I cancelled an overpriced voyage to Paris last week and missed out on seeing My Brightest Diamond. Luckily, a friend called me up and invited me to see Amp Fiddler instead, at a known Lyon venue called Ninkasi.
I accepted and discovered Sandra, artist name 'Mounam', a welcome soul singing, booty grooving, badass intro to a night that made me forget my loss.
She sang like a real diva and was accompanied by a phenomenal electro based DJ...I 'accosted' her (ofcourse) after an electrifying performance, she generously indulged me for the rest...
Read on.
CHRONIQUE SUR...MOUNAM (Soul / Afro-beat / Electro) LYON - Commentary by Mounam, Translated from French by LadyC
(This is the third in my series of guest interviews.)
What are your beginnings in music?
I gravitated to the world of music since many years. I am an autodidact and I discovered the 'métier de chanteuse' really early on in clubs, covering songs in soul, jazz, funk, reggae, blues and even sometimes in rock, which helped me develop a large and varied vocal range.
Afterwards, I was a part of an accappella trio, Maezah, where I learned in some form how to be a 'choriste' and play with my voice, using it like an instrument or percussion. Eventually, each of us would move on from shared singing roles to lead.
I was also a part of the Electro-Jazz group, Colorblind.
Finally, I lent my voice to different projects; notably being featured on the 'Slovo-Nommo' album (guitar project of Dave Randall-Rufflife Records UK) and with Electro-Jazz collective MJA (Metropolitan Jazz Affair / le Maquis France).
The Parisian/Strasbourg duo, NuTropic, also invited me for a side album project with 'Beat Assaillant'. Following this, I got to know another collective from Strasbourg who are more into 'broken beat' and who I am particularly fond of, namely Steppah Huntah.
I work with the producer Patchworks (Q-Tape Records France / Favorite Recordings) for several projects – the soul inspired 'MP (Mr President) project' and Les Dynamics, who are a Reggae/Dub/Soul group with 3 singers and 2 guys on machines.
Who are your influences?
My influences are numerous because I consider myself a 'multi-faceted' chanteuse if we can label it like that. In fact, I grew up in the musical universe of Soul/Afro/Jazz/Rhythm & Blues with my parents. So, I was lulled by Makossa, Soukouss and Motown sound; The Supremes, Ray Charles, Ike and Tina Turner, Ben Decca, Dina Bell, Louis Prima, Louis Armstrong...
In adolescence, I rejected all this and turned towards the 80's New Wave. The old 'chanson française' (Moustaki, Gainsbourg, Barbara), then Funk and Urban Anglo-Saxon music.
After, I lived several years with someone who was crazy about reggae, I lived and breathed Bob Marley from breakfast to dinner! (Laughs) Then I was turning towards traditional music; African, Indian, Latin, Acappella and Jazz Vocals (Bobby McFerrin, Diane Reeves, Lady Smith Black Mambazo). Much later, I went back to my childhood influences spanning through Nu Soul, Jazz, Blues, Afro Jazz and Afro Beat; I love the music of Richard Bona, Miles Davis, Aziza Mustafa Zadeh, Fella, Angie Stone, Jill Scott, India Arie, Erykah Badu, Sharon Jones, BB King, Koko Taylor and many others like Amp Fiddler ofcourse.
But, I think at present I am open to all music that speaks to me, like electro for example, where I hear a multitude of new killer voices (Bembe Segue). I am marked by all the influences that have spanned my life so I cannot say that I listen to one particular style or one artist. It all depends on my mood.
How long has 'Mounam' existed? How did it begin?
Mounam means 'my child' in Douala, the dialect of Cameroon where I have my roots. And I cannot say how long Mounam has existed because it is me. With everything that I have accomplished, she has always been there. Simply, today I accept her as I accept myself...So it isn't another project more but we could say it is my 'nom d'artiste'. It is under this name that I would like to release an eventual solo project.
Describe your style of music.
As you can see from my musical taste, it's not easy to define. We could use the term 'world music' in the proper sense but the label 'world music' to our dear distributors would only include a certain category of artists. So, for me, there is not much more to say.
Tell me more about the (Great!) DJ accompanying you that night for Amp Fiddler. You both have a great shared energy and played really well off eachother.
Ofcourse!!! Without him, that night wouldn't have had the same impact. He is Jun Matsuoka, an extremely eclectic DJ from Japan but he has lived in France for some years. We met during the Colorblind project and have since worked enthusiastically together once an occasion presented itself.
He is now the manager of the 'peniche' La Marquise in Lyon (a popular barge/club in Lyon) but that doesn't stop him from continuing his activities as a DJ. He's an excellent 'Selecta' making me discover a wide variety of good music from the clubs, and he also programs excellent line-ups of DJ's and international groups at La Marquise.
It is one of the only clubs at the moment that can maintain it's defining dynamic choices and the courage to "sortir des sentiers battus" (stick up for the forgotten).
How is it to open for Amp Fiddler?
It was cool! naturally cool...
What other international artist have you opened for in the past?
Good, you want some showing off (Laughs). With 'Les Dynamics', I shared the bill with Arrested Development, The Streets and also the rapper TY.
I was the opening act for Keziah Jones a few years ago, with Colorblind, Fela Kuti, with Lex Leo from 'Third World' and Maezah, the show of Geoffrey Oryéma and also Liz MC Comb. As Mounam, I have opened for 'Skye'.
And the future, who would you like to open for?
I don't really know, I have faith in my guiding star, it doesn't depend on me. Whomever that will be, it will be cool.
You really moved the crowds that night I saw you, is it hard sometimes in 'shy' Lyon to get a response?
It worked because it was one timid addressing the others (Laughs) Seriously, you're right, it is known and reknown that the Lyon public is difficult. But having this reputation maybe means it is less and less true.
(Good insight Sandra, I think so too - LadyC)
What is your relationship to Lyon?
I was born in Lyon and I will always return even if I am a citizen of the world.
What is the music scene like here locally?
The Lyon music scene is extremely rich. There is a lot of interesting projects and in many diverse styles. Unfortunately, it has some difficulty in making its' mark and not just now, except maybe for electronic music.
What projects do you have coming soon?
Like I said previously, I would like to release an album for 'Mounam', I have done so many things that I need to seriously get down to it to finish.
Otherwise, it's planned that I tour with Les Dynamics and that we'll release other singles on 45's, they are doing well in England and Germany.
Thanks, it isn't often that we give the 'paroles' (pass the mic) to an unknown artist with so much spontaneity.
(No, Thank you Sandra!)
MORE ABOUT MOUNAM http://www.myspace.com/mounam http://www.mounam.net/
PREVIOUS 'CHRONIQUE SUR...'
My Trusted MOGs
Still waiting to read a review of a concert you go and see with Chul, this one sounded great.
My Trusted MOGs
Succulent yet funky, LadyC. And the multi-tracked vox, and oh, that Afro-beat! A find, to be sure.