Massilia Sound System
Aiollywood
Polygram, Roker Promocion / Shaman

Have you ever asked yourself what kind of music the people living in the roman empire did listen to? Very few documents actually exist that can answer this question, and maybe we'll talk about that some other day, but four guys in Marseille, probably with no intention of doing it, perform an exciting style of ragga-muffin that could indeed have been heard 2000 years ago!

Marseille (originally Massilia), the second biggest city in France, was founded by Greek merchants ca. 600 B.C., and has always been a melting pot of Celts, Ligurs, Jews, Greeks and Romans. "Settled by immigrants ", it is still one of the doors between Europe, Africa and Asia. Africans, Arabs, Armenians, Europeans, they all live there and make the city what it is today.

Massilia Sound System rap and sing in different mediterranean languages, with simple and natural instruments, mainly percussion and basic strings. No effects or electronics, only people, hearts, brains, humour and words. Plenty of words: about football (maybe not exactly the kind that will be played in June this year...), life, love, and against racism and stupidity. Even if you don't understand what they say (even we French do not get everything...), you know they talk to you and about you, wherever you live, if you just feel and are.

And they do it with and for fun, in every line. Dance to MSS, and join'em in this other form of globality. They'll bring pastis, fresh water and pink champaign (whatever has become of this British pub band, whose never-released hit was called Pink Champaign? We had some hot nights then...).

By the way, the "aioli" is a popular speciality from the south of France, mainly made by the use of OLIVE OIL AND GARLIC. I hope you like gaaarlic!

Copyright © 1998 Jean Lambert