Les Nubians

Excellent CD, I do not know french, yet... But I will (smile). This CD is smooth and flowing.

I love these girls! I really dig the tracks on this album. I loved hearing the version of 'Taboo' in French. Sade still holds my heart on this track, but to hear it in French is real nice! This album is a must, if you want to purchase one of Les Nubians cds, this is the one! Their vibe is amazing!
For the price that it is, you've to get it!

Rich, original, authentic music. Meaningful lyrics. Good musicians. These sisters nailed it with this CD.

Five Incredible Stars!! Les Nubians, Helene and Celia Faussart from Bordeau France, sing mainly in French but, trust me, their music renders language completely inconsequential.You'll fall in love with their music anyway. Their voices are ethereal and sultry without being overtly sensuous, hip without being assertive. Perfect complements to each other as they spin solos, counterpoints, and dazzling unison phrases. Somewhat of a Sade-like spell is cast on some of their songs. As a matter of fact "Tabou" is a riff off of the Sade version of "Sweetest Taboo". Trust me, the French language never sounded so good !!

The beautiful music floats and spins on wonderful stop-time pedal points and is truly mesmerizing. The 'Pieces De Resistance' are the breathtaking "Makeda", "Tabou", "Princesse Nubienne", and "Si Je T'Avais Ecoute". This is groove music which is perfect for "Quiet Storm"-like smooth radio stations, but it is also works for any other listening occasion. Blessed with wonderful voices, it is just a pure pleasure to listen to these young ladies beguiling us, like they have been beguiling France and the rest of Europe for quite a while now. Highly recommended. Five Wonderful Stars!!
(This review is based on a 15 track ITunes download.)

I originally purchased this CD several years back after hearing Les Nubiens on a Putumayo compilation. It's still one of my favorites. The production is amazing. It's got a very modern hip vibe with strong jazz and African influences. Their version of Sade's Sweetest Taboo (Tabou) is absolutely amazing.

The music on this CD is excellent. Beautifully paired, you will feel like you are feasting on a cafe au lait and brioche in Paris.

This album is a delight. I got it three weeks ago and have played it every day, along with both Pink Martini albums. I usually listen to jazz, but also enjoy world music. This is very different. Makes me want to dance; makes me happy. It also makes me sentimental, as I do remember some of these songs when I was growing up. It's eclectic but appeals to a wide range of ages. It would be great music to play for a party. I highly recommend it. You won't be disappointed.

I got this because I like jazz and Pink Martini. I'm pretty disappointed. I guess I was expecting something different. I'm not that thrilled with the vocalists. The arrangements strike me as odd. Several tracks are a lot more electronic than I was expecting. I was shooting for something more natural and recreative of a scratchy Paris-in-the-50s jazz album.

This is a mixture of old standards with a twist, fresh funky beats, with a touch of early French radio. I hadn't set to purchase this CD, but it was recommended. As it turns out I liked this selection and wished that I had not wasted money on my original selection. Jazz A Saint Germain has a couple of songs that I can do without, but overall I liked it.

Sometimes you feel this CD is channeling the 40s and 50s, and sometimes it seems to be deconstructing the period and its sound, but it's almost always fun to listen to. I admit I needed time to warm up to it, but track 2 blew me away the first time I really paid attention to the bloodthirsty lyrics set to a funky death march. As a francophone, I enjoy it when I'm in the mood for hearing French, though Patricia Kaas or Paris Combo offer more subtle and sophisticated visions, if you can use that term for song. My only complaint is Debbie Harry's abominable French accent and her Ohio-flat American "r" spoiling a lovely song. I love her, am an old Blondie fan, but girlfriend should stay away from singing French.

Is it more of the same? Not exactly, thankfully they were brave enough not to step backwards. A star docked because of Talib Kweli's lack of lyrical substance on Temperature Rising. I find it distracts from the Ladies lovely voices. Brother and Sisters with Morgan Heritage hits the spot. Check out their records as well! I was blessed lucky to see them on tour with Zap Mama. Not enough tickets sold, so instead of cancelling, they joined forces and jammed for several hours.

I love this album, it is just as good as the first, albeit different, more global even. I am happy the sisters continue to sing in their native French. The melodies are haunting, Amour a mort, Saravah, Insomnie, Que Le Mot Soit Perle and La Guerre stand out. Saravah is especially haunting, love the samba rythym, if anyone knows what the man at the end in saying in Portuguese, or where i can find the words to that in Portuguese, it would be greatly appreciated

Les Nubians are French/Cameroonian sibling duo Célia and Hèléne Faussart. This is the follow up to their 1998 debut `Princesses Nubiennes', and following appearances on numerous CDs like the Fela Kuti tribute `Red Hot & Riot', `Bridging the gap' by the Black Eyed Peas, and `Streetsoul' by Guru to name a few.

They have a laid back tropical sound, which is a loose hybrid of neo soul, Jazz, African, and hip hop, sort of like Sade. As colourful and ornate as the markings on their faces on the CD photos. They usually sing in English, French and some Cameroonian language.

The soothing `J'veux d'la musique (tout le temps...)' is a prime example; soft and lilting with beautiful vocal harmonizing from the duo. Performed in French.

Lead off single is the sunny sounding `Temperature rising' sung in English and featuring a stylish rap from Talib Kweli.

The pair of `El son reggae' and `Brothers & Sisters' are reggae songs, the latter featuring reggae group Morgan Heritage (great voices) and flowing freely from French to English. A very bubbly catchy tune about brotherly love and giving thanks to the Almighty for His many gifts to us. Excellent guitar work and harmonizing. One of my favourites. Beautiful!

`Me & me' is really African sounding; the percussion, guitars, and the vocals in English, French, and some Cameroonian tongue. Very joyous sounding!

`Que le mot soit perle' is another standout. A delicate, lilting, tropical sounding song in French with a jazz feel, and all manner of drums tapped all over.

`Saravah' is another light breezy with a male voice adding spoken vocals here and there. Sung in French.

Closing 8 minute track `Immortel Cheikh Anta Diop' is a stunning piece; Half spoken/half sung in French, delicate percussion, a magical chorus with a dreamy feel, flutes drifting in and out, and tinklings of marimba played by Manu Dibango. Everything about this song is perfect.

What can I say?? A brilliant sophomore effort and I look forward to much more from these ladies.

If you enjoyed Les Nubians' Princesses Nubiennes, I cannot imagine how you could possibly not fall into the same mode with the follow up, One Step Forward. Even two years after its release, these ladies retain a zesty freshness with soft jazzy beats that take the listener to a completely new level with every play! As they did before, they alternate evenly between French and English, doing it so well it is easy to forget you may not know exactly what they're saying. What's even more intriguing is their ability to draw attention so effortlessly with pure vocals accompanied by funk and soul music. I can understand one mistaking the smoothness as boring, but one who appreciates the new sound blend that will last into the future, should check this one out! "La Guerre", "One Step Forward" and "Amour a Mort" are fantastic!

Les Nubians' sophomore effort did not fail to bring the same level of musical sophistication, sensitivity and haunting harmonies that the first album, "Les Princesses Nubiennes," was full of.

These two lovely and talented sisters take us on a tour of a cross-section of different sounds from various countries and cultures. They sing in French, Spanish and English, and feature hip hop, R&B, cuban son, reggae and Euro-pop in their music. Some of my favorite songs are "Temperature Rising" (featuring Talib Kweli), which blends hip hop with R&B and is very catchy, "El Son Reggae," which features a fusion of reggae and latin beats while the sisters sing in French and also dabble in Spanish, "Me & Me," which has a very folksy, poppy and melodious quality, and "Que Le Mot Soit Perle," which is just beautiful and very acoustic.

It is a shame these beautiful singers don't get more play time on the radio. I am sure it is hard to determine what category their music falls under. They are fusion of so many international sounds and styles. I really think that more people should take the time to get to know them, though!

Les Nubians took a chance and stepped out into a new realm by spotlighting some of best spoken word artists on this continent and abroad, and I am loving it! The album still has that Les Nubians feel, but it is now more textured with the addition of this beautiful poetry. Every song on it is strong and evokes a feeling of being right there in the moment. It is jazzy, thoughtful, soulful, continental, and just downright fly!

I purchased Les nubians cd entitled "Princess Nubiennes" after I saw the video for Makeda and have continued to follow their releases including "Echos." Les Nubians Presents "Echos" Includes music in french and english as well as poetry in english and french. If you do not speak or understand french this cd will make you want to learn the language. The spoken word artists and the music behind their poetry will make you feel at peace as you listen to the nature type instruments and sound effects in the back ground. This is a sit back and relax cd. At times the cd includes Manifestos such as the Track "heaven" and spoken word pieces in which queen godIs Shouts "Fire!" and "Freeeedommm" as she discusses issues of slavery, progress, "blackness," and her lyrical prowess's. Les Nubians also presents a live version of "Demain" Ca veut dire "Tommorow" and Embrasse- Moi (which you may be able to infer.) de le premier CD "Princess Nubienne" cd. This cd is a reflection of creative energy from across the globe, from Ny, France et Afrique that creates a cd laced with beauty and art for your listening and cognitive pleasures. Acheter maitenant!

if you enjoy poetry/spoken word with grooves, then this is the cd for you. i thought this was another Les Nubians cd (i love them)but was i surprised. The sisters, did a great job of bringing together some very talented poets/artist from around the world. dont worry that some of the artist speak French, a couple translate the words into English. this is one of those cd's that you put in and just chill to.

my favorites on the cd are:
Freedom-Live Version (Queen GodIs)
To the Queen -(Jamarhl Crawford)
Untitled Rhapsody - Live version (Nazeelah Jameson)
I disagree -(Les Nubians)
Embrasse moi - Deep mix (Les Nubians)
Fire - (Queen GodIs)

to be honest...to me the whole cd is fiyah!!! i dont know a lick of French but i still got my groove on! trust me, you will like the cd!

I first heard this CD from a friend while studying abroad in France. I loved the compilation so much, that I actually purchased it from Starbucks when I returned to the States. If you are buying this CD only for Pink Martini, then move on as they only perform one song on here, (which I love, track 2 - Sympathique). Apparently the other reviewer did not know this before purchase! However, if you are looking for an intro to French music that moves beyond Edith Piaf, this is a good choice.

From the booklet, "We wanted to capture France's musical diversity with paris Combo's succulent jazz, Django Rinhardt's guitar miracles and Autour de Lucie's French alterna-rock in order to show a continuum of the traditional meeting the modern." I'm not a music aficianado, so I may incorrectly describe the music types, but here goes:

Most of the songs on this album have their roots in varying styles of jazz. The first track's rolicking melody will have you bouncing along while the next track will have you singing along in your best torchy cabaret impression. Track 3 comes from Les Negresses Vertes and features a more traditional "world music" flair. From here, the CD progresses through to what more people would consider "French" with an accordian track to songs from Yves Montand and Brigitte Bardot. The second half of the album introduces audiences to more modern pop rock musicians such as Autour de Lucie, Les Nubians and starts entering the territory of down-tempo with St. Germain.

My stand-out favorite on this album is track 13 - Garcon Glacon by April March. Her sweet and playful vocals pop against the brittle drum and strong organ-styled synths..

Track Listing:
1) Living Room - Paris Combo
2) Sympathique - Pink Martini
3) Leila - Les Negresses Vertes
4) Nuages - Django Reinhardt
5) Ca gaze - Baguette Quartette
6) Le jazz et la java - Yves montand
7) A la fin de l'ete - Brigitte Bardot
8) Le coeur qui jazze - France Gall
9) L'accord parfait - Autour de Lucie
10) Les portes du souvenir - Les Nubians
11) Qui reste-t-il de nos amours? - Jacky Terrasson
12) Tous les garcons et les filles - Francoise Hardy
13) Garcon Glacon - April March
14) What you think about - St. Germain

If you are familiar with other CD's from Pink Martini, this one isn't anything like it. Boring and unflattering. Would NOT recommend it!

I want to let the potential buyer know that this CD is not in English but, I'm willing to bet that you'll sing along anyway.I have listened to this CD so many times that I sing along in the exact words yet I don't speak the language.The rhythym is infectious.They harmonize well.The african rhythym is superb!This CD,the music touches your soul and it made me feel extra proud to be an african-american woman with music running through my soul and in my body.Any and everyone should appreciate such music of the soul.

I want to let the potential buyer know that this CD is not in English but, I'm willing to bet that you'll sing along anyway.I have listened to this CD so many times that I sing along in the exact words yet I don't speak the language.The rhythym is infectious.They harmonize well.The african rhythym is superb!This CD,the music touches your soul and it made me feel extra proud to be an african-american woman with music running through my soul and in my body.Any and everyone should appreciate such music of the soul.

This CD is awesome. I'm a big electronica fan and this CD borders on the lines of acid jazz, jazz, and trip-hop. The voices of the duo are smooth and gorgeous and the songs are all so good! I have listened to this CD so many times that it's probably gonna break very soon! This is a great downtempo classic! I can't wait for their next CD!

I have to say I really enjoy Les Nubians,and their style of singing. The style brings it all the way back to Billie Holiday and the jazz age. The girls also seem to capture the essence of the whole African experiance as well. I noticed that their logo is that of a scarb beeatle,which is a sacred sighn to the Nubians and Ancient Egyptains. The other tracks like makeda tell the story about the black queen of Yemen known as Sheba. The favoriet track of mine is the Princess Nubieans. The vocals on that track is wonderful and also matches the production. The two singers hail from Cameroon and one I think is the result of a interracial couple,not that matters. There is one thing for sure these two women can sing their heart out and produce such a soulful album. The quality matched in this album is quite rare these days. Most singers don't have half the soul these two women have. Hopefully more will learn from them,and stop it already with the cheap bubble gum crap .

these is some dirty girls...you know, earthy. and the jazz they uproot with them is magnificent in an r-n-b, neo-soul type of way. just jazzy. you can lay back and enjoy this while cookin, cleanin and gettin it on. they need to come with some more!

Excellent CD, I do not know french, yet... But I will (smile). This CD is smooth and flowing.

I love these girls! I really dig the tracks on this album. I loved hearing the version of 'Taboo' in French. Sade still holds my heart on this track, but to hear it in French is real nice! This album is a must, if you want to purchase one of Les Nubians cds, this is the one! Their vibe is amazing!
For the price that it is, you've to get it!

Rich, original, authentic music. Meaningful lyrics. Good musicians. These sisters nailed it with this CD.

Five Incredible Stars!! Les Nubians, Helene and Celia Faussart from Bordeau France, sing mainly in French but, trust me, their music renders language completely inconsequential.You'll fall in love with their music anyway. Their voices are ethereal and sultry without being overtly sensuous, hip without being assertive. Perfect complements to each other as they spin solos, counterpoints, and dazzling unison phrases. Somewhat of a Sade-like spell is cast on some of their songs. As a matter of fact "Tabou" is a riff off of the Sade version of "Sweetest Taboo". Trust me, the French language never sounded so good !!

The beautiful music floats and spins on wonderful stop-time pedal points and is truly mesmerizing. The 'Pieces De Resistance' are the breathtaking "Makeda", "Tabou", "Princesse Nubienne", and "Si Je T'Avais Ecoute". This is groove music which is perfect for "Quiet Storm"-like smooth radio stations, but it is also works for any other listening occasion. Blessed with wonderful voices, it is just a pure pleasure to listen to these young ladies beguiling us, like they have been beguiling France and the rest of Europe for quite a while now. Highly recommended. Five Wonderful Stars!!
(This review is based on a 15 track ITunes download.)

I originally purchased this CD several years back after hearing Les Nubiens on a Putumayo compilation. It's still one of my favorites. The production is amazing. It's got a very modern hip vibe with strong jazz and African influences. Their version of Sade's Sweetest Taboo (Tabou) is absolutely amazing.

If this is what it takes to get Genevieve Waite on CD, well, I guess its worth it. Genevieve was John Phillips ex-wife. The two of them collaborated on a long, lost album called Romance is on the Rise. Please, please, please someone!! Find it and release it. I'm sure there are dozens of us out there who will buy hundreds of copies for all our friends.
Kudos to who ever it was who thought of using this here.

Excellent CD, I do not know french, yet... But I will (smile). This CD is smooth and flowing.

I love these girls! I really dig the tracks on this album. I loved hearing the version of 'Taboo' in French. Sade still holds my heart on this track, but to hear it in French is real nice! This album is a must, if you want to purchase one of Les Nubians cds, this is the one! Their vibe is amazing!
For the price that it is, you've to get it!

Rich, original, authentic music. Meaningful lyrics. Good musicians. These sisters nailed it with this CD.

Five Incredible Stars!! Les Nubians, Helene and Celia Faussart from Bordeau France, sing mainly in French but, trust me, their music renders language completely inconsequential.You'll fall in love with their music anyway. Their voices are ethereal and sultry without being overtly sensuous, hip without being assertive. Perfect complements to each other as they spin solos, counterpoints, and dazzling unison phrases. Somewhat of a Sade-like spell is cast on some of their songs. As a matter of fact "Tabou" is a riff off of the Sade version of "Sweetest Taboo". Trust me, the French language never sounded so good !!

The beautiful music floats and spins on wonderful stop-time pedal points and is truly mesmerizing. The 'Pieces De Resistance' are the breathtaking "Makeda", "Tabou", "Princesse Nubienne", and "Si Je T'Avais Ecoute". This is groove music which is perfect for "Quiet Storm"-like smooth radio stations, but it is also works for any other listening occasion. Blessed with wonderful voices, it is just a pure pleasure to listen to these young ladies beguiling us, like they have been beguiling France and the rest of Europe for quite a while now. Highly recommended. Five Wonderful Stars!!
(This review is based on a 15 track ITunes download.)

I originally purchased this CD several years back after hearing Les Nubiens on a Putumayo compilation. It's still one of my favorites. The production is amazing. It's got a very modern hip vibe with strong jazz and African influences. Their version of Sade's Sweetest Taboo (Tabou) is absolutely amazing.