Irreverence and whacky names wow island's music fans

by Daniel Brown

Article published on the 2008-12-19 Latest update 2008-12-19 12:13 TU

Birdy Nam Nam
(Photo: Daniel Brown)

Percussionist Cyril Atef and Vincent Ségal make up the Bumcello duo, who combined at the Sakifo festival with Réunion singer Nathalie Natiembe. For the past two years, they have been among the highlights of the gathering held every August on this French Indian Ocean island. They shared the billing with a quartet of turntable wizards with another outlandish name, Birdy Nam Nam. Both groups share a love of electronic sounds and a slightly whacky irreverence.

Little Mike is one of an impressive quatuor going by the equally impressive name of Birdy Nam Nam, who were the 2002 DMC World Champions. Their second album Manual for a successful rioting appears in January. That title probably should read "successful riot".

Their first single Worried is very much a dancefloor song - an indication of where the group is heading. But Birdy Nam Nam’s mix of funky grooves and acid electronic rhythms have brought them accolades from circles well beyond one music genre.

The turntabling foursome are on a five-month tour through a chunk of Europe beginning in January 2009.

Nathalie Natiembé
(Photo: Daniel Brown)

The tour schedule is slightly more sedate for the French duo Bumcello. Cellist Vincent Ségal and Cyril Atef on percussion continue to produce a rare alchemy of sounds they have picked up worldwide.

But they also devote much of their time to collaborations outside of Bumcello.

Cyril Atef, for example, has regularly been seen at the side of the the likes of Cheb Mami, Princess Erika, Matthieu Chedid and Brigitte Fontaine.

He has also just released the debut album of Congopunq, a group Cyril has labelled “a central african trance collision with punQ energy”.