 |
  |
Bruno Blum's afrobeat
The Paris-Lagos Connection
Paris
28/11/2003 -
Fighting protest spirit, deep-seated spirituality and passion for their African roots – Bob Marley and Fela Anikulapo Kuti were drawn from the same musical mould. And both had famous run-ins with the governments of their day. While music fans in Kingston are not all that familiar with the king of Afrobeat, their counterparts in the Nigerian capital, Lagos, adore Bob Marley. And that's how Bruno Blum, reviver of Jamaican rhythms (from Gainsbourg to Marley) ended up being invited to the "Maison de France" in Lagos to give a talk on Marley and his music. Besides being a journalist, author, artist and producer, Blum is also an excellent musician – and he took advantage of his trip to Nigeria to record a souvenir album.
Once he had finished lecturing his reggae-ophile audience at the "Maison de France", Blum met up with local music figures for a series of jam sessions. It was on one of these occasions that the Parisian musician, dressed in traditional Yoruba costume, ended up mixing the chords of his Gretsch Corvette guitar with the vocal chords of an up-and-coming Nigerian singer called Amala. Young, good-looking and intelligent – and fired by the same protest spirit as Fela and Blum – Amala soon joined forces with Blum. The result was a lengthy recording session in the legendary Decca/Afrodisia Studio in Lagos (the 100% analogue studio where Fela recorded much of his work).
When night fell and the curfew sent Lagos's 15 million inhabitants scurrying to their homes, Blum, Amala and a group of twenty ex-accomplices of Fela (including drummer Ajayi Adebiyi, guitarist David Obanyedo and tenor sax star Yinusa YS Akinnibosun) met up in the studio. Their recording session lasted a mammoth 14 hours, during which time the musicians created some incredible improvisations based on Blum et Amala's compositions. The result is four long 'flow' tracks (including two versions in French) that tap into the pure tradition of Afrobeat. The album title Welikom 2 Lay-Gh-Us (Welcome to Lagos)? A simple tribute to Fela's illustrator, Ghariokwu Lemi, whose work graces the cover of the album.
Surprising as it may seem, Blum's bantering Parisian 'tchatche' fuses neatly with Nigerian Afrobeat. And while tracks like Paris c’est pas funky and its backing chant of "Bruno Blum-Bruno Blum-Bruno Blum" are a long way from Fela's ITT, they vibrate with the same communicative spirit. As far as lyric content goes, Blum declares eternal love for Africa while denouncing the "White Elephants" (multi-nationals implanted in Africa). He also preaches interior revolution via respect and devotion to the Indian elephant god Ganesh. RFI Musique hooked up with the former London punk, Lou Reed fan and Kingston studio addict, in the popular neighbourhood of Ménilmontant in Paris:
RFI Musique: The track Paris, c’est pas Funky (Paris Isn't Funky) includes a list of African towns you love. Where have you been in Africa?
Bruno Blum: Well, actually, the first time I set foot in Africa was when I went out to Lagos to make this album. But my passion for reggae and Rastas has always given me a close connection with Africa, particularly Ethiopia. I can't say I really had the opportunity to visit Nigeria while I was out there because I spent most of my time in the studio. I never even got to visit the famous "Shrine" where Fela played every night. The Shrine's become a major stop on the tourist route these days, you know, even though there aren't that many tourists in Nigeria right now.
I got a really good impression of Nigerians. They're incredibly open and they come across as very cultivated and intellectual. I was extremely enthusiastic about Lagos. It's like the New York of Africa; it's always on the go. There's always this incredible buzz in the air. I think Africa's the future of the world. The continent's got such a lot to teach Europeans. That's one of the messages I tried to get across on my new album, in fact.
Who exactly is Amala, the singer you worked with on Welikom 2 Lay-Gh-Us?
Amala's a young singer and saxophonist from the Ibo tribe. He taps into the same protest spirit as Afrobeat. He recently wrote a series of tracts denouncing the administration of General Obasanjo who was responsible for the deaths of a number of Fela's relatives. Amala comes from the Ajegunle ghetto where he's played an important role in organising concerts and acted as an MC to present other groups.
Recording this album was a real adventure for me. When you go out to a country with the knowledge that maybe you'll never go there again you know you have to leave nothing left unsaid. You have to give your all musically, too. I knew I was lucky to get the chance to go out to Lagos and I tried to live up to it. I worked really hard on the compositions before we got down to the recording, trying to give 100% of myself. It was a bit like doing the "Paris-Dakar" firsthand! I hope all that effort and intensity come across when people listen to the album. Whatever the case, I know that intensity was there in my heart when I was recording.
We didn't actually have that much time to spend on recording and that meant I had to be sincere, honest and give 100% of myself very quickly. I don't know whether I could give as much of myself playing in Paris, in fact. That's one of the reasons I've often gone out to record in Jamaica.
There's a song on your new album in which you describe yourself as a "clean-living dandy." How can a clean-living dandy follow in Fela's footsteps?
A clean-living dandy who sings Fela is someone who's passionate about what he does, someone who asserts his different identity and shows his love of Afro-Jamaican and Afro-American culture without doing drugs or alcohol. I know who I am. I'm not Nigerian or Jamaican; I'm a Parisian and that's how I present myself. I think knowing one's own identity is a strength. It's because I'm aware of my roots and my own culture that I can do Afrobeat without being completely out of phase with that music. I can give artists who are very different from myself something I know I'm good at and that is my work as a French songwriter. I think that mix creates a very special sound that has its own artistic value.
What similarities are there between you and Fela?
Fela wasn't afraid to speak out and live on the fringes of society which I think I do myself up to a point. Fela was courageous enough to fight his fight in Africa for which he paid a high price on a personal level. He was often beaten up for his beliefs and almost ended up in prison for life. Making a political st
Elodie Maillot
Translation : Julie Street
02/10/2006 -
02/08/2002 -
26/10/1998 -
29/11/2002 -
