USA: VIRGIN RECORDING ARTISTS LES NUBIANS ARE TWO SISTERS FROM BORDEAUX

Record ID: 388416

  • Title: USA: VIRGIN RECORDING ARTISTS LES NUBIANS ARE TWO SISTERS FROM BORDEAUX
  • Date: 23rd April 1999
  • Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (APRIL 7, 1999) (REUTERS) SOUNDBITE (English) HELENE AND CELIA DISCUSS BEING SIGNED AND HOW MUCH OF A BATTLE IT WAS TO GET THE EXECUTIVES AT VIRGIN TO ACCEPT THE MUSIC FOR WHAT IT IT INSTEAD OF TRYING TO GET THEM TO RECORD FOR A PROGRAMMED RADIO FORMAT.
  • Embargoed: 8th May 1999 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA7XICRTK8H23KFNNP0A2JANJMW
  • Story Text: Les Nubians are being welcomed with open arms by music fans, critics and members of the French press.Their debut record, "Princess Nubiennes" is a winning combination of socially conscious hip-hop lyrics, R&B/soul vocals and jazz and African rhythms.
    The two sisters, Helene Faussart, 23, and Celia Faussart, 19, are riding the cusp of an emerging French hop-hop scene in France and look to begin a worldwide tour this summer.
    Virgin recording artists Les Nubians are two sisters from Bordeaux, France, inspired by the conscious rap of Public Enemy, De La Soul, and Arrested Developement as well as the smoother sounds of Soul II Soul and Des'Ree.Helene and C-Lia Faussart toot their own horn, offering uplifting messages with contemporary hip-hop stylings.
    Citing French rappers MC Solaar and Mel' Groove as significant influences, the duo have built their sound with additional inspiration from such African world music icons as Miriam Makeba, Ray Lema, and Youssou N'Dour.
    The feisty females also owe a lot to famed jazz singer Abbey Lincoln, to whom they pay a special tribute with a vocal interlude prior to a song inspired by a backstage meeting with her.
    "One day we were told that Abbey Lincoln was coming to Bordeaux, and since we were working on a magazine project at the time, we decided to try and meet her in the hopes of getting an interview.At the end, we were crying on one another's shoulders.It was extraordinarily intense," says C-Lia."She was crying for having bared her soul to us, and we were crying for having spoken so openly.She invited us to her concert the next day, and we've kept in touch.I think she was touched by the tribute."
    Born to a French father and a Cameroonian mother, Helene and C-Lia learned how to sing at an early age.From their first performance as an a capella group, journalists in attendance later raved about these two charismatic girls and their wonderful voices.The group pursued ther music, reminded by the sisterly nudge given to them earlier by Abbey Lincoln; "do it...the greatest thing in the world is to be a singer!".
    Their album was recorded in England and France with a core group of English and French backing musicians."Princesses Nubiennes" draws from the childhood of the Faussarts as spent in Bordeaux, France and Chad, West Africa.The result is a celebration of the diversity of African history and music, as the combination of sultry French vocals and jazzy, Afrocentric rhythms are finding a place on the R&B music charts.
    "We begin with the roots - African chants, griot chants - and then after that traditional soul, and after the gospel, blues, jazz, reggae, funk and on to more modern styles," says Helene.
    "This was our idea of travel, to offer a tribute to different black music, but still to have a modern touch.
    There is no music that speaks to the Africans in France, so we wanted to make music that spoke to these people, who have this history to them.But not only that, we wanted to use our music to communicate with the whole world."
    I think that the people who will listen to our music will be people looking for something new.The Nubians are very eclectic; those who turn up like either the music, or the voices, or the message," offers C-Lia."It makes them question certain things, things that they'll understand when we talk about the queen of Saba, of Nubian princesses.Come and ask us questions, we'll give you answers and perhaps you'll learn something that will make you see things differently.
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