World Music News & Reviews by David Sharp
g l o b a l
n o t e s
TM . . .
World
Music News & Reviews by David
Sharp
 VOILÁ... THE
FRENCH!
Call it fracas, franglais or force majeure, French music is a part of today's world music market. Thirty years ago it was Hurricane Camille, women's trouser outfits, and the end of a British music invasion. Today it's Hurricane Floyd, women's underwear as a fashion statement, and voilá--a veritable pirouette of French music! Let's start with a French traditionalist, Julien Clerc. As the race heats up to become another hip-hop nation, France retains its integrity in Julien Clerc (pronounced "Clair"), who stands apart, refreshingly cool and, well...so French! Here is a real crooner with a gentle vibrato who specializes in power ballads and intimate songs. Clerc's music is a delightful change of tempo from the usual frenetic fare called "world music." With emphasis on the lyrics and their careful pronunciation, this chanteur de charme is in the same league as the dramatic Italian singer, Eros Ramazzotti, and the oft-compared Americain, Bruce Springsteen. The English liner notes reveal Clerc's allure in these lyrics from his signature song, "Femmes...Je Vous Aime (Women...I love you": Never easy, always fragile and difficult, yes difficult...!
The album's 12 songs offer us a dreamy look into this
30-year professional who reveals: "I am a French singer. I try to write good
melodies, find beautiful words to accompany them, then sing them well. That
is my job." Clerc is the contemporary face of la chanson francaise,
and he knows his job! Listening to Clerc is an intimate experience not unlike
sitting on a cafe terrace with a close friend over an aperitif. If
you missed his inaugural U.S. Spring '99 tour, or you love listening to
thoughtful love songs spun through beautiful melodies, treat yourself to
Rendez-vous with Julien Clerc (Tinder 42857562).
The debut of Saga's Face a Face (Tinder 42857282) is sure to attract an American audience that will love his back-alley charm and shadowy voice. A Montepellier version of Tom Waits or Dylan, Saga easily alternates his husky vocals with punchy electric guitar runs and a bluesy harmonica. There is an uneasy familiarity here that makes Saga accessable, yet foreign--like french fries with mayonnaise! Saga crosses world music frontiers with hints of hip-hop on Sax, a paen to musicians everywhere, and North African drumming on "Au nom du quoi" (In the Name of What), written in memory of slain Algerian singer Lounes Matouh. For blues fans, there is the melancholy "Devil Blues" and a swampy tribute to the South on "Baton Rouge." If you like your French music with a little fuzz guitar, you'll enjoy the masterful work of guitarist Georges Bodossian, who, along with harmonica player Matthieu Fromont, provides the tension needed to ignite Saga's edgy moods and smoldering voice. An auspicious start for the vocalist who originally forsake music to become an actor.
"I did not think much of my voice," confides Saga in
a recent call from Marin County, California. (He divides his time between
San Francisco and Paris.) When com- But not for long. Saga will soon be hitting the road to promote Face a Face (pronounced fas-ah-fas) to rock and blues fans alike. Saga should do well on both sides of the Atlantic! NOTE: Be sure to look for the following titles by some of the best artists that France has to offer, which are available to world music buyers here in the United States.
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