La Boum!
Marionette
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Musical exoticism that defies categorisation from a Scottish group of master players and singers.
I guess that this is what they mean by world music, but I have to admit that it came as a surprise to learn that the exotic rhythms, lyrics and vivid colours of Marionette came from a band whose roots are much closer to home. La Boum! are essentially a Scottish band and their front man is one Tom Salter. However, Salter is an extraordinary musician and he has gathered around him an orchestra (band is too small and restricting a word to accurately describe La Boum!) of some of the finest folk and roots musicians of today. The band itself is Salter, Ben Ivitsky, Micky Marr, Donald Hay, Doug Duncan, Greg Ivitsky, and the 'Wee Frees' (Heather Macleod, Mary Macmaster and Sarah Campbell). Added to that core are contributions from Eliza Carthy, Lyndsey Black, Lynne O'Neill, Marcus Britton, Mat Clements, Doug Hudson, Iain Copeland, Johnny Beaver, Athar Hussain and Srvat Chandra Srivastava, see what I mean about the word 'band'. But the source of inspiration is Salter who has worked with Ali Farka Toure in Mali, Biggie Thembo in Zimbabwe and Bob Sen in Senegal. Tom Salter is clearly a man who believes in going out and seeking out his inspiration rather than waiting for it to come to him.
With such an array of talent and influences it is little wonder that Marionette is such a potent, heady and exotic cocktail. But the sparks don't fly because of a clash of cultures, quite the opposite in fact; Marionette works so beautifully because whether it's north, south east or west everything is blended and moulded until all become almost but not quite, indivisible. The album begins with the explosive title track, which has a gritty reality lying just beneath its' joyous rhythms. It's the kind of music you'd expect to find in a seedy cafe, in a fly-blown, tropical town, where men with shady pasts, uncertain futures and sweat-soaked suits avoid their just desserts. However, unless you happen to be an expert on world music it's impossible to dissect and analyse the album's appeal accurately and anyway what are you going to make of an album with a track called Shopping that doesn't mention Victoria Beckham once?
The fun of listening to Marionette is similar to a journey; it's better to travel than to arrive. Soak up the carnival atmosphere created by La Boum! on the delicately jazz-flecked Devil and the decidedly romantic Celtic folk of Home or This Land on which Salter describes his home in passionate but unjaundiced terms. Trying to understand the eccentricities of La Boum! and Marionette whill be a noble task but one ultimately doomed to fail. The good news is that the impression both leave is pleasant and lasting.
* * * * Maverick Magazine
When they emerged five years or so back,La Boum were an unlikely roots music success story. World music from Scotland played by a bunch of (mostly) folkies, featuring members of the Peatbog Faeries, Eliza Carthy Band and Poozies? Who'd have thought their debut album Global Warming would be quite as good as it was. This somewhat belated follow-up is very much in the mould of its predecessor, mixing African, Caribbean, Latin American, pop and folk influences to distinctively light and danceable effect.
Starting with a rousing floor-filler (the standout title track, with its cheeky La Cucaracha horns) and closing with an acoustic, semi-spoken account of La Boumster-in-chief Tom Salter's travels in West Africa (this time moving to Bamoko, as opposed to the last album's Niafunke). Fortunately this is no pale retread of past glories. Salter's voice is stronger than before, backing singers the Wee Frees, a.k.a. Heather Macleod, Mary Macmaster and Sarah Campbell, feature prominently (Eliza pops up on backing vocals too) and the overall sound is more sinewy. I suspect that this is a band best experienced live, although they've yet to make it down to my neck of the woods, this is just conjecture. But they exude enough fire and fun on disc to make their albums well worth seeking out.
Jamie Renton, FRoots
La Boum!’s first CD Global Warming came out around five years ago, and was a tasty, if at times under-characterised melange of African, Latin, Caribbean and Celtic folk that promised much for its followup. Marionette has been a long time in coming, but by and large has proved worth the wait, boosted no doubt for many by memories of some by all accounts amazing live gigs. If you’ve not come across La Boum! Yet, you need to be aware of the lineup, which features, alongside Ben Ivitsky (who you’ll know from the Eliza Carthy Band), a bit of a who’s-who of Scottish folk and fusion – Donald Hay on drums, Tom Salter on lead guitar and vocals, Micky Marr on bass, the "Wee Frees" (Poozie Mary Macmaster, Heather Macleod and Sarah Campbell), and the mini-brass section of Greg Ivitsky and Doug Duncan. Impressive or what?… The overall sound probably owes more to African and Caribbean grooves than folk, and when it really gels, as on Power and Believe, the effect is very stimulating indeed. I particularly liked the mix of harp and guitar sparking each other off kora-style on Power. I’ll admit I found the first couple of tracks, which lean more heavily on Latin rhythms and colours, the least satisfactory, with a striving for a "bigger" dancefloor sound that works against the delicacy of the special La Boum blend of fusion. Thereafter, the return to Latin influences for the penultimate track The Sound Of Leaving is far more convincing, and overall I find it’s an infectiously upbeat, deliciously rousing album. Even the more pop-conscious Falling gets the balance about right without sinking into sleaze. The mix of Malian and Zimbabwean (and even a bit of Senegalese) styles in the guitar inflections, jazzy horns and steamy percussive elements is compelling, and Tom’s vocal work is strongly characterised throughout. In the closing Bamako Tom pays homage to the Malian capital and evokes memories of the late-80s Super Rail Band. Violin and tabla players (sourced from the band Mrigiya) bring an enticing eastern flavour to Home, and backing vocals from Lindsey Black, Lynne O’Neill and Eliza Carthy herself add further distinction to two of the tracks. There’s also some superb guest percussion from Peatbog Faeries’ Iain Copeland. In all, this album proves rather more than the sum of its parts – or a selective play of some of its tracks – might otherwise indicate; it’s also a grower, with elements of creative interplay revealing even more on careful listening.
David Kidman - Netrhythms June 2005
INTEREST in the music of other countries and cultures has led to the formation of many 'world music' bands here in Britain, the sole purpose of many of which seems to be to recreate the original music. While there's nothing inherently wrong with that, the sad truth is that many become little more than 'tribute' bands.
Fortunately the same cannot be said of ten-piece Scottish collective La Boum!, whose musical vision is significantly broader. Under the guidance of guitarist and vocalist Tom Salter, they take ideas from a wide variety of sources, stick them in the musical blender and, more often than not, come up with something greater than the sum of its parts. Thus Malian guitar collides with Indian percussion and South American rhythms form the backdrop to contemporary and traditional Scottish influences.
In lesser hands this cross-cultural pot-pourri could end up definitely not smelling of roses, but the pedigree of musicians such as Mary Macmaster (Poozies), Ben Ivitsky (Eliza Carthy & the Ratcatchers) and Dougie Hudson (Salsa Celtica) ensure that, whatever it's source, the material is both respected and superbly executed. For the most part song-based, every track on this album has so many musical twists and turns that sitting still really isn't an option.
Dave Haslam
"Fusions of folk and world music have often proved fruitful, and La Boum!'s second album is a joyful addition to the genre. Frontman Tom Salter has toured with legendary Mali blues guitarist Ali Farka Toure, and Marionette abounds with influences, from ska and rock to afrobeat. Bongos patter, horn sections parp and songs swing their way past in a merry march.
Home moves from sprightly contemplation to lilting singalong, combining earthy folk with graceful gospel, while Marionette bops with an airiness that belies its rather dark lyrics.
A sense of energy and good cheer pervades proceedings, making this a record that will make you smile as it sets your feet aflutter."
* * * * The List
BOUM! BOUM!
Jamie Renton finds Scotland meeting Africa in La Boum!
Zimbabwean guitar pop, reggae rhythms, deep acoustic West African grooves, intriguing lyrics on everything from the iniquities of the prison system to Senegalese band Super Diamono De Dakar, backing singers who sound like Bob Marley's I Threes and a booting horn section. Who the hell are these people? It's good when an album gets you like that: excited, intrigued and a bit mystified as to how it all fits together so well. La Boum!'s self-produced Global Warming had that effect on me on the first listen. Clearly further investigation was required. A click onto the bands web site (www.laboum.co.uk) revealed that they were from Scotland and that some of them were (would you believe) folk musicians!
A few weeks later I met up with singer songwriter, guitarist and La Boumster-in chief Tom Salter and guitarist/ violinist Ben Ivitsky. "It all came from Tom teaching me African riffs on the guitar," explains Ben (who's down in London to attend the Radio 2 Folk Awards). "We met up at this wedding and played together under a tree. It was a beautiful, sunny day in the Highlands. We really gelled together, a few other people who were at the wedding joined in and that was the beginning of it. I come very much from a folk background, Tom comes with an African approach and others came in bringing different stuff. We're not an 'ethnic roots' band by any means. We just bring whatever style we want to."
The other band members include jazz trumpeter Doug Duncan, Latin percussionist Johnny Beaver and female folk singers Heather Macleod, Mary MacMaster (of Sileas and the Poozies) and Lynn O'Neil - who like to be known collectively as 'The Wee Free'.
Tom discovered African music via his love of John Lee Hooker. "When I first heard Ali Farka Toure, I instantly made the connection and thought, 'I've got to find out more about this"'. At which point the teenage Mr Salter hopped on a plane to West Africa and (with little idea of where he was going) began to search for his new found idol. "I went to Dakar first, which is where I met up with Super Diamono, then on to Bamako and finally I took a canoe up the Mopti River to the village of Niafunke, which is where Ali lives." He was welcomed into Ali's compound and was soon jamming with the great man and his protege Afel Bocoum. Tom still keeps in touch with Ali and joins him on stage whenever he plays in Scotland ("Although he does try to play numbers I don't know, just to see what will happen.")
A few years later Tom decided to fly over to Zimbabwe in order to pick up some more hot guitar licks. "I was in Harare and I was hanging out in this township where all the musicians are and I was looking for somewhere to stay. Someone told me 'Biggie's got a spare room.' I didn't realise that it was Biggie Tembo from the Bhundu Boys! So I ended up sleeping on his floor. I wanted to learn that mbira style of guitar playing. Everybody told me to go to Jonah Sithole. When I met him he was like 'Right I'm the one who started this. Thomas Mapfumo gets all the credit, but I'm the one who started it.' He said 'You just have to learn one riff, this is it.' It's actually the riff we use on Steamin' [a track on Global Warming]. It's changed quite a lot since he taught me it because I can't remember how it went. Then when I got it back to Scotland this bass player we were working with at the time started playing a dub thing over it. Then Ben started playing and it became more jig like. The Zimbabwean stuff works well in a band context. Whereas with the Malian stuff you just want it as it is. You don't want to make too many changes to it, bring brass in or whatever because the purer it is the better."
"We're just a bunch of friends who get together," explains Ben. "We'll just maybe work on a song a bit and then all go for a pint. Everybody's just there because they enjoy it. There are ten of us and we do everything at our own pace. Everybody works with other people and so they have to go off on tour and at different times people are available, so it has a kind of natural speed which is quite slow. There's no one but us involved and we all do a bit. So Greg, the sax player will do the artwork. We put the album out ourselves because we approached some record companies, but they weren't interested because they couldn't pin it down. We aren't just salsa or Celtic or whatever. We realised we didn't fit so we just did it ourselves."
"Everyone comes at it with their own influences," elaborates Tom, "and each member of the band is allowed to express elements of their own musical background. It's a lot to do with the spirit of the band. If you have a good spirit in a band then it's going to happen. If people are quite happy with each other and it's not forced then it comes across. And we're very, very happy together which is a rare thing because with most bands there's tension. Whereas we've developed friendships and a real respect for where everyone's coming from musically."
Part of the joy of the album is in the strength of the songs. Underneath all the rhythmic and cultural diversity, there is a selection of really strong tunes and a lot of good, old fashioned songcraft. Lyrically many of the tracks are rooted firmly in the story song tradition of folk music.
"The folk side is where I come in," explains Ben, whose folk credentials are impeccable and is probably best known for his work with Eliza Carthy and the Peatbog Faeries. "About half the band are more African/ World/ Latin and the other half are folk musicians who bring their experiences."
The strong African element also gives them a distinctiveness, as Ben points out. "There's a lot of white folks doing Latin music, but not so many doing African music nowadays. We do have that really strong African thread in what we do, because of Tom's history and mine. I was brought up in Uganda, so it's all very close and the music's stuck in my blood perhaps. So that gives us a uniqueness. What we do is like the Two-Tone thing did with ska. Using our western influences, in my case particularly Celtic and folk, fusing them with the African music and creating something different to either."
La Boum's Too Many Sad Songs from Global Warming is on the fRoots No. 17 CD that accompanies this issue.
(Jamie Renton)
La Boum! Global Warming
Proving beyond a doubt that music knows no boundaries, La Boum! is a ten-piece Scottish band playing music inspired by the rhythms of Africa. Fronted by guitarist and vocalist Tom Salter, the band includes members of the Eliza Carthy Band, The Peatbog Faeries, Salsa Celtica and The Poozies, it's not really surprising that the musicianship is of the highest quality.
It was Salter's extensive travels in Africa - particularly Mali, where he tracked down and befriended Ali Farka Toure - that inspired La Boum!'s formation and it's his obvious enthusiasm that drives the proceedings. A musical pot pourri, the songs on Global Warming range from the polyrhythmic tribute to the band of the same name (Super Diamano de Dakar) to the African/reggae fusion of Steamin'.
Adding plenty of oomph, a suitably energetic brass section adds colour and contributes greatly to the overall good-time feel of the album. Essentially, this is dance music, and although it largely works on album, it's probably even better in a live setting.
(Dave Haslam)
Global Warming, La Boum! ***
Many players on the world music scene might claim to take inspiration from Ali Farka Toure, but few are lucky enough to call him a collaborator. Amongst those few, however, is Tom Salter of La Boum! whose focused study of the Malian guitarist's distinctive style inspired him to track down and eventually work with the man in person. And the weaving melody lines of Salter's Scots-African guitar style that pepper this intriguing hybrid of reggae, dub, folk and salsa can't fail to raise the spirits. It's a pleasant vibe that seems to hasten the arrival of summer - no matter how distant it might seem trapped in this gloomy November - as well as strengthening Edinburgh's vibrant, if overlooked, world music scene.
(Hamish Brown)
La Boum! Global Warming ***
Those Ivitsky Boys are always having a good musical time. Brother Conrad is the bottom line in Shooglenifty, and here brother Greg (Salsa Celtica etc.) swings a sax line over brother Ben's (Peatbog Faeries, Eliza Carthy Band) rhythm guitar track. Star of this Edinburgh 10-piece musical party is, however, guitarist and singer Tom Salter - a missionary of the chiming African guitar, whose travels and travails have taken him to the heart of West Africa and an enduring relationship with the roots of the blues in the person of Ali Farka Toure - who remains a friend and regularly asks Salter on stage as a guest, as at last year's Dublin International Blues Fest. Add a sunny trumpet and grooving bass from Makossa and the Critterhill Varmints, the drums and percussion from Mystery Juice and Macumba, season with a girlie chorus of vast experience - musically that is - and you've got the steamiest dance band north of the rainforests.
(Norman Chalmers)
Gig review in Edinburgh Evening News 14th April 2000
It's La Boum! time at the Bongo MUSIC Lizzard Lounge All-Stars, La Boum! The Bongo Club ****
Quite a line-up turned out to do their bit for Mozambique at the Bongo Club last night. The venue was mobbed and the night raised over £2500 for The Disasters Emergency Committee, with headline band La Boum! also donating the proceeds from CD sales on the night. First up live were the Lizzard Lounge All-Stars, who are a mix of Salsa Celtica and El Cometas, playing some silky Latino grooves which caused the crowd's feet to take on a life of their own. Next, La Boum! purveyors of fine world music, mixing African folk, jazz and dance, who indulged in some band-led crowd participation, fuelling the already heady party atmosphere. Too Many Sad Songs, a rhumba song with dashes of African rhythm, was one of their best and Waiting By The Sea was up there too. As usual the inbuilt atmosphere in the Bongo Club adds to anything they put on - but it's a bonus when the bands are so good as well.
(Paul Donald)
La Boum! Global Warming (artists' own label) ****
La Boum! are an occasional but longstanding ten-piece outfit involving members of such diverse Scottish acts as the Poozies, the Peatbog Faeries, Mystery Juice, Chroma and MacUmba. Lead singer and guitarist Tom Salter, having grown up in Africa learning to play guitar from Ali Farke Toure records, founded the band as a vehicle for his particular brand of (literally) Afro-Celtic songwriting, which still forms the basis of their mellow but eminently danceable sound. While the immediate prevailing feel is certainly African - plangent, tumbling guitar riffs, hot splashes of brass, bright female backing harmonies - La Boum!'s collective compass has expanded to include reggae (Chocolate Peat, Steamin'), Latin (Waiting by the Sea), Ambient (Friction), blues and jazz in their sophisticated stylistic melange. Recorded on a shoestring, but remastered by the illustrious Al Scott, this is the perfect accompaniment for those summer barbecues and beach-parties to come.
(Sue Wilson)
