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Elly Roberts reviews

Putumayo Presents Euro Groove

Distributed by
Putumayo World Music

Released: March 2008

Rating: 10/10

Putumayo’s clever world music policy has done it once again – hit my music button. When I drive down to Spain this summer, this’ll be part of my ‘holiday soundtrack’ for summer 2008; such is the feel-good factor.

Ok, so you’ll need to a multi-linguist to understand the lyrics, but it shouldn’t prevent you from enjoying this exquisite collection by some of Europe’s finest musicians, producers and DJs. Euro Groove is oooooozing in sophistication and style, exemplified by the opening song Destins et Desirs lifted from Tootya (2007) by Lebanese saxophonist and jazz composer Toufic Farroukh. After the opening strings and lazy drum beat it soon gets into its easy-going stride with Jeanne Added’s smokey and sensual vocals, in French, putting the icing on the cake. Midway there are shades of Farroukh’s middle-eastern roots.

The loungy jazz overtones of German duo Bettina Mischke and Roland Grosch aka Jazzamor, provide the perfect segue on Nuit Magique, sung again in French. Italian World Music ensemble Fiamma Fumana (fire mist) is well known for fusing Italian folk with electronica. Here the quintet’s Check In combines trad folk sensibilities with contemporary RnB, bringing sparkling results.

Six-piece !Dela Dap began in 2002 headed by Prague producer Stani Vana who was raised in the Slovak mountains. Though not a Roma as such, Le Shin still possesses a gypsy-like quality which he absorbed from the region, propelled by a violin layered over a smooth and funky groove, which this collection is all about. Madrid based quartet Guateque All Stars’ Superwhirly is lifted from their self-titled 2002 album. They use a rotation of lead vocalists. This time the track is fronted by Shiva who adds a touch of sensuality. Berlin duo Inga Humpe and Tommi Eckart are veterans on the German alternative pop scene.

Madchen Mit Plan (Girl with a plan) was originally released on In Wirklich in 2002. It tells the tale of a chance meeting between two lonely people, and it’s one of the standout tracks here. Formed in Yorkshire, Chumbawamba have been together for over two decades, scoring a massive hit with Tubthumping in 1997.

The excellent Jacob’s Ladder is an example of their departure from anthemic pop, veering more towards world music, tinged with Celtic flavours. Smoother lounge stylings remerge via the cool and sophisticated Florentine trio Mystic Diversion’s E Pa-Pa, featuring sultry singer/songwriter/ actress Pati Palma, singing in French.

Continuing the French theme, brothers Mouss and Hakim Amokrane hail from Toulouse, with their song Mina reflecting the oppression of women, by people who follow fundamentalist beliefs.

File under: Very cool.

Weblink: putuyamo.com

The full list of tracks included are :

1. Destins et Desirs – Toufic Farroukh feat. Jeanne Added (France/Lebanon) 2. Nuit Magigue – Jazzamor (Germany) 3. Check In – Fiamma Fumana (Italy) 4. Le Shin - !DelaDap ( Czech Rep / Hungary /Austria) 5. Cette Fille – Martial (France) 6. Superwhirly – Guateque All Stars feat. Shiva (Spain) 7. Madchen Mit Plan – 2raumwohnung (Germany) 8. Jacob’s Ladder – Chumbawamba (England) 9. E Pa-Pa – Mystic Diversions (Italy) 10. Mina – Mouss et Hakim (France)

Review & concert pics copyright © Elly Roberts, 2004-2008. For prints of any of Elly's concert pics online, email Elly or call 07765 862017.

DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TXW32R4 32" widescreen TV connected to either a Creative Dxr2 DVD-ROM player or Microsoft Xbox and played through a Sony STR-DB930 amplifier.

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