RELEASE 2nd OCT 2015 obert Pete Williams, one of the great African-Ame- rican poets of the , discovered in a Louisia- Rna prison farm at the end of the 1950’s, described his art as “air music”: “The sound of the atmosphere, the weather changes my style. The atmosphere, when the wind is blowing, carries music along,” he once ex- plained. Roland Tchakounté’s music—and this is no small feat—is endowed with the same atmospheric ai- riness that reaches the universal.

Born in , but a world citizen at heart, Roland treads the bridge that links to Africa on this new album. As was the case with Roland’s five previous sets, Nguémé & Smiling Blues makes use of two idioms to describe the strengths and weaknesses of the First NEW ALBUM Continent: bamiléké, his mother tongue, and the blue notes that changed his destiny forever the day he heard a John Lee Hooker recording for the first time: “Hearing him was a true revelatory moment. At first, I thought he was an African artist who had Americanized his name. The spontaneity, the apparent lack of structure, the fire and raw energy, the honesty I was hearing changed my whole perception of music, and I knew on the spot what direction I wanted to give to my music from then on.”

Nguémé, the Cameroonian pidgin synonym of hardship that gave its title to this set, is a sure sign of Roland’s concern for the suffering of the world: “I’ve always been affected by the downtrodden and the oppressed, he says. This new recording is an open letter to them, a way of giving them the strength to stand up and keep their heads up high.” In that respect, Roland remains faithful to the cathartic spirit of the blues. In keeping with the African-American blues tradition, his music deals with grief and sorrow as a way to transcend them. The 13 original compositions that make up Nguémé don’t deal exclusively with sadness (“Melena,” “Mise- ry”) and unrequited love (“Meden Mbibou,” “Oulen Nefa Fide”). They also celebrate the moments of being that give their full meaning to our lives (“Nju Bwoh Man,” RELEASE : 2nd october 2015 “Tchuite Blues,” “Noum Seou”), and generally praise LABEL : TUPELO RECORDS Africa in a way that’s rarely done by condescending DISTRIBUTION : Harmonia Mundi Westerners. “Chubata Africa,” the opening track, is a CORDINATION : MDC perfect example of Roland’s proud outlook on a conti- /// nent that gave the world outstanding heroes such as Nelson Mandela, the leader of Ghana’s independence THE RELEASE CONCERT at Kwame Nkrumah, trailblazer Thomas Sankara from «LE NEW MORNING PARIS» Burkina, or famed anthropologist Cheikh Anta Diop whose groundbreaking work brought to light the Afri- on 1 october 2015 can origins of Ancient Egypt. /// Roland envisions Nguémé & Smiling Blues in an en- LINE UP : ergetic and positive way. Strongly inspired by the ROLAND TCHAKOUNTE flamboyant atmosphere of the electric Chicago blues lead vocals & acoustic school relayed by Mike Ravassat’s scorching guitar and MICK RAVASSAT the inspired keyboard work of Damien Cornelis from electric guitar the Malted Milk band, this album is yet another paean to Tchakounté’s original touch. A strong singer in the Taj DAMIEN CORNELIS Mahal tradition, Roland is one of a handful of creators keyboards who have successfully built a bridge between Africa LARRY CROCKETT and Black America’s ultimate art form, the blues. drums “Nju Bwoh Man,” its emotional atmosphere enhanced /// by its majestic choir, is a critical proof of this achieve- VIDEOS ment. Especially when you know that nju bwoh man, in CLICK HERE bamiléké, means “Life is beautiful.” OCT 1st 2015 IN CONCERT AT «LE NEW MORNING» 8:00PM with special guest Gaelle Buswel 7-9 rue des petites écuries, 75010 PARIS

Roland Tchakounte is What they said about him Five albums,more then fifteen years of career, The blues as it should be played..delicate, intimate, hundreds of concerts, personal. Roland Tchakounte, a very personable blues man from Cameroon, encompasses both the despair France, and hope, promise in his soul-wrenching music. USA, The words are in his native language but the meaning , pervades his sounds. He artfully blends both bass and sharp notes to make one feel theessence of his music. Vietnam, A very fine musician who fell under the influence of Singapour, John Lee Hooker, Roland conveys his life experiences through his music. Warm,melodious, foot-stomping, Africa, he directly caresses his guitar strings in a masterful Indonesia, variation of colors. The tone of his voice makes a Germany, perfect marriage with his gripping guitar playing. Surrounded by two other compelling musicians on Belgium, guitar and percussion, Roland played to an extremely Czech Republic, appreciative audience that made for a memorable Lituania, evening. If you are a blues fan, this man is an abso- lute must because his guitar and voice interpretations Italia, leave one feeling very moved, introspective yet happy. Spain I highly recommend this musician. Alans COHEN /// If you thought you have listened to everything already, you haven’t listened to Roland Tchakounté, native from Cameroon, Parisian by adoption and an exceptional artist. He is one of the few who knows how to perfectly merge his African roots with his Blues inspirations and his very own singularity : an entire repertoire in Bamiléké, his native dialect. Music is his way to express how he feels for the African Conti- nent’s neglect and his desire to make the human race a family, without race or color distinctions. Steph JUME /// Taking giant steps along a path traveled before by Ali Farka Touré, John Lee Hooker (USA), Youssou N’Dour, Boubakar Traoré or Corey Harris, Roland Tchakounté is one of those great modern African artists who travel extensively throughout the world of music, with extended stopovers in Bluesland. Acclaimed in Paris, Memphis, Chicago (next to Buddy Guy), in Canada and even in , this Parisian by adoption sends the Blues back to its origins. Nadi CROCES