded. In short, a great concert of contemporary folk music. Still, we witnessed authentic musical hybridization, as well as the first fruits of these two great performers of current European “world music”. For many fellow journalists, especially French and Italians, who did not know the Galician artist, this will cause a big impact. To us she became the “Diva” of this Marseilles event.

 

 

Other fine concerts featured Norwegian singer Unni Lovlid, who despite the unexpected breakdown of her mini electronic equipment, which supplies her beautiful accompanying atmospheres, she showed outstanding professionalism and quality, offering an a capella concert, where her voice completely fascinated us. I do not want to forget my friends from Quebec, Le Vent du Nord, with their charming Quebec folk show, always cheerful and full of rhythm, caused by repetitive footwork as a percussion instrument.

Also great, Argentine virtuoso accordionist Chango Spasiuk, with a wide selection of “chamamé”, the curious traditional musical genre from rural regions between Argentina, Paraguay and southern Brazil.

There was also a splendid duo concert by New York multi-instrumentalist Joe Driscoll and Sekou Kouyate of Guinea, considered the Jimi Hendrix of the “kora”. This couple played for us some of the songs from their latest award-winning CD, “Faya”. Lastly, I’d like to mention the multi-racial dance orchestra, Family Atlantica. Other artists with little to talk about included Spanish guitarist Chicuelo, French singer Françoise Atlan & L’Ensemble in Chordais playing songs of Sephardic Jews, and Lebanese pianist and singer, Bachar Mar-Khalife.

On Saturday, the program was rather dominated by local and regional artists, which brought a large audience turnout. The best concerts we witnessed were the project Saiko Nata, which in Mandinka language means New Vision. This is a Marseilles quartet, with a simple but innovative proposal, a fusion of classical pieces with African rhythms. The African foundation includes Senegalese kora (African harp) player Ousmane Kouyate and Fallou N’Diaye on percussion. Meanwhile, the classical foundation features first the presence of elegant pianist from Lyon, Agathe Di Piro, supported accurately by the bass grooves of Marseilles-based, Alain Rageot.

 

 

Another awaited concert we were looking forward to was that of Marseilles group Moussu T e Lei Jovents, a band we already knew. This time they delivered their anticipated new show inspired by songs from their land, Provence, and the so called called “operettas” that were sung in the thirties at Marseilles clubs, bars and the more eccentric theatres in the popular Old Port of Marseilles. In short, a cheerful and mischievous repertoire that delighted a totally devoted audience.

Average were the concerts by Portuguese fado singer, Gisela João; the Reunion Island female quintet Simangavole; and Moroccan musician Majid Bekkas & Afro-Oriental Jazz Trio. We were not captivated by the proposal of Israeli group Boom Pam, which was preceded by some good reviews. We found their performance sounded like “modern fairground” music.

There were other artists performing during the three nights, but our schedule did not allow for more, especially the DJ’s scheduled for very late hours.

The five awards that were handed out during BabelMed this year were: Babel Med Award to Senegalese singer Omar Pene and Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur to French program Equation Musique.

The “Adami” prize to Mar-Lebanese pianist Bachar Khalife. The French World Music Award to Belgian violinist’s Tcha Limberger’s Kalotaszeg Trio. The Transatlantic Bridge Prize went to the Joe Driscoll & Sekou Kouyate (USA & Guinea) duo, and the Mundial Montreal award to Quebec act, Le Vent du Nord.

In summary, I give the programming at Babel Med this year a high score. I won’t stop saying that Babel Med is of the very few “world music” conferences where you can discover new artists, or you have the opportunity to see live those whom you only know from their recordings. This was clearly stated on the lines I wrote about the showcases. At this sense, it goes above WOMEX.

During the final press conference, the pair of artistic directors of the event, Mr. Bernard Aubert, and Mr. Sami Sadak, appeared to provide all kinds of information and summarized the good overall development provided by the Forum this year. The formula of balance between “quality and commerciality”, continues to operate under Babel Med Music’s ongoing budget parameter.