Nomadic Massive - COOP Les Faux

Nomadic Massive
Dossier de presse 2016
NOMADIC MASSIVE
THE BIG BAND THEORY
AFTER ALMOST 3 YEARS OF SILENCE, THE UNIQUE AND ABLE MONTREAL 8-PIECE UNVEILS
THE BIG BAND THEORY, AN EXTENSIVE 16-TRACK ALBUM SURFING THE LINE BETWEEN
OLD-SCHOOL HIP-HOP AND NEW GUARD RAP, AVAILABLE NOW UNDER LES FAUXMONNAYEURS
NOMADIC MASSIVE is an incredible stage behemoth that has seen a fascinating evolution since
its inception. With performances around the globe ranging from the Vancouver International Jazz
Festival in British Columbia to the Rudolstadt Festival in Germany, by way of the Festival
International de Louisiane and the Grand Performances in Los Angeles, the band has made its
mark as an essential Canadian band. The collective delivers an unbounded hip-hop that skilfully
combines live instrumentation with sampling and a wide range of vocals.
Created between 2013 and 2016 – three years of touring, writing and exploration – The Big Band
Theory, NOMADIC MASSIVE’s third album, is as original and authentic as they come. A vast
polyglot work, it stands somewhere between the rebellious and suave rhythms of seventies soul,
the crossbred sound of contemporary cosmopolitan cities and the sharp and vivid approach of
avant-garde rap. With its electronic sounds over which warm brass are laid, “Apollo”, the opening
track, sets the tone for the album, undeniably festive and raw. This wide-ranging scope of sound
is further established through the essential pieces that are “Pan Am”, “Duty”, “Konba”, “Fade to
Grey” and “Any Sound”, which are sure to resonate loud and clear through the summer of 2016.
Speaking of heat, the band will play major events this summer, including the Montreal
international Jazz Festival, the Toronto Celebrates Canada! event and the Festival Nuits
d'Afrique.
While most of the tracks are based on samples, which are often taken from soundtracks, they
nonetheless unfold through numerous layers and lush arrangements, a signature sound of the
band that composed all of the album’s music. The latter’s breadth is expansive, and is as rich as
its members’ backgrounds, which allow them to move swiftly from one universe to another. And
while no piece quite resembles the others, the whole stays coherent, tied strongly together
through a skilful mix of influences. The result, while not attempting to be entirely new, is all the
more impressive and nonconformist, driven by power in numbers and the undeniable sum of
experience brought together by the elite musicians and performers behind NOMADIC MASSIVE.
NOMADIC MASSIVE, ON TOUR...
Saturday, June 5th – FeelsGood Folly Fest, Gagetown (NB)
Friday, July 1st – Harboutfront Centre, Toronto (ON)
Tuesday, July 5th – Festival international de jazz de Montréal, Montréal (QC)
Wednesday, July 6th – Festival international de jazz de Montréal, Montréal (QC)
Sunday, July 10th — Les Week-ends du Monde, Montréal (QC)
Saturday, July 16th – South Country Fair, Fort Macleod (AB)
Wednesday, July 20th – Festival international Nuits d'Afrique (QC)
Wednesday, July 29th — MEG, Montréal (QC)
Friday, August 20th — FALLA (Tohu), Montréal (QC)
“Duty” video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qRv1XQ_i7M
www.nomadicmassive.com
www.facebook.com/NomadicMassive
Marilyse Senécal
[email protected]
N
omadic Massive’s distinct sound is music with a conscience. No borders, no pretense—just
raw rhythms with multilingual voices that speak truth in sole-lifting melodies. Influenced by world
beats, reggae, funk, and soul, this 8-piece Montreal band challenges the affectations of
mainstream hip-hop by bringing it back to its intelligent, communal roots.
Singing and rapping in English, French, Haitian Creole, Jamaican Patois, Spanish and Arabic, the
group has been playing to sold-out shows all over the world—from Sao Paulo, Havana and
Cayenne to Canada, Connecticut, Boston, New York, and D.C.—sharing the stage with Wycelf
Jean, Mos Def, Antibalas, K’naan, Guru’s Jazzmatazz, and Digable Planets. The group has been
heralded at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, Manifesto Festival, Halifax Jazz Festival, and
LuminaTO, to name a few. Their rich musical diversity and passion for energetic, crowd-moving
beats have received accolades such as the Galaxy Prize for Best Performance (Mundial
Montreal), Best Hip Hop Group (Montreal Mirror, Best of Montreal), and Best EP of the year
(Montreal Underground Awards, Nomad’s Land). They have also received distinguished
nominations from the Gala Alternatif de la Musique Independente du Quebec, Festival Nuits
d’Afrique, and Montreal International Music Initiative.
Functioning as musical ambassadors, Nomadic Massive continues to redefine what hiphop can
achieve on a global level. Nomadic Massive’s commitment to social development has led to
international projects in Cuba and Brazil. These projects resulted in the creation of their mixtape
series, Get Down, featuring work from their educational and musical workshops, concerts and
studio collaborations with Cuban and Brazilian artists.
The group also travelled to Haiti, hosting music workshops designed to give voice to Haitian
youth following the January 2010 earthquake. In collaboration with New York’s Nomadic Wax, the
group wrote music for the documentary, Democracy in Haiti. A mixtape featuring KRS-One and
Haitian hip-hop artists was released in tandem with the film.
www.nomadicmassive.com @nomadicmassive
BIOGRAPHY – BAND MEMBERS
Vox Sambou
Vox Sambou was born and raised in Limbe, Northern Haiti. He has been writing and performing
since age 14 and is a founding member of Nomadic Massive. Fluent in Haitian, Creole, French,
and English, he highlights worldwide injustices, especially on Haiti’s suffering. His rich and unique
cultural heritage is evident in his musicality and individualism. Vox holds a BA in Psychology and
Anthropology and is a strong believer in the importance of finding concrete solutions to problems.
He has exercised this credo daily for the past 6 years as director of La Maison des Jeunes de
Côte- des-Neiges, a non-profit youth organization whose mandate is to prevent crime among
teenagers in the neighborhood of Côte-des-Neiges. He is also a founding member of Solid’Ayiti, a
social justice initiative working towards long-term solidarity between Montreal and Haiti.
More about Vox: www.nomadicmassive.com/author/voxsambou/
Waahli
A guitarist, producer and MC, Waahli’s parents escaped Haiti’s political instability in the early 70s
by immigrating to Quebec. Born and raised in Saint-Michel, he experienced social injustice first
hand. He discovered hip-hop culture at a very early age, and was inspired by various hip-hop
artists that created socially conscious music. Waahli has shared the stage with artists such as
Guru, Yasiin Bey (Mos Def), Blackalicious, K’naan and Wyclef Jean and has captivated
audiences with explosive performances ranging in styles from traditional, to soul, funk and Jazz.
Fluent in Haitian, Creole, French and English, he earned degrees in communications, art and
theatre, and paralegal technology. He is a legal coordinator at the Head and Hands medical,
social and legal services clinic in Notre Dame de Grâce, Montreal where he empowers youth with
harm reductive resources to make informed decisions toward solving legal issues. Waahli is also
a proud father, a grassroots youth worker and soap maker.
More about Waahli: www.nomadicmassive.com/author/waahli/
Tali
Tali studied literature at the University of Ottawa, and received a graduate certificate in journalism
from Humber College. She is a regular contributor to Community Contact, Quebec’s Englishlanguage black community newspaper and is an alternative educator who uses hip-hop culture as
a contemporary educational tool. She is also a researcher/writer-broadcaster at CBC Radio
Montreal. As the co-founder of Hip Hop No Pop, Tali has toured high-schools and CEGEP
campuses to teach youth workshops on the non-violent origins of hip-hop and how to use this
culture as a tool for social change. Her goal for these workshops is to confront mainstream
interpretations of hip- hop and to encourage critical thinking among youth by contextualizing hiphop. Tali is currently on the governing board of the Maison des Jeunes de la Côte-des-Neiges
and is pursuing her graduate degree in Education at McGill University.
More about Tali: www.nomadicmassive.com/author/nantali/
Lou Piensa
Born in France and raised in Ecuador, Algeria, Canada and Cuba, Lou Piensa has been active in
the international hip-hop scene since his teenage years and helped form Nomadic Massive in
2004. As a multi-lingual artist, he raps in French, English, Spanish and Portuguese—a for his
multicultural neighborhood, Côte-des-Neiges in Montreal. He has shared the stage with artists
such as Common, K’Naan, Julian Marley and Jean Grey and has a decade long tie with Cuban
duo, Obsesion. His musicality reflects his eclectic upbringing, finding inspiration from rhythms
around the world. When he is not teaching high schoolers or working on a project, he can be
found making beats and writing rhymes in preparation for travelling the world with music.
More about Lou: www.nomadicmassive.com/author/loupiensa/
www.nomadicmassive.com @nomadicmassive
Ali Sepu
Born in Ottawa, Ali was influenced by the traditional music of the Andes, as well as the blues and
the psychadelic music of the seventies. He studied classical guitar when he was 12 and
discovered an innate talent for melodic and rhythmic improvisation. He became involved in many
Chilean cultural events which served as a training ground for his unique guitar style. His first
music group and travel experiences were through the folkloric ensemble, Ramada, alongside his
sister Sayen. Hip Hop expanded his musical repertoire as he explored new styles emanating from
the diverse cultures of the Montreal music scene. He found his unique playing style melded well
with Hip Hop rythms. Although his original loops were done on the same classical guitar he
received as a child, he prefers to play his Japanese Stratocaster for Nomadic Massive’s live
Performances. The evolution of his original sound is reflected in Nomadic Massive’s signature
sound.
More about Ali: www.nomadicmassive.com/author/alisepu/
Meduza
Meduza was born in Algiers, Algeria and immigrated to Canada in 2000 to escape civil war.
Fluent in Arabic and French, she learned English through long hours of religious listening
sessions to Wu Tang Clan, Big L, Fugees, Public Enemy, Dead Prez and other influential hip-hop
artists. Her love for hip-hop comes from the genre’s tradition of encouraging social critique and
free speech. She joined Nomadic Massive in 2005 after recognizing the group’s passion for music
and positive social change. While mentoring young women and facilitating singing workshops at
La Maison des Jeunes de Côte-des-Neiges, she obtained a degree in commerce, a license in real
estate, and began her bachelor’s degree in political science. As a singer, she has collaborated on
soundtracks for films and TV shows Lance et Compte, Sur le Rythme, Omertà, Derapage and
more.
More about Meduza: www.nomadicmassive.com/author/meduzamaat/
Rawgged MC
Born in Port-au-Prince, Haïti and raised in Montreal, Rawgged MC was influenced by the sounds
and rhythms of Haitian radio and vintage cassettes from his father’s collection of Kompa and nonWestern music. He found musical expression through beat boxing, rhyming and the electric bass.
A founder of the Students for the Advancement of Hip Hop Culture, responsible for the
symposium on Hip Hop Culture that was held in Montreal from 2002-2005 ; 2009; and in Port-auPrince in 2011. He is also a founding member of Solid’Ayiti, an association dedicated to
cooperation between artistic and academic communities in Montreal and Haïti. Shortly after the
Nomadic Massive’s formation, he pursued his doctorate in podiatric medicine at the University of
Quebec in Trois-Rivieères. In between shows and tours, he runs his own private podiatric
practice, Leger Foot Clinic, and has seamlessly balanced his passions and interests in the fields
of health science, music, and community involvement.
More about Rawgged MC: www.nomadicmassive.com/author/djegal/
Butta Beats
A versatile Argentine artist, Butta Beats was often seen and heard in countless freestyle sessions
and beat boxing encounters in concerts, on street corners and on the radio. He was part of the
We Funk Radio with DJ Static, Professor Groove. He also collaborated with Ali Sepu on the Iron
Chef Project, which allowed him to integrate his South American folkloric influences with
occidental urban music. Joining Nomadic Massive gave him the perfect medium to express
positive social discourse through music.
More about Butta: www.nomadicmassive.com/author/buttabeats/
www.nomadicmassive.com @nomadicmassive
DISCOGRAPHY
ANY SOUND
EP, 2013
http://bit.ly/ZV0cSn
SUPAFAM
Mixtape, 2012
http://bit.ly/OpU4XN
NOMADIC MASSIVE
LP, 2009
http://bit.ly/ZV0jxi
NOMAD’S LAND
EP, 2007
http://bit.ly/18zXdC2
AWARDS & NOMINATIONS
Awards
Galaxy Prize for Best Performance Mundial Montreal, 2012
Best Hip Hop Group, 2nd Place Montreal Mirror, Best of Montreal, 2011
Best Hip Hop Group, 1st Place Montreal Mirror, Best of Montreal, 2010
Best Hip Hop Group, 1st Place Montreal Mirror, Best of Montreal, 2009
Single of the Week, Moving Forward (Nomadic Massive, LP) HHQC.com, 2009
Best EP of the Year, Nomad’s Land Montreal Underground Awards, 2006
.
Nominations
Best Hip Hop Album Gala Alternatif de la Musique Independente du Quebec, 2009
Honourable Mention Festival Nuits d’Afrique Showcase, 2007
Best World Music Group Montreal International Music Initiative, 2006
www.nomadicmassive.com @nomadicmassive
Discographie
The Big Band Theory (2016)
«The Big Band Theory stands somewhere between the
rebellious and suave
rhythms of seventies soul, the crossbred sound of
contemporary cosmopolitan
cities and the sharp and vivid approach of avant-garde rap. »
- Nick Younes, IX Daily
« Seize pièces bien denses, aucun temps mort, des
influences
multiples (jazz, funk, rock, rap), et un flow de la mort; l’octuor
a
travaillé fort pour ces pièces et ça s’entend. »
- François Lemay, ICI Musique
« Ce nouveau LP réaffirme sans aucun doute la place
qu’occupe Nomadic Massive dans l’écosystème musical
montréalais, défrichant à nouveau de nouvelles formes
d’expressions tout en gardant la tradition vivante et
actuelle. »
- Patrice Caron, Projet Papineau
« Le dernier opus […] est sans doute le plus cohésif de la
formation,
chacun ayant apporté sa pierre à l’édifice. »
- Olivier Pierson, Camuz
« On se promène dans le hip-hop old school ou très
contemporain, on
parle de jeunesse et de résistance, on rappe et on chante,
en solo ou en
famille, en s’agitant ou en allant au plus profond des tripes. »
- Yves Bernard, Le Devoir
« Après Brown, Koriass et j’en passe, c’est au tour du
collectif Nomadic Massive d’offrir une œuvre définitivement à
l’image de son titre: massive et explosive! ****»
- André Péloquin, Journal de Montréal
Nomadic Massive (2009)
NOmad’s Land (2006)
Journal Metro – 27 juillet 2016
Michael Olivier Harding
VOIR – 19 juillet 2016
Olivier Boisvert-Magnen
Le Canal Auditif – 14 juillet 2016
Louis-Philippe Labrèche
Le Canal Auditif – 14 juillet 2016 (suite)
Louis-Philippe Labrèche
Journal Metro – 7 juillet 2016
Rédaction Métro
La Presse – 2 juillet 2016
Émilie Côté
BRBR – 29 juin 2016
Riff Tabaracci
Jennismusikbloqc – 6 juin 2016
Jenni in selbst gesehen
Le Devoir – 3 juin 2016
Yves Bernard
Camuz – 3 juin 2016
Collectif massif | Camuz
Olivier Pierson
Camuz – 3 juin 2016 (suite)
Bucketlist Music Reviews – 2 juin 2016
X Daily – 27 mai 2016
Projet Papineau – 9 mai 2016
Deutschlandfunk – 6 mai 2015
Deutschlandfunk – 6 mai 2016 (suite)
Vidéos
La Fabrique culturelle.tv – 27 juin 2016
La Fabrique culturelle.tv – 27 juin 2016 (suite)
Pour visionner le vidéo, cliquez sur ce lien :
http://www.lafabriqueculturelle.tv/capsules/7303/nomadicmassive-apollo-les-sessions-lafab
Le Journal de Montréal – 10 juin 2016
André Péloquin
Contacts
Gérance
Productions Nomadic Massive
[email protected]
Co-gérance & booking
COOP Les Faux-Monnayeurs
Jean-François Guindon
[email protected]
Maison de disques & édition
COOP Les Faux-Monnayeurs
Julie Desjardins
[email protected]
Booking en Belgique
Live Nation
Philippe Kopp
[email protected]
Booking en Allemagne
Laviola
Anja Hövelmann
[email protected]