The child Fanfant, grown up!
Jean-Philippe Fanfant at RFI.
© Christian Rose
By: Joe Farmer Follow
3 min
At 55, it was time for drummer Jean-Philippe Fanfant to finally unite his acolytes and friends around a daring transatlantic musical project.
Between Guinea Conakry, the West Indies and the United States, his sound journey required the virtuoso contribution of a few big names from "L'Épopée des Musiques Noires" including Manu Katché, Andy Narell, Guy Nsangué, Michel Alibo, Allen Hoist, Roger Raspail, Stéphane Castry, in particular…
Since 1966
is a rich, ambitious, inspired album.
All that's missing is the discerning ears of swing enthusiasts to give it the popular sparkle it deserves.
Advertising
In Guadeloupe, the Fanfant family is an institution… There are four generations of instrumentalists who nourish a secular heritage. Over time, traditions have resisted but have very gradually changed. Music is obviously one of the matrices of West Indian culture, gwoka and bèlè, in particular, have accompanied the evolution of customs and popular Caribbean history. Jean-Philippe Fanfant is the result of these constant overseas mutations. Aware of the importance of preserving a heritage, he masters his ever more inventive performances with a rhythm that respects the origins that he fine-tunes through encounters and intercontinental trips. Whether he performs with Touré Kunda, Angélique Kidjo, Sting, Shaggy, Tania Maria or Mario Canonge,it retains this requirement and this cadence that its roots impose on it.
The mischievous Jean-Philippe Fanfant.
© Christian Rose
After decades of fruitful collaborations in the four corners of the planet, he had to ask himself to consider a personal work.
The pandemic at least had the virtue of giving it time.
He invited accomplices, partners, to participate in his album.
Since 1966
narrates the artistic journey of a seasoned polyrhythmician who walks from Conakry to New York, from Paris to Basse-Terre with the secret hope of opening our minds and our ears to the different scents of his multicolored universe.
The contours of this landscape are not definitive, Jean-Philippe Fanfant leaves us the choice to continue exploring, we just need to be curious and attentive.
Her melodic and pluralistic mastery does not militate for a better exposure of Caribbean traditions, she affirms them.
You will never hear Jean-Philippe Fanfant complain about being shunned by the metropolitan media.
He knows that his tireless work on stage and in the studio works for his legitimacy.
Jean-Philippe Fanfant, ready for the "Jazz sur Seine" festival.
© Christophe Tardy
Listen to
Kanary Conakry
,
Oh Happy J
,
Peyi Béni
or
Diamente
and you will instantly feel the sensitive diversity of this repertoire nourished by African, American, Caribbean or Cuban notes.
The universality of this sensory invitation is obvious and as warm as the radiant smile of its author.
Jean-Philippe Fanfant will meet you on October 13, 2021 at the Sunside in Paris.
He will be surrounded by his most faithful traveling companions and we have some big surprises in store for us!
⇒ The site of
Jean-Philippe Fanfant.
Newsletter
Receive all international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Culture
Music
On the same subject
The epic of black music
Castry's therapy
The epic of black music
Afro Jazz Pulsations: Touré Kunda and Chucho Valdés
The epic of black music
The "Ka" Roger Raspail