Rageous Gratoons
Mestizo, Balkan, Worldbeat / Bordeaux, France
Die Geschichte der RAGEOUS GRATOONS begann vor nicht ganz 15 Jahren in Bordeaux. Seitdem hat diese Band konsequent das gemacht, was ihnen passte und sind damit weltweit unterwegs gewesen. Und das sehr erfolgreich: alleine in den Jahren 2006-2007 waren das um die 150 Auftritte in und außerhalb Frankreichs. Jetzt haben sie eine neue CD („Everywhere is garbage“) produziert und kommen damit endlich endlich auch für ein paar Konzerte nach Deutschland.
Die CD ist die konsequente Weiterführung ihres markanten Stils: traditionelle Lieder, a-kustischer Ska, Polka aus dem Balkan vermischt mit mediteranen Klängen. Europä-ische Weltmusik könnte man dazu sagen, wobei ironischer-weise die musikalischen Einflüsse Frankeichs deutlich zurücktreten müssen. Die 6 Musiker verschiedener Herkunft mischen einfach gerne ihre Ideen und ihre jeweiligen Einflüsse (Folkmusic, Rock, Psychobilly, Afro, orientalischer Sound), und bedienen sich dabei allerlei traditioneller Instrumente wie Drehleier, Kontrabass, , Mandoline, Akkordeon, Harmonium, Geige, Gralla und Cym-balum.
Doch inhaltlich schwelgen sie nicht in Vergangenem, sondern beschäftigen sich teilweise mit Themen wie die Auswirkungen des ungehemmten Kapitalismus und Atomkraft. Aber es geht auch oft nur über Reisen, Irrfahrten, Vampire, Voodoo und gar um Liebe. Freuen wir uns darauf daß diese Musik-Normaden nun auch bei uns vorbeiziehen!
Aktuelle Veröffentlichung: “Everywhere is Garbage” (2009)
We do not play history again on stage, we live it. This motto is even more true for The Rageous Gratoons, a French group from Bordeaux formed in 95, and for whom the stage is a place to live on, a place where you can meet other people and share things with
them. In Concierto Live, their 5th production, their 5th self -production is a part of that story. Mainly recorded in january 2007 during a live performance at BT 59 in Bégles, near Bordeaux, this live concert settles down a 2 year live tour , with about 150 concerts around France and abroad.
We do not play history again on stage, we live it.
The story of Rageous started twelve years ago. Gratons Rageurs in the beginning imagined shows for children with a rock sound to them. When they became adults, their shows started transforming their creators. Gratons Rageurs were eventually swept out by Rageous Gratoons, mixing on stage and in studio traditional music with ska acoustic, polka from the Balkans, riffs from the Mediterranean…
This In Concierto live is a new self-made production, it proves if necessary , that the band has never accepted anyone to mingle with what they considered to be their own business. Rageous Gratoons is their own and as in cooking ( so important in France) they have their own recipes, they choose their ingredients themselves, give the right doses, and mix them together. Because of their various musical backgrounds (folk music , rock, psychobilly, African , or Oriental), the 6 musicians enjoy confronting their influences and point of
views in order to give people new insights, and have them go wherever it may lead them...
Palme Barbatesti, a traditional Rumanian lament sung by Olivier opens up the CD as well as the concerts. And with it you can imagine the setting. The musicians may now come in and take their position on stage: Hurdy-gurdy player, double bass, drums, guitars, mandolin, accordion, harmonium, saxophone, violin, gralla and cymbalum. A whirling sound rises with the first measures of Himba, the next piece. Once and a while, some lyrics of the Rageous set the focus on our world, and question its values.
Himba, inspired by a people from Namibie deals with the risks due to our world . Reste ici ( Stay Here) delves into the suffering of a friend of the singer who had been accused of a crime he had not committed . You can also hear about capitalism, nuclear energy , assholes, trips, wanderings, vampires, voodoo and even Love. The Rageous strike where it hurts. They feel responsible, and so worry about what will happen to human race, to our world. We may be thankful.
Baba Squaaly (Mondomix Magazine)
