In my humble opinion, the music of Thai-born Montrealer Salin (Cheewapansri is her last name), recently named Radio-Canada Revelation, is one of the most original offerings in World Beat today. This album, Rammana, bears the imprint of Montreal all over it: Afrobeat-thai-jazz-trad-pop-funk carried by a rich group of artists from the city whose origins are as varied as the Assembly of the United Nations. From Keb to Haitian, Franco-Algerian, Thai (of course), Congolese, Japanese, American, Greek, Russian, you name it.
That said, as is a common thread running through the young lady’s production, Afrobeat forms the backbone on which everything else rests (Molam, a traditional genre from north-east Thailand; Jazz; Funk; Pop). The result is anything but a rough patchwork, rather a coherent musical vision, conceptually concise and highly effective in terms of sheer fun. The Afrobeat sound is punctuated by the assertive but perfectly integrated colours of the phin and khene, two traditional Thai instruments, vigorously propelled by Khontan Pitukpon. Galore bass, guitars and percussion (Salin is the master here, but also the excellent Elli Miller Maboungou and others – see line-up below) are front and centre, of course.
The rest of the construction doesn’t shy away either: rich arrangements offer space to a string quartet, woodwinds and trumpets (very happy to see Hichem Khalfa appear!), ensuring the birth of an album that ideally combines a festive atmosphere with instrumental originality and quality of execution. A few more chill tracks give the whole a suave urban finish, like relaxing on a summer evening in the Mile End. Last but not least, the excellent production adds a final veneer of internationality to this opus, the artist’s third, counting the previous EPs, but the first truly complete.
Rammana has the potential to be a landmark in the emergence of a unique style: Afro-thaï-funk. It also confirms Montreal’s place as a dynamic and creative catalyst for global world beat.
Drums: Salin Cheewapansri
Ngoma Drums: Elli Miller Maboungou
Congas: Michel Medrano Brindis, Kicky FOOFOO
Ching-chap: Kicky FOOFOO
Bass: March Tripob, Danny Trudeau, Paul Charles, Lucas Zafiris, Pierre Harry Erizias Guitar: Frank O’Sullivan, Lucas Zafiris, Dave Hjin, Salin
Phin: Khontan Pitukpon
Khene: Khontan Pitukpon, Aum Suwamat Keys: Lucas Zafiris, David Osei-Afrifa, Jordan Pistilli
Voice: Armmy Ubonrat Saxophones and Flute: Alexandre Dion
Trumpet: Hichem Khalfa, Farhan Remy, Josiane Rouette
Voice on track 1 &2 Armmy Ubonrat
Voice on track 10 : Salin, Belinda and Christina Belice, Thakoon Boonma, Surat Nakwa
Violin I: Sallynee Amawat
Violin II: Sari Tsuji
Viola: Nelleke Daghner
Cello: Amanda Keesmaat
Horn arrangement on track 7 : Alexandre Dion
Strings and Horns arrangement on Rammana: Aleksey Shegolev
