San Salvador

“…rich chords, call-and-response, drone-backed dissonances, microtonally inflected incantations, complex counterpoint, hocketing, propulsive unison refrains — delivered with handclaps, drumbeats and full-throated vehemence.”—The New York Times

Occitan polyphony is the starting point for this six-voice and percussion collective as they embark on their search for universal folklore, rooted in the region’s deep troubadour traditions yet circulating between cultures and musical genres. Their compositions use the Occitan language as a rhythmic instrument, combining poetry with hypnotic vocal harmonies cascading over shifting patterns of compelling percussion to create their own universe.

Trained by Gabriel, the band leader, the singers harmoniously balance the percussion, the clapping of hands, and the voices. Responding to or confronting each other, they alternate whispers and dramatic rises. Drunken rhythms follow slow songs, on various themes: spring, religion or war. There is never any monotony in these interpretations, but rather a real staging of each piece.