|
Sarazino is the
brainchild of Lamine Fellah, a
musician, songwriter and
producer whose nomadic life is
reflected in the multicultural
influences in his songs. Fellah
is a true child of a globalized
world and Sarazino's music draws
on reggae, Latin and African
grooves, Arabic music and
catchy, international pop to
create an upbeat celebration of
the diverse world we all share.
Fellah was born in Constantine,
Algeria, on March 3, 1970. His
father was a career diplomat
whose postings brought the
family to live in Spain and
Switzerland, as well as the
African countries of Burundi and
Burkina Faso. While living in
Africa, the young Fellah was
exposed to many different
varieties of West African music
styles as well as reggae, which
was very popular in Africa at
the time. At an early age,
Fellah was introduced to Arab-Andalusian
music and Spanish flamenco by
his mother, and grew up
listening to popular French
music.
In 1984, when he was 14 years
old, Fellah bought his first
drum set and soon became
interested in writing his own
music. Fellah was living in
Burkina Faso at the time, and
the fertile musical environment
inspired him to form a band with
some local friends. In 1988,
Fellah moved to Canada to get
his degree in political science
and economics at the University
of Montréal. His true passion,
however, remained with music.
Montréal's active nightclub and
festival scene gave him plenty
of opportunities to explore new
sounds.
In 1993, tragedy befell Fellah's
family when Islamic radicals in
Algeria assassinated his father
and forced the rest of his
family into a life of exile from
their homeland. This intensely
personal confrontation with
fundamentalism and violence had
a great impact on Fellah's
music, which emphasizes the need
for personal and political
freedom while encouraging people
to love their neighbors and
celebrate our commonalities as
well as our differences.
Fellah formed the original
incarnation of Sarazino in
Montréal in 1995, and the
project's first album was
released in 1997. While all of
the songs on Et Puis Voila were
in French, the music fused
African, Algerian and French
influences. The album was well
received, but it was not a huge
commercial success, and Fellah
decided to focus on traveling
and exploring the world.
|
On a trip to Ecuador in 1996,
Fellah fell in love with Latin
America and Latin music. He
decided to move to Quito, where
he now has an active music
production business. In 2003,
the second Sarazino album, Mundo
Babilón, was released by
Ecuadorian label MTM, and the
Latin American influence on the
project's music was already
apparent. The release attracted
the attention of Putumayo World
Music's then head of A&R and
music research, Jacob Edgar, and
two of Sarazino's tracks ended
up appearing on Putumayo
collections (World Party and
Latin Reggae).
Eventually, Edgar went on to
form the acclaimed independent
record label Cumbancha, which
invited Sarazino to be a part of
the Cumbancha Discovery series.
The new line seeks to introduce
a wide audience to exceptional
emerging talent from around the
world. The production of
Sarazino's Cumbancha Discovery
album Ya Foy! began in 2007 in
Quito. Fellah came to
Cumbancha's Charlotte, Vermont
studios in May 2009 to put the
finishing touches on the album,
which will be released in the
fall of 2009.
On Ya Foy! (which means no
problem in the Dioula language
of West Africa), Sarazino
presents a musical melting pot
of roots reggae and Latin
grooves with Arabic and West
African flavors spicing up the
mix. Many songs feature the
inspired vocals of Revelino
Aguidissou, a native of Benin,
Africa, who also somehow ended
up settling in the Andean
metropolis of Quito. Ecuadorian
guitarist Pablo Estrella adds
tasty riffs, backing up a
selection of guest artists
ranging from reggae legend Toots
Hibbert of Toots and the Maytals
to Latin toaster Blanquito Man
from the ska-rock band King
Chango. Fellah also collaborated
with a number of lyricists,
including Isidro García, a
Spanish poet who wrote the words
for more then half of the songs
on the album. The result of this
musical mélange is a savory stew
of catchy, accessible songs that
offer a soundtrack for a true
world party.
Listen to the music of Sarazino
Sarazino
Links:
|
