The band was founded in 1982 in Angers, France by singer/keyboardist Denis Péan and Richard Bourreau (violin/kora). These two have remained central to Lo'Jo throughout their history. For several years, with a rotating cast of members, they played events locally, working with acrobats, street theatre, mime, dancers and film as part of their overall presentation. They have subsequently maintained a communal lifestyle, based in Angers.
By the end of the 1980s, they were playing throughout Europe and had appeared in New York as part of an artists' collective. Including Nicholas 'Kham Meslien (bass) and Matthieu Rousseau (drums) (later replaced by Franck Vaillant), they consolidated their line-up, and their first album, Fils de Zamal, was released in 1993. In 1995 the group added Berber singer/saxophonist Yamina Nid El Mourid and her sister, Nadia Nid El Mourid, who brought a strong North African influence to the music. In 1996, the new lineup recorded Sin Acabar, and 1997 saw them complete Mojo Radio, both with English producer Justin Adams. Upon the latter's release they found more acclaim in the world music community, getting them on the WOMAD circuit.
In 1999, they journeyed to Bamako, Mali, to begin work on Bohème de Cristal. While in Mali, they became involved in the organization of the Desert Music Festival held in January 2001. They have also collaborated with a wide variety of musicians, including Tinariwen.
In 2002 they released the acclaimed Au Cabaret Sauvage (originally issued in France as L'une des Siens). This was followed by a live album Ce Soir Là (2003), and a new studio album Bazar Savant (2006). In 2009 they released the album Cosmophono, and toured in the UK.
Discography
Studio:
1990 The International Courabou
1993 Fils de Zamal
1994 G7 of Destruction & Artisans of Peace
1996 Sin Acabar
1998 Mojo Radio
2000 Bohême de cristal
2002 L'une des siens
2006 Bazar savant
2009 Cosmophono
2012 Cinéma el Mundo
Other:
1989 Depuis très longtemps (K7)
1995 Le disque dort (33 tours)
2003 Ce soir là... (Live)
2007 Tu connais LO'JO ? (Best of)
Website (Bandinfo): http://www.lojo.org/
Facebooksite: http://www.facebook.com/lojomusic
MusicBrainz:http://musicbrainz.org/artist/a1c1fb23-38e0-4d7f-8fed-3c81fef5ad0f
À l'arène des audacieux
Lo'Jo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Avec un chien malheureux j'ai tourné à tout-va
Abusé d'un regard les fesses des filles marginales
Et j'ai dansé le maloya avec l'espoir.
A "l'arène des audacieux" j'ai perdu le cours des heures
Dans les filtres, les membranes, les fréquences du son;
J'ai demandé à la nuit son tremblement de cordes,
Debout, son courronnement de pluie,
Et des mains un accord diminué de Monk.
J'ai demandé à la nuit son tremblement de cordes,
Escape from my boredom!
Hey? bledman, caballo,
A la hora cuando nadie camina...
Hey? bledman, caballo,
A la hora cuando nadie camina...
Hey? bledman, caballo,
A la hora cuando nadie camina...
Hey? bledman, caballo,
A la hora cuando nadie camina...
A " l'arène des audacieux", j'ai vu dans le fond d'un verre
La sueur des caraïbes, un verre qui coûta hier
Le battement de coeur de la campagne de Fès
Pour un trait de citron amer,
Le dos arnaché, la peine des femmes;
Un verre qui coûta hier la traversée des mers.
J'ai demandé à la nuit son tangage de houle,
Un verre qui coûta hier Colomb à l'Amérique.
A "l'arène des audacieux" j'ai dansé la java
Avec un chien malheureux j'ai tourné à tout-va
Abusé d'un regard les fesses des filles marginales
Et j'ai dansé le maloya avec l'espoir.
J'avais tous les démons sur mon dos ce soir-là,
à la bouche les mots des naufrages des hommes.
J'ai demandé à la vie son résidu de gloire,
Cette chose belle et irréversible.
J'avais tous mes frères de l'ombre avec moi ce soir là,
Serrés pour un courrement de suie.
Jai demandé à la vie son tangage de houle,
Escape from my boredom
Hey? bledman, caballo,
A la hora cuando nadie camina...
Hey? bledman, caballo,
A la hora cuando nadie camina...
Hey? bledman, caballo,
A la hora cuando nadie camina...
Hey? bledman, caballo,
A la hora cuando nadie camina...
The lyrics of "A l'arène des audacieux" by Lo'Jo tell a story of recklessness, audacity, and escape. The singer describes dancing the "java" (a lively dance) in the arena of the bold. They confess to turning freely with a sad dog and leering at the marginalized girls' behinds. The mention of "maloya" refers to a traditional music genre from Réunion Island, which the singer dances with hope. The song takes us to the arena of daring, where the singer loses track of time and immerses themselves in the filters and frequencies of sound. They ask the night for its trembling strings and a crown of rain, while their head transforms into a Butoh dancer and their hands play a diminished chord by Monk.
The lyrics mention the desire to escape from boredom, calling out to "bledman" (meaning "man from the country" in Arabic) and "caballo" (meaning "horse" in Spanish). The phrase "a la hora cuando nadie camina" translates to "at the time when nobody walks," perhaps emphasizing the need for freedom and adventure. In the depths of a glass, the singer sees the sweat of the Caribbean, reminding them of the cost of yesterday's drink. The reference to the heartbeat of the Fes campaign and the bitterness of lemon evoke a sense of longing and nostalgia. The glass that cost the crossing of seas connects to the history of Christopher Columbus and the discovery of America. The singer then reiterates their dance of the java, their encounters with a hapless dog, and ogling the marginalized girls' behinds, while still maintaining hope, dancing the maloya.
The lyrics further delve into the singer carrying the weight of demons and the words of shipwrecked men. They ask life for its residue of glory, something beautiful and irreversible. The presence of their shadowy brothers and the tightening for an eruption of soot emphasizes the camaraderie and shared struggle. Once again, they ask life for its swaying swell and the need to escape from boredom.
Overall, the song captures a sense of abandon, longing, and rebellion in the face of monotony and societal constraints. It expresses the desire to break free, to dance with hope, and to find moments of audacity and joy.
Line by Line Meaning
A "l'arène des audacieux" j'ai dansé la java
In the arena of the daring, I danced the lively tune
Avec un chien malheureux j'ai tourné à tout-va
With an unhappy dog, I spun around wildly
Abusé d'un regard les fesses des filles marginales
Taking advantage of a glance at the marginalized girls' buttocks
Et j'ai dansé le maloya avec l'espoir.
And I danced the maloya dance with hope.
A "l'arène des audacieux" j'ai perdu le cours des heures
In the arena of the daring, I lost track of time
Dans les filtres, les membranes, les fréquences du son;
In the filters, membranes, and frequencies of sound
J'ai demandé à la nuit son tremblement de cordes,
I asked the night for its trembling strings
Debout, son courronnement de pluie,
Standing, its coronation of rain
à la place de ma tête une danseuse de Butoh
Instead of my head, a Butoh dancer
Et des mains un accord diminué de Monk.
And from my hands, a diminished chord of Monk.
Escape from my boredom!
Escape from my boredom!
Hey? bledman, caballo,
Hey? bledman, caballo,
A la hora cuando nadie camina...
At the time when no one walks...
A "l'arène des audacieux" j'ai vu dans le fond d'un verre
In the arena of the daring, I saw at the bottom of a glass
La sueur des caraïbes, un verre qui coûta hier
The sweat of the Caribbean, a glass that cost yesterday
Le battement de coeur de la campagne de Fès
The heartbeat of the countryside of Fes
Pour un trait de citron amer,
For a dash of bitter lemon
Le dos arnaché, la peine des femmes;
The back harnessed, the sorrow of women
Un verre qui coûta hier la traversée des mers.
A glass that cost yesterday's crossing of seas
J'ai demandé à la nuit son tangage de houle,
I asked the night for its rocking motion of waves
Un verre qui coûta hier Colomb à l'Amérique.
A glass that cost yesterday Columbus to America.
J'ai dansé la java
I danced the lively tune
Avec un chien malheureux j'ai tourné à tout-va
With an unhappy dog, I spun around wildly
Abusé d'un regard les fesses des filles marginales
Taking advantage of a glance at the marginalized girls' buttocks
Et j'ai dansé le maloya avec l'espoir.
And I danced the maloya dance with hope.
J'avais tous les démons sur mon dos ce soir-là,
I had all the demons on my back that evening
à la bouche les mots des naufrages des hommes.
In my mouth, the words of men's shipwrecks.
J'ai demandé à la vie son résidu de gloire,
I asked life for its residue of glory
Cette chose belle et irréversible.
This beautiful and irreversible thing.
J'avais tous mes frères de l'ombre avec moi ce soir là,
I had all my shadow brothers with me that evening
Serrés pour un courrement de suie.
Together for a sooty ceremony.
J'ai demandé à la vie son tangage de houle,
I asked life for its rolling motion of waves
Escape from my boredom
Escape from my boredom
Hey? bledman, caballo,
Hey? bledman, caballo,
A la hora cuando nadie camina...
At the time when no one walks...
Hey? bledman, caballo,
Hey? bledman, caballo,
A la hora cuando nadie camina...
At the time when no one walks...
Hey? bledman, caballo,
Hey? bledman, caballo,
A la hora cuando nadie camina...
At the time when no one walks...
Hey? bledman, caballo,
Hey? bledman, caballo,
A la hora cuando nadie camina...
At the time when no one walks...
Writer(s): Philippe Brix, Richard Bourreau, Yamina Nid El Mourid, Denis Pean, Mathieu Rousseau, Nicolas Meslien, Nadia Nid El Mourid
Contributed by Lucy F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ruth Dixon
with an imaginative array of instruments, and fronted by two north african sisters, they kick like hell on this.
savvas loupe
πολυ ομορφο τραγουδι
Laurenan
🎧🎧🙏