The most recent launch by Maïa Barouh French-Japanese rap artist on Saravah Data crashed with a bang into my inbox final week. ‘Aida’, that means ‘between’ in Japanese, deftly straddles a variety of genres. She expertly demonstrated her expertise in producing an album stuffed with French rap, Tokyo underground, digital, tribal, and a few very folksy sounds. She can also be a classically skilled singer and a flautist in addition. I sensed immediately that I used to be in for a musical deal with…and I used to be not flawed.
The album kicks off with a catchy and toe-tapping observe, “Tokyo Ondo”. Sung in Japanese, we’re launched to a fantastic earthy-sounding flute, crisp pounding bassline, and Maïa’s conventional Japanese folks sound utilizing pentatonic scales. We get a uncommon musical delight the place Rap meets Japanese folks. For you music geeks on the market, the Tokyo Ondo has been utilized by the Tokyo Yakult Swallows (Skilled Japanese Baseball crew) as a part of their ‘Umbrella Dance’ custom each time a participant scores a house run!
Subsequent up is “Hafu” (the final observe is identical – however in English). In true AIDA fashion, this observe is sung in French. Hafu, a Japanese phrase that means of Japanese parentage and one thing else, in Maïa’s case, French, bursts into life with a deep and punchy bass along with some fired-up rap vocals. A contact of Little Simz fashion to start out, however then into her acquainted and energetic fashion. The refrain is edgy, seamlessly fusing orchestral devices with electronics, giving us rather more of a style of what is to return.
“Ringo (apples or apple petals)” follows subsequent in what’s an entire distinction musically. It is like Japanese folks chillout rolled into one or ambient cinematic music. The vocals have a fantastic Japanese wispiness and Maïa demonstrates this utilizing the normal singing strategy of Amami, a southern Japanese island. Her father, Pierre Barouh, the French writer-composer-singer, is sampled on the observe. It glides in a surreal approach, capturing her youth and reminiscences, and solely till you watch the video or in case you perceive Japanese, do you get the actual that means behind the lyrics.
“Sushi” returns to Maïa’s acquainted fashion, digital pop with a unusual sound. This observe is sung in French, following the ‘Hafu’ sample of 1 in Japanese adopted by one in French. Or perhaps I am studying an excessive amount of into it! Sushi is about feminism and racism – ‘Having a slightly typical physique, I typically really feel uncomfortable in entrance of sentences like “Are you Japanese? I like Japanese girls!“, “Asian girls are so female…” I wished to denounce this in my very own approach…’
“TAIRYO”, continues with the cinematic, trip-hop fashion and means for a really peaceable and reflective 3 minutes. Always being reminded of how fabulous this mixture of flute, Japanese French rap and conventional folks actually is. The danceable “ChinXoise” explodes with a enjoyable, quirky Tokyo sound whereas “Nuage Nu” and “Take The Boat” are nonetheless very danceable contenders with some nuanced drum and bass parts. Exit opens with former PM Theresa Might’s immortal phrases “Brexit Means Brexit” after which goes on to ask if you wish to “brexit with me” in a music stuffed with danceability, threaded by with quieter moments of focus. Maia makes use of the flute on this observe to nice impact. “Hanakasa”, is a very highly effective piece of music. Tribal pounding drums, melodic flutes, and masterful French and Japanese vocals ebb and move from the frenetic to the quiet and serene. The closing observe is the English model of “HAFU” however I feel the French model appears to hold extra weight. You resolve!
Written by Juan Brooks
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