One of the finest examples of branding the last five years has been in the music. Snapping at the turn of poetry and oratory. This of "Slam" is implicated. For about five years, it seems that the term has instilled in the vocabulary of Quebecois creating beautiful expressions like: "You did a good slam" when, for example, I was just rapping. before we are exporting Grand Corps Malade, not many people in Quebec had heard of Slam. Besides, I believe that before 2000, those who were interested were 1) rap, or 2) were English. For me, the term slam was defined by the film of the same name, starring Saul Williams , I felt like a rapper (and I still consider as such) and I admired previously to viewing the film. In this film, he participates in a Slam event, as they existed for decades and still exist elsewhere. That is to say a verbal sparring match with rules, judges, the points awarded. Slam is not a style of music, much less a byproduct of poetry. But times change and also the definitions, the mass movements is stronger than that of individuals who strive to set things right. Now if I said I'm slam, I say sometimes yes, sometimes no, depending on my mood.
is unfortunate that we have not spoken slam earlier in Quebec or not, it is unfortunate that public speaking, spoken poetry has been no case more interesting. It took the commercial success of a French artist for that embarks on the "bandwagon", as they say. Shame because we missed a lot of things, especially English-speaking (but that's another debate): the Coco Cafe, the poet / mc Buttafly, Alexis O'Hara, Ian Ferrier, Patrice Desbiens and many others I do not know.
Slam in Quebec is decontextualized, the need to use it to translate a musical style is, I think he an aberration. Because you hold it for words, spoken poetry, punctuated with music, not necessarily to rap, well he had, in addition to France and not so long ago. French music a colleague drew my attention to a band I did not know at all and on their debut album. This group Program and their album "The brain instead of your mouth." You want to slam? In here. From damn good; texts acids on experimental music in interesting and it came out ....... 2000. So at least 6 years before we hear about our friend Fabien Marceau. their site is very interesting and worth a look.
Another interesting album in the same genre released in 2005, is one of Non-Stop "road movie on crutches." I'm willing to bet that my fellow Quebecers have never, ever heard of this type. Yet it is also excellent. This disc contains a masterpiece, the play "The son of the unknown soldier" is a story narrated in a David Lynch style initiatory background music simple but totally captivating. It say, more hip-hop in the rhythmic songs and the singer closer to the rap program. Martial is a disc, the record store of Heaven Total in Bordeaux had suggested.
All that to come to speak French groups that oscillate dangerously between rap and the so-called slam. The group Psykick Lyrikah example is simply awesome. Discovered by accident on a French hip-hop blog, I did some scrambling to get this group's albums and their newest Rennais, "Seen from here," topped the list of discs to buy during my first tour in France in 2008. Arm is the rapper is most interesting about this project. The beats are great, but his poetry is dense and its images most suggestive. There is an incredible dark these discs ... My favorite remains the "Lights in the rain."
More recently, the group's first record No. "Diagon" that comes in the alternative where referential rap wants to be more poetic, less rhythmic and where the rhymes are chanted slogans like "flowées" if I can reflect. Seb Casino, rap musician behind this project proposes a dark music, but near the industrial tinged with some noise, sometimes baroque (Note the harpsichord). A really interesting album that stands out from conventional French rap. Only weak point, this sometimes chanted flow reminiscent of a somewhat primitive technique, unique to a French rap over old school early 90.
But is it the slam? NO! Stop. is no rap, rap is like HELIODROM. Glaring example, after my performance at the Festival de musique actuelle de Victoriaville with Girls Electrical on 21 May, a French-speaking Quebec has just congratulate me for my slam, while a few moments later, a U.S. Amateur comes to congratulate me my rap ... Another example Interestingly, however, unique to Quebec: I was offered to write an essay on the life of Miles Davis. A friend of Quebec find it inaccessible, but the producer too tight, not French by the way, it is super good ... One thing that is unique to slam is to make poetry accessible, simple, using words can be understood by all. And it fits directly into the vein of cultural malaise Quebecois, where everything must be accessible and where we refuse some form of elitism. Also, the element of cultural reference is important in defining that made words and genres. Should we continue to fight to get out of the catch-all definition of slam?
Incidentally, I would show under the tent "Pepsi Slam" of Francofolies Montreal Saturday, June 12 at 19h, with the project of poetry and experimental music Erlenmeyer. Accessible poetry? Not sure ...
