They may be called The Two, but they\u2019ll be performing as a quartet on Monday night at Club Balattou as part of the 40th edition of the Nuits d\u2019Afrique International Festival. Yannick Nanette and Thierry Jaccard were the original members of the duo, but along the way, Loris Martenet joined them, and just recently, a new member came on board. This latest member is a longtime friend of Yannick\u2019s, and after 20 years without contact, they reconnected via Facebook a few years ago\u2014and\u2026 the rest is history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unlike their first performance at Balattou several months ago, adding the keyboard was an excellent idea and breathed new life into their repertoire. Nanette is from Mauritius, Jaccard from Switzerland, and together they transport us to a world of \u201cblues from the south, from the Indian Ocean,\u201d as Nanette so aptly described it. Alluding to the various types of Creole languages around the world\u2014including, in their view, Quebec Creole\u2014several songs had titles with a French ring to them but in a modified form. For example, the title \u201cTiombo\u201d actually means \u201cHang in there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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There were several musical exchanges between Yannick and Thierry\u2019s many guitars, almost spiritual rhythms inspired by sounds from Mauritius and the surrounding region, with percussion that took us in all directions. A banjo added a folk touch to the blues, with a triangle occasionally chiming in to round out the sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We were also celebrating Yannick\u2019s 44th birthday that evening, and in fact, the birthday boy\u2019s family was in the audience. Yannick\u2019s sister even took the stage to sing a chorus with her brother\u2014a tender moment that was greatly appreciated by the audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The song \u201cFam Couma Ou,\u201d which means \u201ca woman like you,\u201d also went over well with the audience, who were struggling to resist dancing. The Two shift seamlessly from gentle to intense, transporting us at will into their world. The percussion helps create depth, and Yannick\u2019s harmonica finds its place within it all, while the audience turns into a veritable choir on several occasions throughout the evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another traditional instrument, the kayamb\u2014a sort of wooden board similar to the one played on R\u00e9union Island\u2014was also featured in the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My neighbours, who are of Haitian descent, told me that they understood almost all the lyrics sung in Creole. At times, you could sense a trance-like atmosphere on stage, especially during Thierry\u2019s intense solos, before the performance continued with moments of tenderness. \u201cMo ale\u201d and \u201cLao\u201d\u2014a tribute to those who have passed away\u2014were my favourites of the evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m 44 today, but I remember when you were 33 and we performed at the Montreux Festival: It\u2019s still just as much a pleasure to work with you,\u201d Thierry confided amid the audience\u2019s applause.<\/p>\n\n\n
They may be called The Two, but they\u2019ll be performing as a quartet on Monday night at Club Balattou as part of the 40th edition of the Nuits d\u2019Afrique International Festival. Yannick Nanette and Thierry Jaccard were the original members of the duo, but along the way, Loris Martenet joined them, and just recently, a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1468,"featured_media":161792,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"categories":[8152],"tags":[9396],"genre":[4272,4133,3161,8787],"salle":[7551],"ville":[7246],"class_list":["post-161908","gig_review","type-gig_review","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-critiques-de-concerts-en","tag-festival-nuits-dafrique-en","genre-african","genre-blues-en-2","genre-folk-2","genre-indian-ocean","salle-club-balattou-en","ville-montreal-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n