Customer Reviews

One Step Forward

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Les Nubians' "One Step Forward" is a gumbo mix of underground soul, funky jazz, and dashes of reggae--with a welcome French twist. Featuring the vocals of sisters Helene and Celia Faussart, the CD is a seductive journey through many moods and textures. I'll be the first to admit that my French has been rusty since high school (some songs have French lyrics, others in English), but that didn't stop me from appreciating this disc's many riches. The tracks "Brothers and Sisters" and "El Son Reggae" are lively and deeply rooted in old school reggae, and "Que le Mot Soit Perle" is a quietly elegant number that stands out mainly due to its welcome touches of acoustic guitar and light percussion. Other points of interest are the 8 minute closer, the pretty "Immortel Cheikh Anta Diop" and the laid-back groove of "Unfaithful/Si Infidele." While some may call "One Step Forward" an attempt to make the duo more "accessible" to American listeners, I did find it an overall solid effort. Tres bien!

Higher Octave offers a jazzy, sophisticated style blends R&B with French duos Helene and Celia Faussart known as Les Nubians. They offer a variety of songs that always take the listener into a hip-hop mixed with plenty of soul influence. Their latest release "One Step Forward", offers a variety of songs from smooth-jazz to French rapping. Their repertoire of African tunes, reggae, jazz, R&B and haunting original songs, plus their love for my of my all-time favorite vocalist Ella Fitzgerald (The First Lady of Song). This CD brings the same joy and entertainment as their previous release from Higher Octave "Princesses Nubiennes"...so it's no wonder that these pretty young ladies have another winner on their hands.

Total Time: 70:12 on 15 Tracks ~ Higher Octave 82569 ~ (3/25/2003)

This is one of my favorite CD's ever! Since buying Princesses Nubianns, their debut album, I was eagerly waiting for their second album to come out. I was not disappointed in One Step forward at all. It is refreshing and new, it will spice up anyone's collection and serves as a wonderful conversational piece. All of my friends were impressed. The CD has cuts in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish. It has Hip-Hip like cuts, Congo sounding like cuts and reggae cuts; it is a very diverse CD. Talib Kweli is featured on "Temperature Rising" which is in English; this shows their diversity and the ease they feel mingling with Hip-Hop heads. One of my FAVORITES is #5 El Son Reggae; it is in French and maybe some Spanish. It has a Hip Hop & reggae beat and style to it...Slamming! #7 Brothers & Sisters has a Bob Marley type feel to it & it is uplifting and has a nice tempo, it is mainly in English w/some French Rapping...-Nice! But my favorite 2 hits on this CD are #13 & #14. Unfaithful/Si Infidele is a love song, reminds you of what Sade would sound like if she spoke French...Saravah is in Portuguese and is the reason why I love this Album so much! Saravah is Muito Mas Sexy! The man's voice in the background is very sexy and the song is wonderful. It is like Les Nubians are going back to explore their roots and they are taking their listeners along on the journey with them.
This CD is a definite addition to anyone's CD collection who loves international flavor...It has a little bit of everything for everyone.

This album is without a doubt a more ambitious and far-reaching project for Les Nubians, but how you respond to that is a matter of your open-mindedness and musical taste.
If you are expecting those French lyrics to cascade over those dope European styled hip-hop beats like before, this is not for you (try South African/German singer Joy Denalane, www.amazon.de). I was a little disappointed that the collaborations Les Nubians has done with hip-hop artists and producers did not influence this project at all. I am encouraged by the broad musical sense and sonic diaspora represented here. They are no sellouts- in fact; this album represents the image of their true selves.
If you like Afropop and Afrobeat, this is not that driving, relentless and intoxicating Fela and Femi Kuti production style either. It fits comfortably in the vein with artists like Youssou N'Dour (especially), Cheikh N'digel Lô and Manu Dibango (somewhat). It gets 3 stars from me because I didn't get that sense of desire or urgency from this album like I expected. It's a bit too relaxed in its approach.

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.

They get one star just because I like and respect who they are. Of course, there's no avoiding comparisons to their breakthrough debut, so let's get that out of the way first. One Step Forward isn't as good on any level. So many international stars feel that the crowning achievement that validates their success is crossing over to the American mainstream. Can we blame them? There's nothing tha quite compares to going platinum in the states - the mecca of pop culture. It says a lot.

Remember how the first album had this totally universal vibe; even though you might not understand the words, you didn't need to because the songs were so potent. This album is good, but more bland than the original. The funky, jazz riffs and pulsating african rhythms have been replaced by a more placid R&B sound. Attempts to be more accessible to American audiences are all too obvious. There's more English, which actually does more harm than good... and the rhythms are more "Americanized" as well.
The lead single "Temperature Rising," while mildly catchy and non-abasive, sounds like it could have very well been a Craig David reject. I do love the two Reggae tracks, as well as a few others, but they weren't as awe inspiring as any of the tracks on the first album. Overall, this is a good album, but it's a little more watered down than it should have been.

These two gorgeous and talented women have put out a fabulous collection of groovin', feel-good tunes that will have you dancing! A gift from a friend...one of the best cds I have added to my collection. Had the pleasure of catching Les Nubians in San Francisco during their recent tour and they just had the place feeling irie. Listen to the doctor...do yourself a favor...buy this cd!

I am really feeling Les Nubians new album entitled "One Step Forward." The vocals are beautiful and the lyrics are of great quality. It's a very ecclectic world album breathing with the rhythms of the African Diaspora. It's still a world music affair, but there are also flourishes of reggae, jazz and dancehall with just a pinch of hip hop. These Afro Euro princesses have blessed us yet again with another stellar effort and are chartering new, unfounded musical terrority. Standouts on the record are:

-Temperature Rising (featuring Talib Kweli) - The electronic-type beat is so cool on this song. Talib's flow is active.
-Me & Me - This sun-splashed track is so beautifully recorded. I love how it starts out with a world groove and then flourishes into a full-fledged reggae number.
-Insomnie A swooning rhythm with great french vocals. Reminds me a lot of the vibe of their first effort -- Princesses Nubiennes.
-J'veux d'la Musique (tout le temps...) - A head-nodder. The beat to this song is so hot! It has this old-school Sade/Jazzhole vibe it has to it, but authentically Le Nubian. Great afternoon cruise song. The pianos and horns are crazy in this track! I love it.
-El Son Reggae - Deep Reggae Groove! The bass is knocking on this song. You can grind so hard to this beat! Love the piano tinkling in the background.
-Brothers & Sisters - Another hot reggae grinder. Nice rock steady groove with Bob Marley-like vocals by its male vocalist Morgan Heritage.

-Que le mot soit perle - There's a rich mediterreanean vibe to this song. It makes you feel like you're on the mediterranean coast right at dusk under a magenta-colored sky.
-Saravah - This song is hauntingly passionate. Something about the deep vocals and harmonies that prepossess me.

I strongly recommend picking this record up if you're ever in the mood to purchase something.

I was quite appalled to see many of the reviews and could only guess that these were trivial fans who didn't really know that much about the two sisters. Now, I acknowledge that some knowledge of French is in order if one really wants to UNDERSTAND (although many of the songs on the second album are translated on their www.lesnubians.com website) them, to not understand is judging their music on whatever beat it is. The truth, however, is that these sisters from Marseilles have collaborated with rappers in France and the US - as well as all over the world - in the years before and since their own albums and, unlike many typical musicians have a broad taste in their styles of music.

So why did I give this album only 4 stars? Because of the subject matter. In "Le Son Reggae", the sisters talk of dealing weed (although the phrase that if one died, no one would cry is quite touching) and the otherwise beautiful "Amour a Mort" is actually about a fan who murders an innocent bystander to prove his love for his diva. Of course, in "Temperature Rising", both the French version (on the website) with John Banzai and the English with Talib Kweli have overt sexual overtones and are, therefore for me anyway, objectionable.

So. "Saravah" was a big hit with my teenage sons as was "La Guerre" with my youngest who also adored "Amour a Mort". (We both liked it so much that even after we knew what it meant, we ignored that and pretended it was a beautiful love song. I really liked "J'Veux D'La Musique" (which explained their expansion to many different types of genres on this one album, although, admittedly, this could be foreshadowed by "Voyager" on their preceding album), "Saravah", "Le Mot Soit Perle", and "Me & Me". I also liked listening about Cheikh Anta Diop which motivated me to do extra research on this man, who unfortunately, is not quite as perfect as the sisters portray him to be but who is most definitely important to the African diaspora.

For those who have open-minded musical tastes, I urge you to listen and enjoy.

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!