French music seen abroad - February 2005

Matmatah in India

Paris 

02/02/2005 - 

With Asia struggling to get back on its feet in the wake of the tsunami disaster, French rock band Matmatah debated whether to call off their first tour of India. But Indian tour organisers convinced the group the show had to go on as an affirmation of life and hope.

Following the tragic events which wrought havoc across Asia on 26 December 2004, leaving coastal regions destroyed, millions flooded out of their homes and 300,000 people missing or dead, music seemed to be the last thing on anyone's mind. Not surprisingly, Breton rock band Matmatah were uncomfortable about the idea of setting off on their first tour of India under these circumstances. But, shortly afterwards, a message posted on the band's website informed fans of a change of heart. "Given that India has been hit by the tsunami, the group initially felt it would be inappropriate to maintain their tour dates in India," the message began, "but tour organisers in India convinced them otherwise. They claimed life is carrying on as normal in India and this is what everyone wants. So Matmatah's Indian tour dates are being maintained."

In the end, the group's decision turned out very well for them. Following weeks of the media being saturated with tragic stories, journalists and readers were only too pleased to find a lighter news item and the announcement of Matmatah's tour, which kicked off mid-January, went down extremely well in the press. In the course of nine concerts, the band managed to "break all decibel barriers, but in perfect harmony," according to the correspondent from the Chandigarh edition of Express India (19/01), who turned out to see Matmatah in concert at Punjab University in Chandigarh (the capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana). In fact, he concluded, the Breton foursome rocked the house "in true anarchist, rebellious rock and roll style!"

Striking the right chord with Indian youth

Matmatah, who are complete unknowns in the land of Bollywood, were nevertheless billed in national and local papers as "one of the leading rock groups from France." A journalist on the website Chennai Online (20/01) informed readers that the Matmatah "adventure began in 1992… but the media craze for the group started during their triumphant marathon tour of 80 performances from L’Élysée-Montmartre to Le Zénith, by way of multiple festivals." The critic from the Hindustan Times (15/01) put Matmatah’s success down to their skilful mix of influences, noting that "they explore an eclectic range of sounds in their music, from rock to electronic and jazz… They are also open to the idea of incorporating foreign melodies in their 'oeuvre.' Perhaps, the critic from the Hindustan Times mused, the band would "explore the musical diversity of the Indian sub-continent and include Indian influences in their work."

There's no doubt the Breton foursome will take home some kind of inspiration from their passage to India (although exactly what form this might take in their music remains to be seen!) For the time being, the group appear to be concentrating on introducing a more socially conscious streak in their work. Their latest album, Archie Kramer (released in France on the Barclay label in autumn 2004) "is more political than their two previous albums." And this should strike a chord with young Indian music fans who have been openly critical of their government and national politicians, accusing them of not having done enough for the population in the aftermath of the tsunami.

Meanwhile, in an interview with the daily Times Of India (21/01), Matmatah put their finger on what they believed was the nub of their sound. "Our music is about us!" declared Stan, aka Tristan Nihouan, the group's lead singer and guitarist. "We play English songs, with some French ones too. We talk about ourselves and our experiences in life." Should this go down as a bad case of egocentricity or a serious stab at authenticity? Either way, Stan believes that "People hardly pay attention to the lyrics anyway!" This is hardly surprising given that it is not always easy for your average Indian music fan to break through the language barrier and grasp the full meaning of a song. The problem works both ways, too. Matmatah admit they have not found it straightforward to take in all the aspects of another culture in the course of their trip. "We find Indian music is a bit complicated compared to Western music, but it’s beautiful," adds Stan, with a smile, pointing out that none of the musicians in Matmatah were professionally trained at music school.

After a final concert at the Chavan Auditorium in Bombay (4 February 2005), the Breton foursome are due to return to France, where their new video clip for Au conditionnel is set to take TV music channels by storm. But there will be little time for the group to put their feet up and reminisce about their experiences in India. In the spring, they will be hitting the road again on an extensive tour of France.

 

Gilles  Rio

Translation : Julie  Street