FRENCH VIBES - AROUND THE WORLD
July 26, 2007 Edition
* Toumast On Tour
* The Christophe Willem Explosion
* The 'Dusty Foot Philosopher' K'naan Goes On Tour
Toumast On Tour
 After the world release of his new album 'Ishumar', Toumast embarks on a summer tour across Europe.
The album was released in France in October of 2006 from Kraked/Le Village Vert and was a big hit among world music fans. Now the album is being released world wide from Real World Records (excluding Switzerland and Belgium). You can find it next in the UK on July 23rd.
In the meantime Toumast will be touring across France and Europe this summer, showing of his live skills. The tour consists mainly of stops at the many summer festivals happening around the area this summer, including the WOMAD Festival July 27th in the UK, the Paleo Festival July 28th in Switzerland, and later on at WOMEX in October.
Lead singer Moussa is used to life on the road, being born in a wide valley on the border between Mali and Niger, deep in the Sahara desert, where most of his life was spent as a travelling nomad. Music was an important part of that culture, and after he finished military training, the now Toumast (meaning identity) picked up a guitar and began singing revolutionary songs with his group. One of Moussa's fortunes has been to have met and worked with Dan Levy, a composer of music for film, theatre and contemporary dance based in Paris, who co-produced and arranged the album with Moussa.
Lucky for him? Make that lucky for us!! Catch the album as soon as you can; you won't regret it!
The Christophe Willem Explosion
 Winner of the French version of Pop Idol in 2006, Christophe Willem has since exploded in the international music scene, topping charts, going gold and platinum, and selling out tours.
His debut album entitled 'Inventaire' (Inventory) was released in April of this year from Sony BMG France. Its first week out, the album sold 82,506 copies in France, over 4 times more than the next biggest seller that week and the best weekly sales of any other French artist in all of 2007! The success continued, at least doubling the second biggest seller for 3 weeks straight. It comes as no surprise that the album has already hit double platinum in France after only a few months, but it doesn't stop with the French. It has also made gold in both Belgium and Switzerland, something never before seen so quickly for a French artist! It was the number one album in Belgium for 4 consecutive weeks, as well as number one on the national charts, and in Switzerland it was number one for two weeks straight.
More recently the album came out in Lebanon with good reception and will be released next in Singapore. Negotiations are in the works for a release in Germany, and Poland, Canada, and Japan are soon up.
At the moment Willem is preparing for a Fall/Winter tour. Many of the dates sold out even before the album was released, so act fast to see this rising star in action!
The 'Dusty Foot Philosopher' K'naan Goes On Tour
 The acclaimed K'Naan will be spending the summer months touring around Europe and getting ready for the international release of his new album.
Draped in the cornflower blue Somali flag and flanked by his djembe player and guitarist, K'Naan Warsame is not the average hip hop artist. 'Gangsta' poses and bling are just not his thing. His thin frame is lost in elegantly bohemian threads and with his haystack-shaped hat crammed over a burgeoning Afro. The words he raps and sings mark him out as a proverbial 'brother from another planet'.
The new live album is entitled 'The Dusty Foot on the Road' (All Other Music) was released in the UK this June from Wrasse, this month in Germany, Scandinavia, Benelux, and Spain, and will be coming out in France, Switzerland, and South Africa early this fall. Before you can find the CD near you, catch him live at a summer festival! He will be in London for the Tower of London Festival, the Rise Festival, the Lovebox Festival, and the Ealing Global Festival all taking place this month, as well as stopping in France, Spain, and other countries in Europe.
K'Naan is special both because of his brave lyrics, which tackle anything from the realities of life in Somalia to his controversial thoughts on hip-hop, and for his music, matching minimalist backing against rap and Somali melodies. He is a true original and the UK press unanimously recognized it: łOne of the most delightful, intelligent and thought-provoking shows of the year. K'Naan is the future of hip-hop, a performer with quiet dignity and immense authority. K'Naan deserves to become the next African superstar.˛ 5 Stars, The Guardian.
 Provided by the MusicDish Network. Copyright © MusicDish LLC 2007 - Republished with Permission
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