Although France was never much renowned for its musical originators until t… Read Full Bio ↴Although France was never much renowned for its musical originators until the late 80’s, it has always been a country of music-obsessives, as all those black American jazzmen of the 40’s and 50’s found out to their delight when they toured the country. This obsessive streak has blessed the six members of Ceux Qui Marchent Debout (« Those Who Walk Upright ») with a deep knowledge and love of funk, ska, reggae and R&B. Back in 1992, an incontrovertible partiality to funkin’ good beats spurred Roufi, Tubar, Tafani, Proto, Clark and Vich to form a kind of busking brass band comprising trombone, sax, bass sax, trumpet, banjo, snare and bass drum. The sextet quickly mastered the funky reggae party repertoire and began touring with hazardous determination, slowly building a nationwide clientele for their raucous evenings of pure gloves-off dancing abandon. Their first platter « Debout » only enhanced their ballooning reputation and the press hailed the group as « the perfect hangover cure » or « a charm against the grump ». Self-produced, self-managed and self-financed the group found the wherewithal to tour the USA, visiting the spiritual home of their art, New Orleans, and then spreading their funky medicine to places like Canada , Madagascar, Senegal, Jordan and Nigeria. Thanks to this incessant gigging. CQMD developed a timing and a delivery which is now legendary in French funk circles where they are regularly referred to as « The Best French Funk Band In the World ». They also managed to compose and perfom the film score for Cedric Klapisch’s « Chacun Cherche Son Chat ».

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