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Top of the world >> Oyé hosts a sonic summit of local world musicians by RUPERT BOTTENBERG
One central theme was their mutual links. Take note that all three have received due props from the Junos. No surprise. All three are considered tops in their respective departments. Kali, hailing from Trinidad, fronts local reggae stars Kali & Dub Inc. Haiti's Manigat leads the cross-cultural sound machine called Tchaka. And salsa kingpin Ross, originally from the Dominican Republic, helms the hardworking Orquesta Pambiche. Another link between them is the soundcheck all three have to arrive for on Friday night. So, for that matter, do South Africa's Lorraine Klassen and Paulo Ramos, currently at home in Brazil. Ostensibly, the theme of this all-star jam is to illustrate the African roots of the Latin music that Oyé showcases. But as the hour-long rap session I witnessed over coffee last Saturday morning attests, this experiment opens doors to a world of possibilities. Hayes Kali Thurton: There's two things I want to mention here. I think the idea of us coming together goes way beyond the show. The show is very good, but I think us three guys, and a few others, eventually we'll be working together. Because we all make records independently, and we all love each other's music. I have a lot of respect for these guys. I feel honoured to be here right now, because I know that these guys are the best in their communities. And also, I think, for the show... our cultures are all very colourful, very flamboyant, very happy and energetic. When people come to see Pambiche they're going to see an aspect of a culture that's similar but quite different at the same time. I think we all like this, we all appreciate it. From looking at the people, to listening to the music, to learning about each other's dances. It's something that's going to transcend, it's going to mean a lot more than just the show itself. Ed Linares: There's another angle, if you want to go deeply into the idea of bringing all these people together. It's the fact that African music has influenced so much of what we now hear coming from all of the countries in the Americas. The idea, beyond the fact that it introduces your music to a different audience and vice-versa, it's the fact that if you take Lorraine Klassen's music, or Éval's or Kali's or Papo's, it's got those African roots. It's omnipresent in every style. Everybody can relate to it. That's why Papo and his band can play reggae, compas, salsa or samba. Because the root is the same. Éval Manigat: I went to Martinique, and someone there told me something. They now call the Caribbean the sixth continent. The African links are all over. I mean, everybody interprets that African feel in a different way, but we are all linked together. This is one of the things I like in the Oyé approach--by putting all of these things together, there will come something really unique, really original in the approach that comes from Montreal, from Quebec. KHT: I know my music, when I go to Toronto, is different from all the reggae music there. Personally, I find all their music to be similar. Maybe they're trying to be commercial. They say I've got too much jazz, too much R&B. The bands in Toronto, they don't have that extent of diversity. I think Montreal did that to my music. Papo Ross: I've never seen people crazier about my music than in Quebec. Because we are closer, the Québécois are more singular. I know Quebec is more open, because there are so many cultures here. But even outside of Quebec, people are ready to receive something new. But maybe we're going to need to introduce some colour or something different into the music, just to make those people understand in the beginning. If the music is too folkloric, it's more difficult to understand. EM: The problem we are facing is that this kind of energy we are trying to put out, for some reason, is ignored by the industry, or put on the side. I wonder, could we make some kind of parallel system, in the communities? In a parallel system, we wouldn't have to rely on the establishment, the industry that puts the laws there. PR: They don't know how to deal with this kind of music. The experience that I've had across Canada is that Canada is open to receive anything new. They love it. Even in places like Saint John, N.B. They've never heard of Latin music, but they went crazy when Pambiche was over there in 1994. It's the same in Vancouver, in Edmonton, Calgary, anyplace. The industry doesn't know how to deal with this kind of music, they think it's too complicated. But I'm sure that they're losing out, because Canada isn't the same place it was 30 years ago. It's a very different place. Oyé happens at Metropolis on Friday, March 6, at 10pm, $10
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I don't know why I bothered to jot down questions beforehand. Sitting Papo Ross, Éval Manigat and Hayes Kali Thurton down together, along with Oyé organizer Ed Linares, I had to scramble to get the tape running as they launched into a round table discussion of the issues facing Montreal's world music community.