Hadouk Trio: Ethno Jazz and World Music’s Shining Star

Thursday, December 29, 2011 in Didier Malherbe, Ethno Jazz, French Music, Fusion, Hadouk Trio, Jazz

Recently, I like to listen to Ethno Jazz ensembles that they bring me to the other places. I appreciate ethno jazz bands give us cheery music and take us to a journey. Today we will talk about Hadouk Trio from France. I can say Hadouk Trio is the best ethno jazz band I have ever heard. I cannot describe their music as only jazz, world music, fusion, or chill-out; I think their music is total of all. The group consists of three multi-instrumentalists. They play unusual folk instruments beside modern jazz instrument. Variety of instruments, proficiency of the band members, harmony between instruments and band members, and improvisation of music make them the best in their world music class. Recline and shut your eyes, let Hadouk Trio’s music makes you tipsy.

Didier Malherbe founded Hadouk Trio. The group was a duo with Loy Elrich. In 1999, American percussionist Steve Shehan joined the group and the duo became the best world music trio. Didier Malherbe is able to play duduk, flutes, ocarina, soprano saxophone, khen and similar wind instruments. Loy Elrich plays gumbass, sanza, hajouj, kora, and keyboard. Steve Shehan plays modern and folkloric percussion. It is very interesting that I do not know many instruments I wrote. You could check from Google like me. Various instruments make their music enjoyable and impressive.

The band released Hadouk and Desert Lands albums as a duo in 1996 and 1998. After Steve Shehan joined the band, they released Shamanimal album together. It is the first album of the trio. In 2002, Now; in 2003, Live a FIP; in 2006, Utopies; in 2007, Baldamore; in 2010, Air Hadouk albums were released by Hadouk Trio.

Both Shamanimal album is the first album of the trio and easy listening album, I can suggest this album for beginning. Actually, this is my favorite album and it is extremely suggested album. Hadouk Blues and Shamanimal songs affect my feelings! Baldamore and Air Hadouk albums are also highly suggested. Each album is a different taste. It is the band that you will never feel regret if you buy all albums. Hadouk Trio albums are an impressive combination of modern jazz elements and unusual folkloric instruments.

Although Hadouk Trio is a successful band with their album, live performance is a good criterion to evaluate an ethno jazz group. I suggest watching their live performance. Live performance is awesome. Harmony and improvisation are perfect and cheery. They came to Istanbul for a concert and I watched their live performance. They also played a Turkish folk song perfectly. Jazz lovers should see their performance on the stage. Hadouk Trio also have DVD’s you should buy. Baldamore album also released as a DVD, and there is one more concert DVD name is En Concert au Satellit Café.

Hadouk Trio is a band that satisfies your expectations from music. I am impatient to have their new projects and to see them in my hometown Istanbul again. If you want to listen to quality, don’t lose it!

You could have more information about Hadouk Trio. You also could listen to some previews; watch their performance in their website and last fm profile.

http://www.didiermalherbe.com/

http://www.last.fm/music/Hadouk+Trio

Bye for now