Lo'Jo
There are guests – with Lo’Jo there are always guests – and this time around it’s Democratic Republic of Congo’s Jupiter and Okwess, who add their particular West African shine to three tracks, including the enigmatic “Brother Barrett,” a tribute to a lauded but largely unknown Jamaican Rasta guitarist from the 1950s who never had chance to record. Réunion Island accordionist René Lacaille also sprinkles his magic here and there, stepping out to shine brightest on the sweetly flowing “Valse Étrange.”
They all add the texture, the shading and the gloss. But ultimately, this is the work of the band and especially Bourreau and Péan, still here after more than 40 years. Their original style, the mix of the circus and chanson, matured when the El Mourid sisters brought their North African background, and blossomed again as they began to delve into the music of West Africa (Yamina Nid El Mourid, along with singing and being the band’s primary percussionist these days, is also an accomplished kamele n’goni player). It has come to define Lo’Jo’s, even as it shifts a little with each album, as they absorb more from other parts of the world. By now it’s become a very global mix that is still definitively Lo’Jo.
That means moving from the stately opener “Mandiego,” to the curiously snaking “Aswar” underpinned by a brooding bass synth while hints of the Maghreb floats over the top, and on to “Josephine,” with its enticing pizzicato strings. Feuilles Fauves is an adventure, with surprises around every corner. That’s the joy of Lo'Jo, and long may it continue.
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