Lo Còr de la Plana


    This dynamic sextet is led by Manu Théron, Sébastien Spessa and Benjamin Novarino-Giana. They are originally from the La Plaine neighbourhood of Marseille, one of Europe’s most cosmopolitan cities (it was rumoured that it was the city Hitler hated most on the Old Continent for that precise reason). These artists are devoted to resurrecting and modernising the traditional repertoire that has been confined to churches and religious ceremonies and that ran the risk of disappearing altogether.
    “Our music is not an act of resistance or combat,” claims Théron, “It’s an act of creation.” Inspired by the popular religious songs in Occitan from centres like Damase Arbaud and Notre Dame des Doms, the ensemble has added instruments like the North African bendir and the tamburello in an effort to broaden its musical range. The artists also use body percussions to accompany their rich vocal exchanges, as well as the « picaments » they attach to their feet and the « bataments » on their wrists.
    The group’s influences range from Bartok to the Massilia Sound System and they have picked up a large and enthusiastic posse of fans thanks to their unbridled live performances. They have an earthy underground approach which is enhanced thanks to the use of daily sounds in their music : the gurgles of a newborn baby, a police siren, the howls of wolves or the baying of sheep. These are all found in their latest album Tant Demain which has been at the heart of their tours in 2007. Lo Cor de la Plana were one of the highlights of the WOMEX gathering in Sevilla that same year, thrilling the audience of professionals in this annual event.

January 2008

Daniel Brown