Les origines de la Grèce

Masque d'Agamemnon, roi de Mycènes

« Les origines de la Grèce », sixième volume paru il y a un mois de la collection « Histoire et civilisations » éditée par National Geographic et présentée en France par le grand historien Jacques Le Goff, est consacré aux origines de l'hellénisme.

Ce projet qui a pour but de « faire revivre le passé et aider à la compréhension du monde » selon Le Goff, a réuni le comité scientifique transnational de National Geographic, composé d'universitaires de France, d'Italie, d'Angleterre, d'Espagne et des États-Unis. Le livre propose une découverte du monde hellénique à travers ses peintures, ses sculptures et ses ruines ; en fournissant des frises chronologiques, des schémas et des cartes explicatives accompagnant le récit historique, ainsi que des « dossiers » d'approfondissement sur des sujets tels que la découverte de Troie ou les Jeux olympiques, pour plonger au cœur de cette civilisation riche en en ayant un regard scientifique autant qu'émerveillé.

Ruines de la cité de Troie

« Les origines de la Grèce » nous livre ainsi le témoignage d'une civilisation, peuple de marins et de colons, qui a toujours dépassé les frontières géographiques de la Grèce pour aller se loger jusqu'en Asie Mineure, en Italie, en Gaule ou en Ibérie, apportant avec elle les fondements de notre civilisation européenne.

Depuis le XIX° siècle, deux civilisations palatiales ont été découvertes : les Mycéniens, dont le souvenir se perpétuera à travers les poèmes de la guerre de Troie, et les Minoens de Crète, la plus ancienne civilisation européenne mais toujours non-identifiée. C'est sur cette première période que le livre commence, en ajoutant un dossier spécial sur la découverte de Troie initiée dans les années 1870 par Heinrich Schliemann – 

                                                                                      qui a également exhumé les ruines de Tyrinthe et de Mycènes.

Alphabet phénicien

Après l'apogée puis effondrement de ces grandes civilisations, il faudra attendre la fin des 400 ans de « siècles obscurs », période de profond changements socio-culturels mais dont les traces historiques sont quasi inexistantes, pour qu'à partir du IX° siècle un monde grec nouveau fleurisse : les VIII°-VI° siècle avant J.-C. étaient une période de splendeur où les grecs colonisateurs ont exporté l'alphabet phénicien, la littérature, les sciences, l'économie d'échange, ainsi que la mythologie, l'architecture et la sculpture (des dossiers y étant consacrés dans le livre)...

À son apogée, la Cité fut créée : un système fondé sur la parité et la participation d'institutions représentatives, autrement dit l'art du vivre-ensemble démocratique, le modèle le plus abouti en étant Sparte. Le monde grec, ainsi éclaté en un millier de cités, gardera cependant une identité religieuse, normative et rationnelle commune forte, et se réunit culturellement et religieusement autour des Jeux olympiques, créés en l'an 776.

Cet article fut écrit pour le service de presse de l'Ambassade de Grèce à Paris.

Nosfell Live Review - Chorus Festival Hauts de Seine

Saturday 5th April, Paris

Nosfell is, by himself, a world full of poetry and imagination. As a child, this ill-at-ease boy developed his own world, Klokochazia, with its own language, Klokobetz. His full name – Labyala Fela Da Jawid Fel – meaning ”he who walks and heals”, is a fitting description for this young, unsuited but likable alien who managed to grow into an original and acclaimed artist. Nosfell is also a world of contrasts. Between oriental and occidental influences (he has Berber and South-European origins), acoustics and electronics, classical and rock, elitist and popular, low and high-pitched vocals, he is a complex chap with original stories to tell. As part of the Chorus Festival in Paris, from 28th March to 6th April, Nosfell has been invited to perform a two hour free concert, many of his songs taken from his newest album Amour Massif (Massive Love) released last month, dealing with the ever-changing feeling of love.

He starts with its first track, ‘Ij køliv…’, an exotic and dark introduction where he sings with his shrill voice, before tackling the main of the concert with ‘The Hazards of Wishing Wells’, showing his freakish wonderland as being out of Miyazaki’s Chihiro‘s world. However, at times, his use of his high-pitched voice adds some sweetness to the music. He continues with another one from his latest album, ‘Ile Mogador’ (Mogador Island, near Morocco). On beatboxing and a relaxed rhythm, the chorus is particularly dreamy and wavy; but even this fantasy mood is balanced with a certain obscure feeling due to dissonant chords here and there, rendering the whole truly captivating – that is another characteristic of Nosfell‘s work.

We are then taken on another journey through one of his Klokochazia’s fables, ‘Gouz Mandamaz’, via a rapid ska rhythm and hard beats that give a feeling of urgency, making more people gather from the exterior, intrigued by this energetic sound. It is to be noted that he truly performs everything live, up to the recording of his beatbox sounds on the spot. The following ‘Bargain Healers’ offers more experimental sounds and very deep, slow electronic bass: there is always this feeling of darkness lurking somewhere, as if you would expect your own old demons to burst out from this bewitching music. ‘Une Voie Divine’ (A Divine Path) then gives the room a more feel-good mood on a background of pounding beats. Nosfell‘s beautiful lyrics and arrangements perfectly convey his yearning for more poetry and innocence in contrast to our daily deepest anxieties, and it may be the song that speaks the most clearly of the inner conflict that led him to invent his own wonderland: “What if my real country was where I think? / I tell myself that here, I will find back childhood / My head is far up in the clouds, much more electric than storms’ lightnings / My feet anchored like roots, I have the legs of a man walking on a divine path.”

It continues with ‘Dans des Chambres Fantômes’ (In Ghostly Rooms), a very quiet, ghostly, song, where his high-pitched singing once more proves to be perfectly in tune. The public hold their breath throughout the whole song, not to miss a single bit of it. The next, ‘Cannibale’ (Cannibal), which brings back electronic heavy bass and clasping hands, plays on the same morbid charm as before: “I’m going to love you like the cannibal, you will want more”. Every bit of the song is absolutely precious and you don’t want to lose its thread for one second. Once the song has finished he loses the guitar and throws some jokes at the public – something Nosfell always manages to do well. Then ‘Rubicon’ starts, which sees him bringing a more “rock’n’roll” attitude, interacting more with the crowd and moving better on stage. The melody in the background is truly mesmerising and it is a very insightful song – the kind you should listen to at midnight when you can’t sleep and your head is full of thoughts. On ‘Fathers and Foes’, a calm ballad alternating between calm verses and road-song like choruses, he plays only with his guitar.

And finally, after a couple of groupies shouted their love from the crowd, he ends the performance with ‘Rainbowed’, also from his latest album. He conjures up some beatboxing and well done water drop sounds on background of low electronic beats, which play out really nicely in support of the overall lightheartedness of the song. On dancing rhythms and carefree lyrics like “You’ve been waiting for too long, embrace the soothing heat”, “mon amour tu es si belle (my love you are so beautiful)”, Nosfell promises you a real trip into paradise. An interlude of keyboards follows and his shrill voice and crazy face creates a disturbing atmosphere, where wonderland turns into nightmare, before resuming with a ska rhythm, in which he comes down into the crowd. The recently installed floor of the festival marquee is shaking ferociously! It ends the concert in apotheosis and will surely mark the mind of everyone present.

But the public are not satisfied and want more. Under never-ending applause, he finally comes back for one ultimate song not part of the programme: one of his classics, ‘Shaünipul’, cleverly mixing his own Klokobetz language with English. Tapping on his guitar with oriental tones here and there, he then begins the song properly, bringing the audience ecstasy, who all know the lyrics from heart and sing along. With this last track, where he uses only his guitar and his voice, he manages to produce something truly original and touching – proof that creativity is not always synonymous with plenitude – but most of all with emotion and honesty.

This article appeared on AAAmusic.co.uk.

Neal Black & The Healers Live Review - Jazz Club Étoile

Saturday 29th March, Paris

Neal Black and the Healers promise you a road trip into the roots of one of America’s most popular music genres. These blues rock legends perform tonight at the Jazz Club Étoile in Paris’ 17th arrondissement, to promote their new album Before Daylight released March 2014, under the French Dixiefrog label.

The venue, which has staged some of the greatest names in jazz, from Dizzie Gillepsie to Diana Krall and Dee Dee Bridgewater, now hosts (for more than three hours) one of the most dynamic and inventive blues rock acts. Neal Black is a Texas-born artist has lived between southern France and the US since 2004, , performing a lot of shows in Europe. His unique approach to lead guitar mixing Texan roots with a turbo-charged Chris Rea or Peter Green sound has won him many praises.

In the darkly lit room, with only a few colored spots here and there, the musicians appeared on stage plainly dressed and openly smiling. They started with ‘Stepping Out’, a punchy and classic blues rock track making a strong instrumental introduction to the night, on which Neal confirms right away his mastering of the guitar, full of an American open-road spirit. The public is already fond of them. The atmosphere of the night is very friendly and open; it is striking and heartwarming to see how happy the musicians are to be playing together and sharing it with the public – the drummer especially, Dave Bowler, who wears a constant smile on his lips.

The second song, ‘I’ll Fly Away’, is a country ballad on which Neal begins to sing with his distinct low and hoarse voice. We can just feel the Southern American roots alright here, and almost feel the sun on our neck and the dust in our eyes. The French harmonica player Pascal Bako Mikaelian joins them on the third song ‘Poor Boy’, perfectly fitting the whole country-blues rock mood. Bako gives a very nice solo using a broad tone spectrum. The music alternates well between solos and riffs, keeping the public’s attention and making it easier to follow and enjoy the concert.

After a presentation of the musicians, they continue with ‘Jail in San Antone’, a song that Neal wrote while in jail in Texas. It starts on a loud and happy 60s blues rock rhythm, and the singer starts interacting with the public, who repeat his “I said yeah!” happily, enjoying the fact that they’re contributing. Mike Lattrell then, on the piano, makes a fired up solo and is literally dancing on his keyboards. Rarely have I seen a band with such communicative enthusiasm.

Then enters another guitarist: Fred Chapellier, also French. He is a very close friend and colleague of Neal‘s. ‘Daily Bread’ is a song they made up together with Nico Wayne Toussaint a couple of years ago. Neal and Fred do a little guitar Q/A on this one, showing their perfect concord – we can read on their faces that they’re having a blast, and as it develops the public get all the more excited.

Neal presents the following song from their new album, ‘Before Daylight’. His overall lyrical content approaches more a bluesy version of Bukowski than classic country/rock, and the mood of this particular song somehow lifts you from the ground. You’re back on the ground quickly though with the following ‘Road Back Home’, a classic country song – you can absolutely picture yourself driving on a never-ending road after a long night at the bar, the sun rising on your back. Once more, Fred‘s second guitar begins to communicate with Neal‘s; the eager public begin to clasp their hands, and repeat the singer’s “I say yeah – oh yeah”, until a climax is reached and it all ends in furious cheering.

The song ‘Jesus & Johnnie Walker’, referring of course to the Whiskey label, sees Fred coming back on stage. Also extracted from their newest album, it is a very enjoyable song with funny and controversial (depending on where you stand) lyrics like “You gotta let Jesus, or Johnnie Walker, take your hand”, “Jesus and the Devil are the same ol’ man”. Equally profound is the following song, ‘American Dream’, a critical account of living in America and its disillusions – “as much as I love it….”, says Neal.

Next, ‘Who Do You Love’ starts very dynamically and at one point both guitars take on a slightly oriental, mysterious aura; a very nice change from the pragmatic country American mood. Another guitar solo definitely asserts an oriental touch. A pause in the song occurs where only Dave, on drums, and Kris Jefferson, on bass guitar, remain on stage and start playing together. It is one of the nicest surprises of the night: Kris masters his bass during a highly technical solo, and is clearly enjoying his little moment of glory – and rightly so! The public is gobsmacked by his controlled nerve, rapidity and creativity. After a very warm applause, everyone gets back on stage to end the song in style.

The following track adopts a calm ternary rhythm, and could make you think of an old gangster movie soundtrack. ‘I Don’t Get the Blues’ talks about a lonely life in Texas: “Down here in Texas / I’m on my own”, “I don’t get the blues / When I’m stoned”. Neal’s Voodoo-like voice on a background of harmonica greatly adds to the lone-cowboy style. Next, ‘Hurt So Bad’ sees a guest coming on stage: Bako’s daughter, Lucile Mikaelian. She has a powerful voice and a good blues feeling – she does not use a great range of nuances though, but she has good potential and there is no doubt that with time she will find her own personal style. At one point Dave begins his first solo on his drums, acclaimed by everyone, so wide-ranging and melodious it reminds us that drums really are a special instrument indeed; not only a supportive one. The night was one of getting back to one’s roots; even if they’re not properly our own, the band was happy enough to share them with us.

This article appeared on AAAmusic.co.uk.

Timber Timbre - Hot Dreams

Seductive and catchy, Canadian trio Timber Timbre and Full Time Hobby present the single ‘Hot Dreams‘. It will be part of their fifth album of the same name, following their 2011 multi-JUNO Award nominated and Polaris Music Prize shortlisted Creep On Creepin’ On.

Timber Timbre has released four critically acclaimed records since 2005, and its music appeared in Breaking Bad, on The Walking Dead OST, and as the score to Foxfire: Confessions of a Girl Gang by Palme d’Or winning French director Laurent Cantet.

On this single, Timber Timbre‘s haunted folk touch transforms into a more western American 70s mood. On affectionate and smooth lyrics by Taylor Kirk such as “I wanna dance with a Black woman”, or “I want to be a champion in your eyes”, the song unwraps in a calm and retro enticing trance.

It also has a soothing aspect; the plain instrumentation, with quiet drums and some keys here and there, enfold perfectly the warm and languishing voice of the singer. The song takes a further step in the classic 70s ambiance with an old-school saxophone part at the end by Colin Stetson, its rich velvet sound perfect to end the song with – though it ends roughly, as one would wake up from a disturbing dream.

The album will be released on March 31 via Full Time Hobby – and if you want to follow them live, Timber Timbre will soon tour in Europe, from Bruxelles to Paris, passing through London on April 16 at Scala.

This article appeared on AAAmusic.co.uk.

You Won't Come Out Alive of 'Only Lovers Left Alive' (2014)

A good ol' glass of Absinth, curtains shut, a quiet dark music – and you're all set to go to sleep. This is a good summary of Jim Jarmusch's Only Lovers Left Alive, a slow vampire movie starring Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston. Although it does have some laudable aspects – thankfully – still, it is not lying saying that it does not leave you with a feeling of satisfaction.

At the beginning, we get to know gradually that Adam and Eve are a married couple of two vampires, him being an anonymous underground musician. As any self-respecting vampire, they're a thousand years old. Throughout the movie we see them keep a secret life, relate about old times, procure pure blood to survive without killing, and deal with family issues, all amidst old furniture and dark settings.

The soundtrack of the movie was indeed excellent, showing well the characters' state of continuous inner conflict; and the casting was very well done, the leading actors being indeed perfect for this old-fashion English vampire style. But as for the rest, the scenario was very flat and the pace was way too long: a good thirty minutes could have been cut so as to make it less... sleepy.

These shaggy-haired vampires (it is apparently a style inherent to their race), having lived a zillion years, happen also to have known personally every great name of any era, from Franz Schubert to Mary Wollstonecraft and others. They are even the source of the work of most of the greatest artists, when they are not the greatest names themselves – one vampire friend of the couple's being both Christopher Marlowe and Shakespeare (interpreted by great John Hurt).

Another irritating aspect – although interesting in itself, but handled badly in the scenario – is the way in which they show their deep and ancient knowledge of everything. Anecdotes they tell to each other involving the Inquisition or the plague are amusing, but their obsession of naming things by their Latin names just feels made up – especially when Eve (Tilda Swinton) keeps on addressing animals or plants by their Latin name. Dare I ask who on Earth, however centuries-old they may be, names everything they see? But maybe being a vampire is a synonym for “being high all the time”. After all, how should I know, I'm only a mortal.

 But after all this, here is maybe the highest critique I have to make about this movie: although it is long, although it lacks of a more exciting scenario, it could still have brought out something, like a serious reflexion on life for instance. But apart from some superficial comments here and there about water's extinction and how Man can be stupid at times – nothing new under the sun – it does not show us this critical part, and does not stir anything in us.

Thus this movie just comes down to a small bunch of withdrawn vampires right out from one of the Kooples' ads, surviving in our century and basically dealing with everyday (or more accurately everynight) life. All of this in slow motion. For sure, for those out there who don't like the rush of modern life and don't like movies with interesting stories to tell, this movie will be a breath of fresh air. On the contrary, for the others: don't hold your breath, because it lasts a while.

This article was written for this blog only.

Three Men Talking About Things They Kinda Know About

Three Men Talking About Things They Kinda Know About

Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris

21 February 2014

Talking about one's sensitive past is not easy doing, but somehow the three talented actors of this play pulled it off poetically and with humor. Stephen James Smith, Kalle Ryan and Colm Keegan offered an insightful and penetrating moment with their play, that they've been performing for three years now.

A simple setting of photographs surrounding them, the three men shared their past lives and family issues with a different kind of acting very specific to each one. While Stephen slammed his parts, sharing his difficult relationship with his father after he has seen him cheat on his mother and then leaving her, Colm talked with his strong and melodious Irish accent about the difficulty to have a child young, and Kalle with his more soft-spoken Americanized language related his overcoming of the pain of losing both parents. He may have been the most communicative emotionally speaking.

 

The actors happily answered to all of the questions asked by the public, and talked about how they had made up this play in the kitchen of one of them. They have come a long way since then, and on that matter their play might be adapted on a US stage with different actors, something they would be interested to see from an outside eye. They also shared their fear of not being understood by a French public, but were relieved when the first peals of laughter boomed out from the beginning.

During this 20-minute Q&A, the actors also emphasized how this was not a therapy-play: although these are all true personal stories, these issues have been resolved by now. It is not a cry of pain waiting for an answer from the love of the public, but a sharing of personal stories that can resonate in people who might have gone through similar difficult episodes. As Kalle puts it: the more specific the story is, the more universal it becomes.

This article was written for this blog only.

St. Vincent - Live @ Canal+ Studio

Wednesday 19^th February 2014, Paris

Annie Clark alias St. Vincent is on tour for the release of her fourth album, St. Vincent, due to be released on the 24th of this month. Tonight’s a show for the French channel Canal+ before she hits the road to London; she will then be performing in Manchester and Dublin, before flying back to the US.

The NY-based musician and songwriter has already issued three albums, with which we have been able to get to know her diverse influences – folk, pop, rock, electro – making up her own trademark. In this Parisian show, it was especially the rock-electro aspect of her work that stood out, with a strong use of keyboard and electric guitar.

Annie, followed by her musicians, came on stage with shaggy white hair and a white and red dress – an Alice in Wonderland look broken down as soon as the music started. It’s with the robotic ‘Rattlesnake’  that the band opened the show, putting the mood for the rest of the performance.

Some songs offered a more “classical” Indie rock sound, like ‘Digital Witness’, a song with happy harmonies that make you want to dance – as the singer tells herself: “what’s the point of even sleeping?” – so was the last title, ‘Bring Me Your Loves’, lifting you away in a happy place. The fourth song, ‘Regret’, opened with a very punchy and powerful movement, alternating regularly with a milkier, softer chorus; overall giving a very good dynamic to the track.

The third title, ‘Birth in Reverse’, with its distorted guitar effects and kick drum here and there, had somehow a Franz Ferdinand touch; a retro feeling integrating itself well in Annie’s world. On another song, ‘Huey Newton’, its outer space feeling in the first part was then contrasted with a heavy, gritty bass guitar that made one think of rock band Rinocerose‘s famous song ‘Cubicle’.

The sixth song ‘Prince Johnny’, with its heavy use of keyboard voices in the background, was especially noticeable for the great guitar solo by Annie: accessible and well in the tone, without being simplistic either and played at a good pace, it was an enjoyable moment.

The standout song of the concert though, both for its content and its style, was the fifth one, ‘I Prefer Your Love’. This song is a statement of love dedicated to Annie‘s mother who has been sick last year, where she sings “all the good in me is because of you” and “I prefer your love to Jesus”. This song was also striking in its likelihood with some of Sinéad O’Connor‘s songs, such as ‘Song to the Siren’, with a similar eerie and transcendent musical arrangement and singing. It was an overall programmed but nonetheless enjoyable show, concluded with enthusiastic applause.

This article appeared on AAAmusic.co.uk.