It's Time for a Nü Revolution

What it is, folks?  Long time no blog, and so much has happened!  I got to rock and roll with a hardcore notable, break bread with a jazz bass god, and talk in length about all things music with folks akin to the Queen of Sheba... well, kind of.  I'll talk to you now about the latter event.

Some time around 1998, I was introduced to a French-speaking set of soul (and actual) sisters that went by the name Les Nubians.  Hint: both Ss are silent, so it's pronounced "Lay New-bee-YEN."  I was a lot younger at that time, and toilet humor was my forte.  So, while I used to jokingly refer to them as The Lesbians (sorry, I still chuckle as I type), I really dug their debut lp, Princesses Nubiennes.  I gave the joint nuff burn on my radio show, even though I didn't understand a word of what they were saying!  The breakout single, "Makeda," was about the Queen of Sheba, and her spirit, which lives within them.  Tré cool.

Les Nubs dropped another full-length, One Step Forward, half a decade later that was still great, but received far less exposure.  Well, third time's the charm, as they go for the hat trick with this month's release.  Their vibe is none less spiritual and positive, but more hyped than the chill/lounge vibe found on "Makeda."  I was able to chat at length with Hélène about the album, her and sister Célia's love of music, their childhood in the war-torn African nation of Chad, and much more.  The product of that discussion was picked up by Okayplayer.com.  You can peep the Les Nubians interview here.  Images, of course, by my mellow, Scotty Stewart.

The nü album, Nü Revolution, is on some truly inspirational, uplifting, get-inside-your-spirit type vibe.  It's breezy and refreshing.  It translates the vibe felt when these two ladies walk into a room.  The photo studio Scotty shot them in maintained an aura of positivity throughout the length of the shoot that is somewhat hard to explain.  I'm glad that they made this job easier by creating music to represent that.  Here's the title cut:

Les Nubians - Nü Revolution

Another banger off of the lp features Eric Roberson.  I'm a partial fan of this dude.  I've heard tunes of his I really liked, and others, the complete opposite.  I'm glad I'm on the really-like fence with him on this track, as he kicks the williebobo in the club.

Les Nubians - Déjà Vu (Already You) f. Eric Roberson

I mentioned earlier that the Grammy-nominated debut release featured a breakout single, "Makeda."  Well, the follow-up to that was a cover of another African queen's tune.  Les Nubians covered the Sade classic, "Sweetest Taboo," putting a twist on it by singing in their native tongue, and changing the focus from that of a lover to their love of music.  ?uesto and the boys freaq'd the remix, with the Top 5 candidate, Tariq Trotter, dropping a hot eight bars... plus a hidden treat from the debut.  Check:

Les Nubians - Tabou (The Roots rmx)

Of course, there is the first joint that got me reintroduced to the sisters a couple months back.  Here is the remix of the tune they put out on an EP version of Nü, which dropped late last year:

Les Nubians - Veuillez Veiller Sur Vos Rêves (J. Period rmx) f. John Banzaï

The song's title translates literally to "Please be sure to protect or watch over your dreams," but the figurative, loose translation they went with is: Do not let your dreams fall asleep.  I love that concept, as no matter our age, we always have to have dreams.  We are truly sleeping on ourselves if we allow them to become tarnished.  Let's wake up our sleepy dreams, and make them come true!  Hélène did.  Here's what she had to say about that:

I think that one of my dreams was, I wanted to travel.  One of my dreams was, like, okay, when I grow up, I will be flying a lot.  I will be traveling a lot.  I'll be speaking other languages.  I'll be able, like, to meet the whole world.  And that was, like, a very important, y'know, thing to me; to travel.  And, wow!  I guess I cherished my dream [laughs] because, it's working!  I'm traveling.  I'm on planes.  [laughs]  I mean, I had the real opportunity to meet all those different cultures around the world, and in such a beautiful manner, which is in music.  I think that I really fulfilled this one, this dream.

This is really good music, y'all.  Good to the point that I'm actually urging everyone to cop this disc, and get it in your life.  It's truly time for a Nü Revolution, one in which C-rap does not dominate.  We need soldiers in this fight, armed with the goodness this joint is providing.  Live love.  Peace.