¡ Ya voy !

However, ¡Ya voy! also draws on the traditional musical forms with which the other two members grew up:

singer Alejandra Charry and percussionist and marimba player Moises Zamora Mezù both hail from the village of El Cabuyal, situated in the Valle del Cauca department on Colombia’s Pacific coast. She moved to France back in 2004, whilst he remained in his homeland – and when listening to the group’s music, their lifelong bond is palpable. This bond is rooted in a shared cultural background that is less influenced by the styles otherwise dominant in Colombia, such as cumbia or salsa:

On the country’s west coast, where more than 80 different rhythms are practised, the marimba is one of the central instruments. Building on these musical traditions, Charry’s dynamic vocals provide as much energy as they do melody. In this way, the band occasionally evokes the spirit of the great Totó la Momposina, who passed away in May this year at the age of 85.

Yet although ¡Ya voy! is rooted in these traditions, the band carves out a space all of its own thanks to Abdou and Cellier’s experimental approach. The French musicians succeed in breaking up the unshakeable grooves with uncompromisingly adventurous improvisations, underpinned by powerful bass ostinatos.

Abdou enriches his saxophone playing with flute-like sounds that draw on Colombian playing styles, whilst Cellier acts as a kind of link:

his hypnotic basslines bridge the gap between folk patterns and avant-garde approaches. The quartet is characterised precisely by this fusion of different traditions: they create music that embraces traditional Colombian forms whilst simultaneously taking them further; music that is open to all directions and is driven by the joy of togetherness.

Line-up

• Alejandra Charry – vocals, guasa, maracas, gaita, bombo
• Sakina Abdou – tenor saxophone, bombo, vocals
• Thibault Cellier – double bass
• Moises Zamora Mezù – marimba de Chonta, bombo, alegre, cununo, gaita, vocals

German premiere