| Product Summary | | Label: Higher Octave | | UPC: 00724358256925 | | Release Date: 3/25/2003 | | Buy.com Sku: 60594044 | | Item#: MGMRQ4 | Format:  CD |
|
|
|
|
| Song Listing |  |
Disc 1
| | Song Title | Sample | | 1. Nu-Hymne ~ Les Nubians |  | | 2. Temperature Rising - (featuring Talib Kweli) ~ Les Nubians | | | 3. J'veux D'la Musique (Tout Le Temps...) ~ Les Nubians | | | 4. La Guerre ~ Les Nubians | | | 5. El Son Reggae ~ Les Nubians | | | 6. One Step Forward ~ Les Nubians | | | 7. Brothers & Sisters - (featuring Morgan Heritage) ~ Les Nubians | | | 8. Me & Me ~ Les Nubians | | | 9. Take T (Interlude Lounge Intermezzo) ~ Les Nubians | | | 10. Amour A Mort ~ Les Nubians | | | 11. Insomnie ~ Les Nubians | | | 12. Que Le Mot Soit Perle ~ Les Nubians | | | 13. Unfaithful/Si Infidele ~ Les Nubians | | | 14. Saravah ~ Les Nubians | | | 15. Immortel Cheikh Anta Diop ~ Les Nubians | |
|
| | Album Notes and Credits |
Notes & Personnel Info |  | Les Nubians: Helene Faussart, Celia Faussart (vocals). | | Additional personnel includes: Richard Bona (vocals, bass); Souleeymane Diamanka (vocals); Talib Kweli (rap vocals); Ray Lema (piano, keyboards); Manu Dibango (marimba). | | Producers include: Mounir Belkhir, I.G. Culture, T. Kae, Jean M'Ba, Les Nubians. | | Principally recorded at Twin, Paris, France; La Ka, Marseille, France; Electric Lady Studios, New York, New York; Sony Music Studios, London, England. | | "J'veux D'la Musique" was nominated for the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance. | | Personnel: Morgan Heritage, Richard Bona (vocals); Talib Kweli (rap vocals); Alberto D'Ascola (guitar, background vocals); Xavier Derouin (guitar); Popolipo (electric guitar); Christophe Morin (cello, strings); Christophe Briquet, S?bastien Levy, Philippe Nadal, Bertrand Cervera, Karen Brunon (strings); Finn Peters, Frederic Couderc (flute); Philippe Henry, Nicolas Gueret (brass, horns); Christophe Dutray (brass); Robert Mitchell (piano, Fender Rhodes piano); Ray Lema (piano, keyboards); Mario Canonge (keyboards); Manu Dibango (marimba); Emmanuel Binet (double bass); Alessandro Sorisini (drums); Renaud DeGreef, Memmalatel "Mr. Mojo" Morgan, Jacques Largent, Volker Str?ter (percussion); Tkae Mendez (programming); IG Culture, Esta, Anouch Adjarian, Celia Faussart, Randy Matthews, Ir?ne Tasambedo, Zaza, Helene Faussart, Marcia A. Escoffery (background vocals). | | Audio Mixers: Demus; Lee Hamblin. | | Recording information: Electric Lady Studios, New York, NY; Geejam Studios, Jamaica; La Ka Studio, Marseille, France; Sony Music Studios, London, England; Twin Studios, Paris, France. | | Photographer: Marc Baptiste. | | Unknown Contributor Roles: Yvan Jego; Souleymane Diamanka; Morgan Heritage; Richard Bona. | | Arrangers: Les Nubians; Benjamin Biolay. | | The surprise breakthrough of Les Nubians version of Sade's mellow and soulful ballad, "The Sweetest Taboo," helped their American debut, Les Princesses Nubiennes to achieve a higher position on the Billboard charts than any other French-language album in the previous decade. The sweet, seamless harmonies achieved by sisters Helene and Celia Faussart made an already hypnotic song intoxicating. So, it is no surprise that in their follow-up effort, One Step Forward, that those harmonies sung in the same soft, rounded, African-inflected French language would charm in the same way. What seems less successful are the English language efforts, especially the radio-friendly first single, "Temperature Rising," which features a stylish, if somewhat out-of-place rap delivered by Talib Kweli that seems grafted on. The sisters' trademark smoothness is diminished when they sing in English, which becomes even more obvious on their reggae-flavored duet with Morgan Heritage. Here the sisters flow from English to French throughout the song, and you can almost feel them tensing up and straining whenever they switch. Thankfully, though, such stumbles are few and far between on the album. Recorded in Jamaica, One Step Forward as a whole has a lulling, laid back, tropical feel that seems to effortlessly encompass jazz, African rhythms, R&B, pop and electronic sounds. ~ Stacia Proefrock | | Five years in the making but well worth the wait, the follow-up to 1998's PRINCESSES NUBIENNES finds French/Cameroon sisters Helene and Celia Faussart taking ONE STEP FORWARD with a collection of songs fusing elements of African and Western music. In keeping with the pride they have in their heritage, these siblings deliver most of the songs in French, and use jazz as a base reference, but with a heavier emphasis on hip-hop, reggae and R&B. Typical is the sensual jam "J'veux d'La Musique" with its Afro-Cuban piano runs, English snippets, and chugging rhythms that beg for dance-floor acknowledgment. | | Among the guests aiding Les Nubians in achieving a diverse musical worldview are Rastafarian family collective Morgan Heritage, who deliver the goods on the Wailers-flavored "Brothers & Sisters," and alt-rapper Talib Kweli, whose rhymes enhance the irresistible "Temperature Rising" (which also finds Cameroonian countryman Manu Dibango kicking in on marimba). From Brazilian-inspired workouts like the ethereal "Saravah" and more upbeat "Que Le Mot Soit Perle" to the equally moving trip-hoppish "Insomnie," ONE STEP FORWARD finds Les Nubians successfully defining their sound for the 21st Century. |
Engineer: Tkae Mendez; Demus; Mounir Belkhir; Dave Dar |
Musical Guests | | Talib Kweli | | Manu Dibango | | Morgan Heritage | | Richard Bona | | Ray Lema |
| | Compilation Appearances |
| | Technical Info | | Release Date : 03/25/2003 | | Original Release Date : 2003 | | Catalog ID : 82569 | | Label : OM Town | | Number of Discs : 1 | | Studio/Live : Studio | | Mono/Stereo : Stereo | | SPAR Code : n/a | | UPC : 00724358256925 |
|
| | Professional Reviews | | Entertainment Weekly (4/04/03, p.100)
- "...Intricate harmonies that sound lke an updated version of Sade's seductive soul mixed with the jazz-pop stylings of Swing Out Sister..." - Rating: BCMJ (03/24/03, p.9)
- "...[Carries] the pair's smooth amalgamation of Jazz, Hip-Hop, World music and R&B to its next progressive step..." Vibe (5/03, p.156)
- 4 out of 5 - "...Les Nubians have recorded more than an album: They've created the sonic equivalent to a deep-tissue massage..." Mojo (Publisher)
(5/03, p.106)
- 4 stars out of 5 - "...[With] an organic sound, pulling sophisticated Parisian pop, West African rhythm, and Jamaican reggae into a compelling blend of 21st century world music..." |
|
| |
|
|
