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
Le Piano
Lo'Jo Lyrics
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Et quelques-unes de bleu
Le piano couve des désaccords
Et des accords d'or avec ses sœurs, les harpes
Oh non, la tristesse
Il a des tambours aux doigts
Des points d'or de solitude
Des vestiges d'argent
Des accords d'or avec ses sœurs les harpes
Avec son frère, le qanun de Zanzibar
Des accords d'or avec ses sœurs, les harpes
Avec son frère le cymbalum de Rome
De Krakow
Le piano a des touches noires
Et quelques-unes d'absence
Ses histoires depuis le bois
Pour que je me pende à 440 cordes
Le piano a ses mains qui tremblent
Ses menaces d'ocre, des abcès de nègres
Il a des tambours aux doigts
Des points d'or aux servitudes
The song "Le Piano" by Lo'Jo is a melancholic portrayal of a piano with its highs and lows, both in terms of its physical structure and the emotions it evokes. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the piano's keyboard, with its white and blue keys and its black keys, symbolizing the various emotions it communicates. The piano is also accompanied by its sisters, the harps, and its brother, the qanun of Zanzibar and cymbalum of Rome and Krakow, creating a symphonic harmony of emotions. The lyrics speak of the piano's ability to convey both the beauty and the ugliness of life, as it is capable of creating both dissonance and golden harmony.
As the song progresses, it delves deeper into the piano's soul, revealing its sense of loneliness and the pain it carries. The piano is portrayed as having "golden fingers," but also "drumming fingers" and "hands that tremble," suggesting the conflicting emotions it contains. The lyrics also make references to the history of the piano, including its use of silver and gold in its construction and its many cords, "440" or more, which the singer says, "I will hang myself on."
Overall, "Le Piano" is a richly emotional song that conveys the many facets of this multifaceted instrument. It presents contrasting images of beauty and pain, harmony and dissonance, light and darkness, leaving its listeners with a profound understanding of the piano's complex and deeply emotional essence.
Line by Line Meaning
Le piano a des touches blanches
The piano has white keys
Et quelques-unes de bleu
And some blue keys
Le piano couve des désaccords
The piano incubates dissonance
Et des accords d'or avec ses sœurs, les harpes
And golden chords with its sisters, the harps
Oh non, la tristesse
Oh no, the sadness
Il a des tambours aux doigts
It has drums in its fingers
Des points d'or de solitude
Golden points of solitude
Le piano a des touches muettes
The piano has silent keys
Des vestiges d'argent
Traces of silver
Avec son frère, le qanun de Zanzibar
With its brother, the qanun from Zanzibar
Des accords d'or avec ses sœurs les harpes
Golden chords with its sisters, the harps
Avec son frère le cymbalum de Rome
With its brother, the cymbalum of Rome
De Krakow
From Krakow
Le piano a des touches noires
The piano has black keys
Et quelques-unes d'absence
And some keys of absence
Ses histoires depuis le bois
Its stories from the wood
Pour que je me pende à 440 cordes
So I can hang myself on 440 strings
Le piano a ses mains qui tremblent
The piano's hands tremble
Ses menaces d'ocre, des abcès de nègres
Its threats of ocher, abscesses of blacks
Il a des tambours aux doigts
It has drums in its fingers
Des points d'or aux servitudes
Golden points of servitude
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Richard Bourreau, Philippe Brix, Nicolas Gallard, Nicolas Meslien, Nadia Nid El Mourid, Yamina Nid El Mourid, Guy Raimbault, Denis Pean
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind