Arat Kilo - Nouvelle fleur '2016

Tracks list

If you’ve never listened to ethio-jazz, a genre very popular in the bars
and hotels of Addis Ababa during the 1960s and ’70s, Arat Kilo’s
new album Nouvelle Fleur could be the perfect introduction. The Parisian band,
whose name comes from a famous monument in the Ethiopian capital, brought into
their third studio album several collaborations with singers and musicians from
around the world. Previously they also teamed up with Malian singer Rokia
Traoré and Canadian rapper Socalled.

Many influences flow within these 48 minutes of music, in which past and present
meet, and the sounds of different cultures mix seamlessly with each other. The
substance of their music is fundamentally rooted in ethio-jazz and the sounds of
East (and sometimes West) Africa, which are then combined with other genres such
as hip-hop, classic jazz, afrobeat or dub.

“Lancinant”, the first track of the album, is one of the most
remarkable examples of these matches, in which the verses of Bronx-based rapper
Mike Ladd meet the stunning voice of female Ethiopian singer Nardos Tesfaw. This
is not the only track with hip hop influences –
“Résister”, sung by Algerian rapper Rocé, is a nice blend of
old school French hip hop and jazz.

Afrobeat is also a prominent influence, as heard on the song
“Madala”, in collaboration with striking Malian singer Mamani Keita,
and “Siddist”.

Track number five, “Zär”, is unlike anything else you will hear
in this album. This melancholic and introspective composition for piano is
rather contrasting with the rest of the band’s work – it almost
feels like it belongs to a different body of work, and although this piece has a
stronger character than other songs on the album, it feels quite out of place
within the whole.

Surely Arat Kilo draws much inspiration from the heritage of classic jazz
– “Ambush in Cairo” vaguely reminds of Duke
Ellington’s masterpiece “Caravan”, with hints of Africa and
Middle-East, evoking the atmosphere of the busy streets of Addis Ababa on a warm
summer night.

“Ambush in Cairo” is not the only song that’s quite
reminiscent of the past; ‘Mestefeker”, track number seven, sounds
like a romantic soul tune coming straight from the 1960s, in itself, it
wouldn’t be very memorable, but with Bruck Tesfaye’s beautiful and
evocative singing, it reaches new heights.

Nouvelle Fleur is a blend of exotic hybrids. Each has its own personality and
unique nuances, but the fil rouge that should hold everything together is
somehow unclear. The album sounds more like a collection of good tracks that
work best as single pieces rather than a compact work that is coherent form
start to finish.

Nevertheless, the album does not lack originality and it’s surely a
pleasant listening experience, for the times when we need a bit of Africa to
brighten our day.

Tracklist:
01. Arat Kilo - Lancinant (feat. Mike Ladd & Nardos Tesfaw) (4:26)
02. Arat Kilo - Wondemiye (3:42)
03. Arat Kilo - Madala (feat. Mamani Keita) (4:57)
04. Arat Kilo - Ambush in Cairo (4:05)
05. Arat Kilo - Zär (1:52)
06. Arat Kilo - Nouvelle fleur (feat. David Neerman) (5:28)
07. Arat Kilo - Mestefeker (feat. Bruck Tesfaye) (3:46)
08. Arat Kilo - Siddist (2:53)
09. Arat Kilo - Résister (feat. Rocé) (3:34)
10. Arat Kilo - Masarat (6:21)
11. Arat Kilo - Cha Cha (6:44)
12. Arat Kilo - Siddist Short (0:47)

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