Les Nubians

Roots, Blige, MMW Highlight Red Hot Ellington Tribute

1 Mar 2001 01:43:00 EST

Red Hot organization readies two new albums, free downloads benefiting AIDS research.
By Dylan Stableford

Red Hot + Indigo

NEW YORK — The Red Hot Organization, whose philanthropic endeavors contribute to AIDS research, will celebrate its 10th anniversary with two additions to its acclaimed series of compilation tribute albums and free downloads of Red Hot tracks both new and old.

On March 13 the organization will release its 13th compilation, Red Hot + Indigo, a tribute to jazz composer/pianist/bandleader Duke Ellington that counts hip-hop combo the Roots, R&B crooner D'Angelo, singer Mary J. Blige, hip-hop duo Black Star, jazz trio Medeski Martin & Wood, post-rockers Tortoise and the electronic duo Propellerheads among its contributors. "We already tackled the others pillars of 20th-century music: (Antonio Carlos) Jobim with Red Hot + Rio, (George) Gershwin with Red Hot + Rhapsody and Cole Porter with Red Hot + Blue," said Indigo producer Paul Heck. "So we wanted to pay tribute to Ellington as he was the last of those pillars standing." The album will be available exclusively through online retailer Amazon.com until early fall, when it will arrive at offline retail outlets.

Typically for the Red Hot series, the album features many first-time and unexpected collaborations: Black Star, bassist Ron Carter and Hammond B-3 luminary John Patton join forces on "Money Jungle"; Medeski Martin & Wood's six tracks include collaborations with guitarist Kenny Burrell ("C Jam Blues"), Sex Mob trumpeter Steven Bernstein ("Haunted Nights") and trombonist Art Baron ("Creole Love Call"); the Roots and D'Angelo — on keyboards — team for Ellington's "Caravan"; and the Propellerheads and folk singer Martha Wainright pair up for "Star Crossed Lovers." The 17-track album also includes Tortoise's interpretation of "Didjeridoo," from Ellington's 1967 album Afro-Eurasian Eclipse, and Mary J. Blige's solo reading of "Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me." Red Hot + Riot, the oft-delayed, hotly anticipated tribute to Nigerian afrobeat rebel Fela Kuti, is due later this year. Macy Gray, D'Angelo, the Roots' ?uestlove, rapper Common, Dead Prez, trumpeter Roy Hargrove and Fela's son Femi will appear on the tribute to Kuti, who died of AIDS-related complications in 1997 (see "Macy Gray, D'Angelo, Others Honor Fela Kuti" for more).

Red Hot is also auctioning off 50 copies of "Physiognomy," a collection of photographs taken by Rolling Stone photographer Mark Seliger, each containing a different pictured artist's autograph.

The organization also offers free, full-length MP3 downloads of songs culled from the entire Red Hot + catalogue at amazon.com/music-redhot, where listeners can also make contributions to the organization.

Visit redhot.org for more information on the Red Hot Organization.

Red Hot + Indigo track list:
1. Medeski Martin & Wood — "Acht O'clock Rock"
2. Black Star/Ron Carter/John Patton — "Money Jungle"
3. Mary J. Blige — "Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me"
4. Melky Sedeck — "Mood Indigo"
5. Les Nubians — "Come Sunday"
6. Medeski Martin & Wood/Art Baron — "Creole Love Call"
7. Propellerheads/Martha Wainwright — "Star-Crossed Lovers"
8. The Roots (featuring D'Angelo on keyboards) — "Caravan"
9. Kenny Burrell/Medeski Martin & Wood — "C Jam Blues"
10. Don Byron/Dean Bowman — "Bli Blip"
11. Medeski Martin & Wood — "Mount Harissa"
12. Amel Larrieux — "Sophisticated Lady"
13. Kenny Burrell — "In a Sentimental Mood"
14. Terry Callier — "Satin Doll"
15. Medeski Martin & Wood/Steve Bernstein — "Haunted Nights"
16. Medeski Martin & Wood — "Blue Pepper (Dub)"
17. Tortoise — "Dijderidoo"

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Les Nubians To Kick Off Their First US Tour

26 Aug 1999 04:00:00 EDT

Les Nubians "Les Portes Du Souvenir"

French hip-hop duo Les Nubians, who last year released their critically acclaimed debut album, "Princesses Nubiennes," are preparing to kick off their first U.S. tour.

The group, comprising of sisters Hèléne and Célia Faussart, have been nominated for two Soul Train Lady Of Soul awards.

Les Nubians will be on the road for a month, playing in the US and Canada. Here's where you can catch them:

9/30 Minneapolis, MN @ 1st Avenue
10/2 Chicago, IL @ House Of Blues
10/3 Cleveland, OH @ The Odeon
10/4 Detroit, MI @ The Motor Lounge
10/5 Toronto, CAN @ The Phoenix
10/7 Montreal, CAN @ Club Soda
10/8 Boston, MA @ The Avalon
10/9 Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of the Living Arts
10/10 New York, NY @ SOB¹s
10/12 Baltimore, MD @ Recher Theater
10/13 Washington DC @ 9:30 Club
10/14 Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
10/16 Miami, FL @ Timba
10/18 New Orleans, LA @ House Of Blues
10/19 Houston, TX @ The Roxy
10/21 Denver, CO @ The Fox
10/24 Seattle, WA @ Show Box
10/25 Portland, OR @ Roseland Annex
10/27 San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo¹s
10/28 Los Angeles, CA @ House Of Blues
10/29 Las Vegas, NV @ Paris
10/30 Las Vegas, NV @ Paris

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Les Nubians

Les Nubians Taps The Roots For Sade Remix

26 Apr 1999 10:00:00 EDT

The Roots

After scoring a hit with "Makeda," the first U.S. single from its "Princesses Nubiennes" debut album, Les Nubians is ready to coronate a Sade cover as its next single.

For the record, the two sisters from Bordeaux, France -- Helene and Celia Faussart -- reworked Sade's 1986 cut, "Sweetest Taboo," which the duo has christened "Taboo." Now as they prepare to release a single version of the track, the siblings have announced plans to remix the song with the Roots, a group the duo has known for some time.

Les Nubians opened for the Roots some five years ago when the Philadelphia rap outfit first toured Europe. Now the siblings count the Roots and its sound as one of Les Nubians' biggest hip-hop inspirations.

"I know at the beginning when the Roots released their first album, it was very controversial," Helene explained in an interview with the MTV Radio Network. "People were saying it's not hip-hop, because they were playing live instruments. For me, it's the kind of flavor that I love in hip-hop. The Roots flavor."

In September, Les Nubians will take its stage show to the United Nations for a special one-off concert with Lauryn Hill.

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