Canada and the rest of the world
Pierre Chrétien @ The Souljazz Orchestra
email: souljazz@hotmail.com
----------
(la version française suit)
The Souljazz Orchestra picks up where the golden age of soulful music left off: they expand upon the rough and raw grooves of the 1960s and 1970s by taking on an eclectic, genre-bending approach, enriched by musical traditions stemming from both sides of the Atlantic. The resulting sound is enthralling: a potent mixture of funk, soul, jazz, afro and latin rhythms, supported by an arsenal of dusty, overheated vintage keyboards, all underlying powerful, anthemic horn-driven melodies.
The orchestra was founded in 2002, when a group of young, like-minded musicians started meeting up regularly at jam sessions. Some had played in jazz combos, others in rhythm & blues bands, others still in African or Latin ensembles. They began making plans to form a new collective that would combine their various musical interests with their particular world view, and soon the Souljazz Orchestra was born.
The multicultural Canadian ensemble has since had the chance to collaborate, on stage or in the studio, with such legendary figures as Jamaican reggae singer Horace Andy, Rwandan/Burundian guitarist Mighty Popo, as well as Fela Kuti alumni Dele Sosimi and Mabinuori Kayode Idowu. They've played hundreds of concerts across North America and Europe, sharing the stage with the likes of Femi Kuti, Etta James, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Érik Truffaz, and the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. Now, with more international dates in the works, the Souljazz Orchestra is set to bring its soulful sounds to the rest of the world.
Manifesto, the group's latest album, was released in 2008, and is already being hailed as a modern classic: "Top album of the year" claims Kalcha of Vibrations Magazine, "Definitely a marquee album, " enthuses CHARTattack Magazine, "Easily one of the funkiest groups in the contemporary Afro Funk underground," says Dusty Groove.
Their previous record, Freedom No Go Die, featured the powerful vocal stylings of Mighty Popo, and was released in September of 2006, also to critical acclaim. Tracks from the album have been featured on a number of compilations and soundtracks, alongside such heavyweights as Amy Winehouse, Radiohead, Common, Quantic and K-os. To top it all off, the listeners of Gilles Peterson's BBC radio show voted the album's opening track, Mista President, as one of the top ten of the year.
Needless to say, the Souljazz Orchestra is a group to keep an eye on during the next while...
----------
Le Souljazz Orchestra reprend là où l'âge d'or du groove s'est arrêté: ils développent le son pur et dur des années 1960s et 1970s en prenant une approche plus éclectique et diversifiée, enrichie de traditions musicales provenant des deux côtés de l'Atlantique. Le résultat est foudroyant: un florilège de rythmes funk, soul, jazz, afro et latin, soutenu par un arsenal de vieux claviers surchauffés, le tout accompagnant de puissants hymnes cuivrés.
L'orchestre a été fondé en 2002, lorsqu'un groupe de jeunes musiciens commença à se rencontrer régulièrement à des jam-sessions. Quelques-uns avaient joué dans des combos de jazz, d'autres dans des groupes de rhythm & blues, d'autres encore dans des ensembles de musique africaine ou latine. Ils planifièrent alors la formation d'un nouveau collectif qui combinerait leurs intérêts musicaux avec leur vision particulière du monde: peu après, le Souljazz Orchestra voyait le jour.
Depuis ce temps, l'ensemble multiculturel canadien a eu la chance de collaborer, soit en live, soit dans le studio, avec des artistes légendaires tels que le chanteur de reggae jamaïcain Horace Andy, le guitariste rwandais/burundien Mighty Popo, ainsi que quelques anciens de l'Egypt 80 de Fela Kuti, soit Dele Sosimi et Mabinuori Kayode Idowu. Le groupe a donné des centaines de concerts à travers l'Amérique du Nord et l'Europe, partageant la scène avec certains des plus grands artistes du genre, incluant Femi Kuti, Etta James, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Érik Truffaz et le Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. Comme les dates internationales s'ajoutent constamment à l'horaire, le Souljazz Orchestra s'apprête maintenant à rejoindre le reste de la planète.
L'album le plus récent du groupe, Manifesto, est paru en fin d'année 2008, et se fait déjà acclamer comme classique du genre: « Meilleur album de l'année, » entonne Kalcha du magazine Vibrations, « Enthousiasmant amalgame de soul obsédant, de jazz tropical, de funk torride et d'afrobeat!, » s'exclame Voir Montréal, « Une grosse rasade de rythmes entraînants, » déclare 90BPM.
L'album précédent, Freedom No Go Die, met en vedette la voix rauque et puissante du Mighty Popo. Après sa parution en 2006, la critique encense l'album, et plusieurs pistes apparaissent sur des compilations importantes, côte à côte avec les poids lourds de la scène contemporaine : Amy Winehouse, Radiohead, Common, Quantic, K-os... Les auditeurs de l'émission BBC de Gilles Peterson choisissent en plus le tube Mista President comme étant l'un des dix meilleurs de l'année.
De toute évidence, l'avenir s'annonce prometteur pour le Souljazz Orchestra...
----------
"That's made for music, that is! Souljazz Orchestra, from Canada!" - Gilles Peterson, BBC Radio 1, UK
CDs and MP3s can be purchased through CD Baby (both Manifesto and Freedom No Go Die) and other online stores.
12" LP and 7" single vinyl records are available through Kudos Records.
We opened on our page the AFRO PEPITES SHOW competition. The 1st first competition researcher of Africans pepites. Fast come to discover what an AFRO PEPITE on our site...
From 1st till 15 July, it’s a competition photo: Amateurs or professionals come numerous to post us your most beautiful photo of Africa. She can reveal the African beauty, of good moments shared in Africa, her art … That can be one of your photos or the photo of Africa which speaks to you most!
Cultural solidarity with Africa: make the African culture shine …
Spend the information, Competition opened to the whole world !
Best
Laetitia for African Dream
Discover also our knocks of heart: - www.myspace.com/fasodenya The new youth of the Burkina Faso, on European tour in summer, 2010 - www.myspace.com/kakosano on the road of its TILANNI tour 2009/2010
Hi! Thanx big time for the add! Love your original sound, keep doin it your own style :) I'm doin' some funky writings on afrobeatmovement.wordpress.com, check it out if you want to!
Thanks for the add! keep spreading good sounds! Funky Seventy thanks ahead of time... Spreading the its Funk&Soul... Peace... Hugs Brazilian Greetings www.cdbaby.com/cd/funkyseventy
Hello my friends! so, the tour is finished in france? i hope it was fabulous until the end. Thank u again for the marvelous guig in bordeaux, it was magik to share the stage with you! with love, lalao
salamaleikoum la famille comment ca spass?? bien ou bien?? mon poto S TANCK sort une tape avant son 1er album solo pass deja ecouter ces deux morceaux fais toi ton avis...
great gig @ Turnhout (Belgium) last weekend! really enjoyed it.
although it's in dutch, here a link to our concert report (including photo's and a small video clip): http://www.tropicalidad.be/pivot/entry.php?id=738
