Melou
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Description:
We first met Melou when they rocked up to the Magpie's Nest and played on our open mic. They had been driving around Europe and all sleeping in a big tour van, and played a lovely set on the open mic. So good we had to invite them back for a featured slot! Here is their official description:
How would you expect a band to sound that formed in Guatemala and then evolved in Boston, New York, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Switzerland, and Barcelona? It's a sound as diverse as the players themselves...
Melou is an eclectic group of international musicians from completely different backgrounds. Led by the incredibly soulful and powerful voice of Boston native Annie Goodchild, the sound is a true blend of blues, jazz, folk, reggae, bossanova, swing, and soul.
The core of the band came together over the winter of 2005 in, of all places, Antigua, Guatemala. After four months of nightly gigging in Central America they spent time in Boston and New York City playing with loads of great musicians and writing songs nonstop... But their trek around the world had only begun...
Annie flew with the band to the Netherlands, the home of guitarist and songwriter Maarten Reijnierse . Melou built a following around Holland, and eventually toured Belgium, France, Switzerland, and Spain, where they recorded their debut album Communication in Barcelona with producer Dave Bianchi during the fall of 2006…
The band enjoyed Barcelona immensely, and its creative energy led to numerous spontaneous recordings with over a dozen artists currently residing there. Percussion and traditional flute from Argentinean favorites Negritos; saxophone genius Coen Kaldeway of Amsterdam; accordion player and songwriter Amanda Jayne Wright; Barcelona favorites Dumbala Canalla; as well as a slew of incredible players bringing their double basses, clarinets, trumpets, cellos, violins, and mandolins. The result is a truly original sound...
What better title for such a project than Communication. With language and cultural barriers constantly presenting challenges, music manages to be the single most important form of connection--and of communication...