CD Review: Le Vent Du Nord's 'Tetu'

Le Vent Du Nord
Tetu
Borealis Records

Quebecois-origins aside, Le Vent Du Nord is a magnificient folk music group with hearty strings, thought-provoking vocals, intense melodies, raw hurdy-gurdy sounds, and other elements that are likable and timeless. There are instrumental and vocal medleys throughout. The instrumental and bouncy, "Cardeuse-Riopel," is an excellent example of piano, fiddle, accordion, and other instruments coming together in a harmonic fashion. The folksy roots and earthy feel to the album stems from the talented cast of musicians, including Nicolas Boulerice, Olivier Demers, Rejean Brunet, and Simon Beaudry. Fifteen tracks round out the album. Some of the songs are under two-minutes, but a majority of the songs are two to five-minutes long. There is a classical quality to the music, but there is a strong Quebecois element highlighting the best of French-Canadian folk music. Start off on the right foot with Le Vent Du Nord. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Nadaka & Gopika's 'Surya'

Nadaka & Gopika
Surya
Raga Mantra

Nadaka & Gopika's newest release, Surya, contains beautiful, contemplative, and aural-friendly vedic mantras with the light and energy of the sun the primary focus here. The instrumental tunes contain some of Gopika's Indian vocals, but Nadaka's raga guitar, guitar synth, and added vocals add an avant-garde and experimental element to the mix. The duo are joined by tabla, violin, percussion, and sampling on most of the tracks. There is a transcendental quality to the sound that creates a sense of deeper calm and new age spiritualism. The South Asian and Sanskirt-soaked album is meditative enough to be wanted by yoga fanatics and world fusion fans everywhere. There are eight total tracks that range from four to nine minutes in length. There are some electronic subtleties that remind us of the modern era; but nothing is too overdone or overt here. Experience inner and outer light with Surya. ~ Matthew Forss

La Bottine Souriante - Edmonton Folk Music Festival 2012

La Bottine Souriante, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

As a Quebec music enthusiast for many years, I was thrilled when I found out that La Bottine Souriante would be the Saturday afternoon main stage act at the 2012 Edmonton Folk Music Festival.

Although there have been several personnel changes over the years, the music was as lively as ever, featuring accordion, a horn section, foot stomping percussion, and fiddle - lots of fiddle. The dancer also added a lot to the atmosphere of the performance.

Energy and excitement is at the heart of La Bottine Souriante, which takes traditional Quebec music and elevates it beyond linguistic boundaries.

CD Review: Dala's 'Best Day'

Dala
Best Day
Campus Music

The Canadian vocal duo, Dala, is not your average group, because they know how to find harmonies and melodies that always seems to captivate listeners everywhere. Their previous release, Everyone Is Someone, contains a more pop-folk-centric prodution, while Best Day capitalizes on that newfound success without incorporating the same pop-folk melodies. In fact, Best Day is more stripped down compared to earlier albums. For example, the repertoire consists mostly of alternative folk or pop elements with light guitar, piano, and lesser contributions from trumpet, banjo, bass, keyboards, drums, strings, and mandolin. At any rate, Dala's vocals are crystalline and infectious as much as any other previous album. The last track, "Too Many Kittens," is a playful composition with several outtakes that make it interesting to say the very least. Dala's Best Day is here for your listening pleasure. ~ Matthew Forss 

CD Review: La Bottine Souriante's 'Appellation D'Origine Controlee'

La Bottine Souriante
Appellation D'Origine Controlee
Borealis Records

Over thirty years of music-making and numerous albums have not stopped Quebec's La Bottine Souriante from producing great music. The folk music is relatively unique and fresh, since it incorporates alot of European percussion and Irish melodies. The French influences are pervasive throughout. For instance, the song lyrics are in French in the liner notes. Plus, the fiddling traditions of Southern Canada and Ireland for that matter, are effortlessly showcased on vocal and instrumental tracks. Twelve tracks round out the album with a majority falling somewhere in-between folk, Irish, and French folk music traditions. All in all, La Bottine Souriante know how to make lively, dance-ready tunes in a jazzy, folksy, and traditional setting. Quebecois fans should rejoice with this special recording of superb music for any occasion. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Melanie Guay's 'Palais D'Helium'

Melanie Guay

Palais D'Helium

Passport

The Quebec-based Melanie Guay is a singer of sweet, melodic French-lyric songs. The lilting tunes are evocative of many French singers that came before her, including Patricia Kaas, Francoise Hardy, and Carla Bruni. A more modern-focused folk and pop set of songs makes Palais D'Helium (Palace of Helium) float high above her nearest competition. The catchy "De Quoi Je Suis Faite," the laid-back "Les Promesses" and "Palais D'Helium," the breathy "Pepite D'Ame," and the crystalline opener "Les Grandes Esperances" showcase her vocal talents in slightly different settings. The sweet vocals and modern arrangements propel Melanie into another realm of talent previously unattained by similar artists. All of the music is created with synths, piano, bass, guitars, clarinet, violin, percussion, and beatbox. Palais D'Helium is a lyrical playground of musical fun that is sure to enthrall all who love Quebecoise music or French pop music. The music rising to the occasion with every note and, as an added bonus, the cover photo is particularly eye-catching, too. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Quebec's Mauvais Sort

Mauvais Sort

Droit Devant

NG Productions

To describe Mauvais Sort as spellbinding would not be very far from the truth. In fact, the translation of their name can be described as "to put a spell on someone". Canada's folk-funk-ska group is a riotous journey through the Balkans, Scandinavia, and the North American continent. All of the vocal songs are sung in French, with accompanying liner notes in French, too. The horns, guitars, bass, strings, and punchy percussion make Droit Devant (Straight Ahead) a fun listen. The edgy "Ne vous estimez pas tant" is similar to something Canada's Glengarry Bhoys would produce. The military-esque "La mort du colonel", the anthemic classical-standard "Il me faut un mari", Andalusian-inspired "Cabane a Zouk", and the groovy "Le Pere Bacchus" cement Mauvais Sort's uncanny ability to produce music with different elements and sounds without sacrificing quality. Droit Devant does not deviate too far away from Canada's fiddling traditions, but it is still a contemporary effort. A happy mix of foot-stomping, head-bobbing music to thrill the soul. ~ Matthew Forss

Genticorum - A Taste of French Tradition

Genticorum - EFMF 2010
Originally uploaded by raise my voice

Anyone who knows me or is an avid reader of Inside World Music knows about my love affair with French music. Although I had never heard of Genticorum before, I was excited to see a contemporary trio performing traditional French music at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. With flute, fiddle, and foot-stomping, the musicians led the audience through a musical history lesson. The name Genticorum is actually Latin for "Of the National Men." All three of the musicians have academic backgrounds in music, and if guitarist Yann Falquet looked familiar to an Edmonton audience, there was good reason: he used to play here in town with The McDades. ~ Paula E. Kirman