OVD007 : Pierre Vervloesem - John Litton Baroï / Zala Zala (Remastered)
Fourth in a chronological series of 11 digital only remastered releases (6 solo (5 augmented with bonuses, lives and remixes), 1 duo, 1 unreleased duo and 3 pots-pourris (with absolutely every tunes possible ever recorded by Pierre and never released)) and coming at the pace of one every month is the fabulous first duo album from Pierre Vervloesem and John Litton Baroï: Zala Zala (2001).
John, a Bengladesh native, started to study singing when he was 8 years old under the monitoring of Indian singer Bobech Chaterjee. He also learned to play the traditional Indian harmonium to go along with his singing.
John played with quite an impressive amount of musicians in Bengladesh before immigrating in Europe in the beginning of the 90ties.
John started then to play with various jazz ensemble, trying to modernize his playing and also trying to bring back the traditionally Bengali folk music.
This was precisely the perfect time to meet Pierre.
The result: Zala Zala, an album that mixes with subtlety west and east instruments, modern beats and tradition, pulse and emotion, never loosing his Asian roots.
Pierre Vervloesem: Guitar, Bass, Programming
Sandip Bhattacharya: Tablas (1-2-5-6-8)
Peter Vandenberghe: Keyboards (1-6-9)
Didier Fontaine: V-Drums (4)
All arrangements and producing by Pierre Vervloesem
What the BBC wrote at the time, considering Zala Zala as one of the best world record of 2001:
Chris Jones 2002
"Every once in a while an album comes along which, while never destined to change the course of musical history or cause a furore in the press, crawls softly into your heart to nestle there like a treasured teddy bear. You play it once and it's inoffensive at best. You play it twice and you begin sway as an irresistibly "warm vibe" begins to fill you. Before you know it you've played it five times in a row and have started scouring the sleevenotes for any kind of clue as to who's managed to effortlessly steal your soul. Which is where Zala Zala falls down. Unless you're a student of Belgian avant prog or know your Bangladeshi singers off by heart you'll be hard-pressed to glean much about this sly little beauty. Enlightenment was ever a hard road to travel.
Digital release only on the first of September 2014.
Original cover:
cover art by Els Van Hemelrijk
Track listing: all tracks have been remastered
1: Teer Nai Tore
2: Tor Hashite
3: Kal Gelo
4: Pothiker Vhari Bozha
5: Talee Talee
6: Tor Khota
7: Zala Zala
8: Prethibee Prethibee
9: Aei Khota
And in Bandcamp:
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