Extraordinary Rendition

Rupa & the April Fishes

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 15, 2008)
• Original Release Date: April 15, 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Cumbancha
• ASIN: B0013XW9ZC
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #19,989 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

San Francisco Weekly
"If Rupa were a movie she would be Amélie meets Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown meets Latcho Drom meets Do the Right Thing. She is an instant cult classic"

Product Description
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Rupa & the April Fishes create music that defies easy categorization. Their debut album, eXtraOrdinary rendition, echoes with influences of classic French chanson, Argentinean tango, Gypsy swing, American folk, Latin cumbias, and even hints of Indian ragas. With their progressive blend of international flavors with a youthful alternative rock energy, the trend-setting band is spearheading a multicultural movement that is redefining the sound of contemporary music. Shades of Manu Chao, Lhasa, Pink Martini, Gogol Bordello and more can be heard in their appealing, polyglot sound.

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars global agit pop from san francisco with latin rhythms and a french accent, April 15, 2008

By	el fotografo (san pancho, california) - See all my reviews

This is the first full length studio album from rupa and her band, the april fishes. Featuring songs in french, spanish, hindi and english arranged for guitar, cello, accordion, trumpet, upright bass, and drums, eXtraOrdinary rendition pushes boundaries and crosses borders with songs that are at the same time political and romantic. This album was originally self-released in San Francisco and has been re-mastered, re-mixed, and re-released by world music label Cumbancha. Along with improved sound, this edition features a fold-out poster and translations of all the songs along with a postcard back that can be addressed and sent directly through the mail. The album also features respected SF Bay Area jazz bassist and composer Marcus Shelby on two tracks and the artwork of beloved muralist Mona Caron who has also painted live on-stage with the fishes. Que bueno !

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rupa and the April Fishes - Awesome, May 20, 2008

By	Albert Howlett - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I think Rupa and the April Fishes are terrific. They are full of energy, the music is great, and the lyrics are meaningful. Since my French is so so, I appreciated the inclusion of the English translation that came with the album. Rupa is a great entertainer, and the band that supports her is great; what a diverse group that puts together some great music.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Swimming in a Multi-Cultural Bay, May 12, 2008

By	Amaranth "music fan" (Northern California) - See all my reviews

Rupa and the April Fishes' "Extraordinary Rendition" is a glorious mix of gipsy, tango, and Indian music. Rupa Marya, who grew up in France, India, and in the Bay Area, brings together a spicy polyglot of delicious music. Her debut album makes one hungry for more. Rupa and her ensemble have been compared to the Pacific Northwest lounge group Pink Martini and the gipsy punk Gogol Bordello, but they're more like Lo'Jo, the French performance art collective. When Rupa and her band performs live, the muralist Mona paints (her artwork is on the album)

"Extraordinary Rendition" opens with the sounds of San Francisco. The song "Maintenant" is an insistent tango about embracing the present moment. "Poder" is a sober Spanish song,drawn from Rupa's experience as a doctor, about a Mexican woman dying from cancer because she feared being caught. "Une Americaine a Paris" is about facing anti-American prejudice in Paris,so it's hardly a cover of George Gershwin's famous song. "La Pecheuse" is a haunting ballad with a deep,jazzy groove. "Mal de Mer" is equally haunting. "Yaad" is the strongest song,with an Indian sensibility. One hopes Rupa will delve into her Indian heritage more in subsequent songs. The closing song,"Wishful Thinking",is a ballad about desiring the forbidden.

"Extraordinary Rendition" is one of 2008's best albums. If you fish for great music... you'll be a lucky pescatarian with this!