My current musical obsession focuses on 3 artists: Colette Magny, Catherine Ribeiro, and Theatre du Chene Noir. Many's the unifying string running thru all three: French women doing their defining work in the late 1960's & early 70's; operating well outside any cultural drift; all three appearing on the famed Nurse With Wound list (which Wm Berger has been so heroically documenting on these pages - rise Wm, rise!!). There's a fierce political character to all 3 as well, often subtle or implied, tho in the case of Mme Magny, sublimely overt.
But the thing that most strikes me about all 3 is a delivery that seems informed primarily by fatal despair and a supremely confident anger. I think it's this quality that has me so gaga over these artists, and it's this quality that I'll present to you in audio linkery. On this page, there's some brief biographical info on each, and over the fold I'll offer the audio links, selected discogs, and more links.
Colette Magny came first, (and has sadly died first) and was a massive influence on much French music to come. Beginning her career as a blues and folk singer, she became radicalized by the U.S. Civil Rights movement, the Nueva Canción musicians in South America, as well as the worldwide student revolt of that bygone era - you know the one. Her most astounding material is unapologetically violent, shocking, yet quite effective agit-prop accompanied by a heavy, romping jazzy rumpus.
Catherine Ribeiro (link is to her official website) began her career as a Ye Ye Girl and actress (appearing in 1963 in Godart's "Les Carabiniers") before meeting the composer Patrice Moullet, whom she married, and with whom she formed the bands 2-Bis and Alpes. Heavily influenced by Magny's vocal style, musically Ribeiro's most exciting incantations leap off from some of the most intense, repetitive and thrilling rural space-rock you'll find this side of Amon Düül, or even early Gong - several of whose members found their way to Alpes. Catherine's still busy performing in France, and she's apparently quite popular in Belgium.
I don't know who this woman to the right is, but she may possibly be the mysterious and haunting voice of Theatre du Chene Noir, a performance troupe from Avignon led by a guy named Gerard Gelas. There's sadly little I can find out about them, but it does seem that their recordings are actually documents of live stage plays. Check out this pic from one of them, "Miss Madonna". Musically presenting a diversity of styles, the anonymous vocal delivery is at once sexy and defiant, cooing and unapproachable. Her voice seems to be the one that appears on albums from 1971 and 1975. In any case, Gerard is still active.
Realaudio streams:
- Colette Magny "Oink! Oink!", from Brian's show. You don't need to speak French to understand this one, from her 1974 album Repression. Bio info here, and a listener's email to Mark Allen here. Also check out Melocoton, Vietnam 67 / Mai 68, and Transit.
- Colette Magny "El Aparecido", from Tony Coulter's show. This is Colette covering a song by a most tragic figure, the Chilean freedom fighter, musician and folk hero Victor Jara. Mind you, Tony Coulter's the guy who hipped us all to Colette, so pay close attention here; in this link he provides some background info, and segues directly into Catherine Ribeiro's "Le Kleenex, Le Drap de Lit et l'Etendart".
- Catherine Ribeiro + Alpes "Ame Debout", from Rich Hazelton's Inflatable Squirrel Carcass. This one's sort of a gateway track, featuring great strong, throaty singing and a fascinating drone on the percuphone. Taken from the 1970 album of the same name.
- Catherine Ribeiro + Alpes "Roc Alpin", from Charlie's show. Almost folky, almost joyful, yet still highlighting some seriously powerful pipes. From 1972's Paix.
- Catherine Ribeiro + Alpes "Qui a Parle de Fin" and "Poeme non Epique (suite)", from my show. This one starts with a nearly whispered poem from 1975's Liberte, then takes 20 minutes to evolve into some of the most cathartic throat-ripping screaming I've ever heard, from Le Rat Debile et L'Homme des Champs (1974).
- Theatre du Chene Noir "La Vivilesse et la Mort", from Aurora (1971). Here she is in totally fearsome feral mode. If you've seen the otherwise forgettable movie "Pola X", and recall the scene in the woods at night, then perhaps you too picture Yekaterina Golubeva when you hear this song.
- Theatre du Chene Noir "Le Train", from Charlie's show. This one showed up in 1976 on Chant Pour Le Delta, La Lune et Le Soleil. Very distant and very commanding, I must follow this person.
The mystery lady in the picture might be Bernadette Marini, but I'm not sure.
What is sure, though, is that Volvox Music label 'Monster Melodies' will be reissuing the entire 'Théâtre du Chêne Noir' back catalogue on CD: 'Aurora', 'Miss Madona', 'Chant pour le Delta' and 'Orphée 2000'.
Volvox Music – 5 Rue Pasteur – 75011 PARIS
Tél. : 01.47.00.15.15
email : [email protected]
Posted by: Jaak | October 04, 2005 at 08:14 AM
Hey Jaak, thanks much for that info. Also, Tony Coulter has named the mysterious lady! She is Nicole Aubiat. We still don't know who's in the picture, but -that voice- is Nicole Aubiat. Apparently, Bernadette only appeared on "Aurora". --Scott
Posted by: Scott | October 04, 2005 at 04:01 PM
Thanks Scott, very informative. The 2bis and Paix albums are big favorites of mine. Thanks also for the plug.
Posted by: WmMBerger | October 04, 2005 at 08:46 PM
I'm quite confused to see that the only Magny's album linked to the NWW list is Transit. Actually Colette Magny was some sort of politically involved blues/french chanson singer at the beginning of her career, but she soon evolved toward something much more experimental :
1° Feu et Rythme (Le Chant du Monde LDX 744 44)
This is the most vanguard LP by far : There, the highlight is the two free jazz double bass players Beb Guerin and Barre Phillips (who on most tracks are the only musicians and who are well known to European free jazz listeners). Though the texts are quite well written, this album is the most appealling to the non French speaking part of the NWW audience, and in my opinion the musically most successful of all. The melody is not the backbone of this LP since Colette Magny experiments with her voice by reaching different levels of screams, monkey-like shoutings, putting the stress on the sound of harsh French words, and so on. On two tracks she's singing along an ensemble wich definitely gives a contemporary music feel to it.
I highly recommend this one to any vanguard music collector and especially to the NWW list addicted.
2° Repression (Le Chant du Monde LDX 74476)
This one is somehow different from the previous one. On the flip side of the LP, Colette Magny still sings with Barre Phillips and Beb Guerin on double bass, but all tracks are much more structured though still kind of weird. On the A side, there's a complete change of personnal with the introduction of Bernard Vitet (Famous on the NWW list for his La Guepe LP on Futura), Francois Tusques (also famous for many entries on the NWW list such as Operation Rhino - Fete de Politique Hebdo, many sessions on Futura, and many other free jazz/experimental LP's). But despite all the expectations you could have, the music is basically a blues number (with a unique delivery style wich makes it quite different from regular blues numbers) with extremly violent political lyrics that sound dated nowadays.
This one is very nice, still weird but less experimental than the previous one.
3° Transit (Le Chant du Monde LDX 74570)
This one is the one that seems to be pointed out by the NWW list. Actually this is the less experimental of all. You have a 3 minutes track filled with tape loops that is probably the closest work to the NWW music she has done. And this is probably the reason why this album is usually mentioned. The rest of the album is french chanson, wih some very nice vietnamese texts and poetry read, including a testimony of torture practiced in vietnamese jails during the 60's. The musicians here are from a band called The Free Jazz Workshop (one of the earliest recordings with French clarinettist Louis Sclavis) wich is, despite its name, not free jazz at all on this record. The record is globally speaking quite conventional and despite the 3 minutes tape loops very much dedicated to the French audience, not to the non French speaking audience.
To conclude :
Transit is the one with a short track that is the most similar to Steve Stapelton's work.
Repression is half a blues number half a demented LP with some of the best French and American free jazz musicians of this time.
Feu et Rythme is definitely the one to get if you're in vanguard music. The whole record is breathtaking. I just can't figure out why this one is always missed when refered to NWW, since it all makes sense this is the most forward thinking one of all.
So you know what to do from now on.
- Anonymous
Posted by: Anonymous | October 22, 2005 at 05:12 AM
The mystery lady mentioned above is Nicole Aubiat who was part of Le théâtre du Chêne Noir and acted/sang/ voice over in several plays.
Posted by: Annie Cuffaro-Taylor | September 16, 2012 at 10:58 AM