Goldenvoice & KCRW present OohLaLA Festival 2011
Nouvelle Vague perform Dawn of Innocence
Hugh Coltman
Thursday September 29, 2011
Nouvelle Vague, the French band that conquered the world with bossa nova covers of punk and new wave classics.
TICKETS
- Tickets Available: Friday August 12, 2011
- $30*
- * Service and/or handling fees are added to the price of each ticket.
OohLaLA FESTIVAL RETURNS TO LOS ANGELES FOR
THIRD YEAR STARTING SEPTEMBER 29 FOR THREE DAYS
LOS ANGELES, August 10, 2011 – If you can’t get to France, then let France come to you. The annual OohLaL.A. Festival is about to sashay its way back to Los Angeles for the third time, over three magnifiques nights. With two years of success under its belt, the spirited Festival will take place at the El Rey Theater starting September 29, ready to unveil the newest and finest in France’s musical talent. As in previous years, this event will be presented/executive produced by Goldenvoice and presented by KCRW. Tickets will go on sale Friday, August 12 at 10 am and can be purchased via various outlets, to be found at the Festival’s official website: www.oohlalafestival.com
Having secured the reputation that seamlessly bridges continents through song, the OohLaL.A. Festival has efficaciously dazzled residents of the City of Angels, as it’s exposed enthusiastic attendees to breakout performances from a variety of entertainers. It’s déjà vu as the beloved Nouvelle Vague returns stateside, this time with a new twist: “Nouvelle Vague Performs Dawn of Innocence,” an OohLaL.A. exclusive musical directed by Jean Charles de Castelbajac. “I used Nouvelle Vague as a time machine to take me back to the pop colors and the darker tones of the ‘80s, a decade that was both glamorous and somber at the same time,” offers de Castelbajac. Led by Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux, the group will do what they do best: revisit favorite punk and new wave standards, and pay tribute to French ‘80s music, as they will incorporate songs from their last opus, Couleurs sur Paris, into their musical performance. Also appearing that night will be Hugh Coltman, who will perform his delicate folk/soul ballads tainted with bossa nova flavor, that owe as much to Leonard Cohen as Shuggie Otis. The Englishman with the incredible voice has recently taken Paris by storm.
Night number two will honor France’s longstanding adoration of Africa and its world music, as it presents two exceptional artists. The incredible Tuareg collective known as Tinariwen hails from Kidal, in the Sahara region of Mali, and combines rebellious blues, rootsy rock ‘n’ roll with West African melodies and desert rhythms. They’ve been eulogized by the media and attracted the praise of music’s elite that includes Robert Plant, Elvis Costello, Thom Yorke and Brian Eno, while their repertoire boasts collaborations that range from TV On The Radio to The Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Surprise guests will definitely be present! Opening the show, Hindi Zahra, a Berber girl born in Morocco, will showcase her finely crafted soundtrack of folk music that she meshes with her Moroccan roots, jazz vibes and Gnawa trance. Zahra, signed to the prestigious Blue Note label, is truly an original and justifiably won this year’s Victoires de la Musique award for Best World Music Album, an equivalent of a Grammy.
Then it’s time to trade out your shoes for some dance-ready kicks because night number three will erupt into a furious dance party to feature a mélange of the French electronic elite. First up, the four Frenchmen of Chateau Marmont should feel right at home in L.A. as they take the stage to show off their love of synths inspired by Alan Parsons Project, Klaus Schulze and Francis Lai. Next, Feadz steps out from behind Uffie’s turntables to represent the Ed Banger crew, and will keep the club bangin’ with his hors pair selection and technique, that stems from hip-hop influences. Immediately following will be DJ Cam, deemed a mainstay of the French Touch scene, who started his career in the ‘90s alongside Daft Punk, Air, and Cassius. His Underground Vibes album is considered a milestone, as it resides alongside works by DJ Shadow and DJ Krush, who notably created a new genre, Abstract Hip Hop, which focuses on downbeat instrumental grooves and experimental samples. On his latest release, Seven, Cam laced well-crafted pop and folk with hints of old school electronica and cinematic ambient sounds reminiscent of Massive Attack, to whom he dedicated the album. The four turntable maestros Birdy Nam Nam will close the night, and remind everyone why they won a Victoires de la Musique award in the electronic music category, beating out Air and David Guetta. The group recently completed working on their third LP with Parisian producer Para One, intent on reinventing the genre by mixing techno anthems, digital funk jams, ambient soundtracks and future rap beats. Using turntables as actual instruments, the collective press beats and pattern samples onto vinyl, and somehow manage to make four blokes standing in a row behind the turntables sexy!
The OohLaL.A. Festival was created by Sylvain Taillet, a top A&R executive at the prestigious French record label Barclay. The event is sponsored by the Consulate General of France in Los Angeles and the Cultural
Services of the French Embassy in the US, who have been crucial supporters from the inception. The other main sponsor is Institut Français, the new French agency of the ministry of Foreign and European Affairs for International artistic exchange. Formerly known as CulturesFrance, the agency remains the partner of choice for the annual Festival, as the line-up closely coincides with the agency’s initiatives for emerging talent and brand-exclusive creations. Additional partners include France Los Angeles Exchange (FLAX), a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) foundation dedicated to fostering a better understanding of France through public and cultural art events that promote cross-cultural learning; international partners La Sacem, the French equivalent of ASCAP; JC Decaux and Air France; and trendsetting KCRW (89.9. FM and KCRW.com) will be a presenting partner of the festival as well as TV5 Monde (US).
Thursday, September 29, 2011
“Nouvelle Vague Performs Dawn of Innocence: A musical directed by Jean Charles de Castelbajac”
Hugh Coltman
Friday, September 30, 2011
Tinariwen + Special Guests
Hindi Zahra
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Birdy Nam Nam
DJ Cam
Feadz
Chateau Marmont
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