Sega (music from Mauritius) with a reggae and bollywood flavor.

14 MP3 Songs
WORLD: African, WORLD: World Fusion



Details:
With two new albums, Roots and Nations, world music artist Gerard Emilien is refining his musical identity.

With the debut release of Rêves (Dreams) artist Gerard Emilien showcased songwriting equal to the many destinations around the world he has had the pleasure to call home. Now, with the simultaneous availability of Roots and Nationsâtwo brand new collectionsâEmilien is further clarifying and deepening his global sound. The twelve tracks on Roots, matched by another dozen on Nations, reveal an increasingly seamless blend between the music of the artistâs Mauritius tropical island roots, and the European and American pop influences absorbed throughout his lifeâs travels.
Composed by an artist for whom sense of place is central to creativity, Nations and Roots are aptly named. Emilien, now a permanent Parisian, lived in four other nations before settling in France. As he has traveled abroad, so has the music heâs heard along the way, traveled deeply to his core. And so Emilien proffers a sound as richly seasoned with the rhythms of Segaâthe exuberant folk music of his youthâas it is with the melodic and harmonic development of the best of British pop. Somewhere in between those poles, lives the soulful American influence.
In the best of Emilienâs musicâas in the title track of Nations, a French-language meditation about life on relatively tiny Mauritiusâthe artist arrives at a perfect synthesis of all the influences heâs been touched by. There you will hear the folkloric island contribution, though now completely re-imagined, featuring seductive sitar riffs. Emilien also turns to India (and likely George Harrison) for inspiration on âDivaliâ and Rootsâ âInner Understandingâ, masterful sonic concoctions with Sega elements, Indian percussion, and the insistent drive of pop rock. From the lusty reggae-infused steamer âZaffaire Làâ on Nations, to the haunting international pop ballad âLifeâ featured midway through Roots, Emilien successfully spans the worldâs rhythmic and emotional spectrums.