Album Four: Tryo

This is a bit of a curve ball but seeing as the idea of this club is to introduce people to music they may not typically come across I thought I'd take the liberty of introducing everybody to Tryo and their first album Mamagubida.  I grew up in France where English language music filled the airwaves and the charts.  It was so dominant that a law was brought into force that a certain percentage of French radio's playlists had to be made up of French music.  The radio stations got around this by cramming all their French music into the graveyard slot between 1am and 3am.  I'm scratching my head now and struggling to think of any big French pop stars that were or are popular outside the French speaking world.  I guess Serge Gainsbourg and Johnny Hallyday.  I think a lot of people would be surprised to know that many of the classic 60's hits we are so familiar with started life as French songs, the melodies stolen and lyrics translated.  I believe My Way started life in France.

I think of the type of music friends and fellow musical instrument players at school were into and would play in the fledgling bands and occasional jams we would have in the forest behind the school.  It was typically jazz and reggae based.  This album epitomizes that style of music and really represents a space and time for me.  It was ubiquitous in the late nineties.  So popular that the bus driver on a school trip stole my friends copy after she asked if we could play it on the journey.  He made some lame excuse that he'd lost it.

In a way Tryo were victims of their own success, so popular that the initially underground, hip band were now yesterday's news and the cool kids were no longer interested.  You could probably mathematically model the trajectory and notion of 'coolness', the more people like something the less appealing it becomes to those that form the zeitgeist.  I suppose the Beatles are the exception that prove the rule.  However, now twenty-two years after its release I think it has stood the test of time.  Not having been back to France for twenty odd years other than for a brief holiday I have no idea how it is currently perceived but I do know that everyone I've shown it to in England loves it.  

There is no need to speak French to enjoy it.  But for those who are interested the lyrics are written from a politically left wing perspective.  They sing about climate change, gender equality, the controversial issue of the legalization of cannabis as well as criticizing the government on a number of issues.  As the band name suggests they are a three piece although work with a percussionist.  The blend of the three voices is great and the rhythmic acoustic guitars is great.  What really sets them apart for me however is the lead guitarist Manu.  He plays superb jazz solos, he is supremely talented.  Anyway, I digress.  What I hope that you get from this is an opportunity to listen to a gem of an album that you would otherwise probably never have known existed.  Enjoy!