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| Some of the members of Danakil. Photo: Julie Arnoux |
If you want
to listen to music that speaks to and of the times, then go for reggae, or at
least roots reggae - the kind with socially conscious lyrics and a solid stance
against injustice.
That at least
seems to be the message from Entre les
Lignes (Between the Lines), the latest album from French reggae band
Danakil, a group not much liked by French critics but loyally supported by fans.
Their new album is a collection of unequivocal compositions in the tradition of
Bob Marley and Third World; it “chants down” inequality and political hypocrisy,
while still providing an infectious rhythm.
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| The cover of Entre les Lignes |
“They want to sell the country as if it were merchandise … as if the population belonged to them,” lead vocalist Balik sings in French about the political treatment of the West African nation.
“Yes, they are the ones who put clientelism and corruption in place,” he adds.
“Yes, they are the ones who put clientelism and corruption in place,” he adds.
As is widely
known, France launched a military operation in Mali in January 2013, a year
after armed conflict erupted in the north of the country with rebels seizing
certain territory. Since then, Malian and French forces have largely recaptured
the north, but public opinion in France is still divided about the government’s
action.
With Entre les Lignes, Danakil urges
listeners to read between the lines and to look at Europe’s history of
colonialism. That message also comes across in the track L'or noir (Black gold), where mellow instrumentation contrasts with the
tough lyrics about greed and political trickery.
“Politics is not something that's obligatory for us, it just comes naturally,” says Mathieu, the band's manager and saxophonist. "We love and respect the traditions of reggae, which has a political aspect. But we also sing about things we see and experience ourselves."
“Politics is not something that's obligatory for us, it just comes naturally,” says Mathieu, the band's manager and saxophonist. "We love and respect the traditions of reggae, which has a political aspect. But we also sing about things we see and experience ourselves."
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| Danakil in concert. Photo: Lisou Becker |
“Neither
deities nor devils will prevent me from believing … in those who raise their
voices,” goes a line in the song, one of the best tracks on the album. The
video also shows scenes of police violence and flashes a now iconic image of Jamaican political rivals Michael Manley and Edward Seaga at the 1978 Bob Marley peace
concert.
Entre les Lignes thus pays homage to the home of
reggae, and one of Marley’s sons, Ky-Mani is among the guest artists on the
album. Others who lend their skills include The Twinkle Brothers (a Jamaican
band formed in 1962 and still performing), and Harrison "Professor"
Stafford and Marcus Urani, founding members of the American reggae group
Groundation.
The guest
artists contribute to the polished yet edgy sound of the album, but it is
Balik’s persuasive voice that holds everything together. Since the creation of
the band by eight young Paris-area students in 2000, he has given Danakil their
signature sound: harshness combined with poetic beauty, rather like the Danakil
Desert in Ethiopia, which inspired the band’s name.
Danakil is
currently on a European tour with performances throughout France as well as in
Belgium, Austria and other countries. The band will appear at Reggae
Sun Ska in Bordeaux in August.
