Dissidenten

Last updated
Dissidenten
Origin Berlin, Germany
Genres World music
Years active1981–present
MembersFriedo Josch
Uve Müllrich
Marlon Klein
Hamid Baroudi
Past membersMichael Wehmeyer
Website http://www.dissidenten.com

Dissidenten are a German rock band known for their collaborations with Middle Eastern, African and Indian musicians. In a 1988 article for The New York Times , music critic Stephen Holden acknowledged the band as being among the leaders of what he termed "the 'world beat' movement ... in which ethnic styles are contemporized with electronic dance rhythms". [1]

Contents

History

Around 1981, "Embryo's Dissidenten" were founded in India by Friedemann "Friedo" Josch (b 21 July 1952, Mainz, wind instruments, keyboards) and former Embryo band members Uwe "Uve" Müllrich (b 7 December 1947, Rügen, bass, oud, guitar, vocals) and Michael Wehmeyer (keyboards, piano). Still in 1981, Marlon Klein (b 13 December 1957, Herford, drums, perc, keyboards, vocals) replaced Wehmeyer, and the band renamed themselves to Dissidenten. [2] [3] 1982/83, they founded their own record label Exil in Berlin. [4]

Following a one-year tour of Asia, the group decided to stay in India to produce their first album Germanistan, with the help of the Karnataka College of Percussion, female singer R.A. Ramamani and percussionist Ramesh Shotham. The live line-up was joined by Indian pianist Louis Banks and American saxophonist Charlie Mariano. Concerts in Calcutta, Madrid, Casablanca and Stockholm are documented on the live album Germanistan Tour 83.

They then moved on to Morocco to record Sahara Elektrik in 1982 at the Palace of Abdesalam Akaaboune in Tangier with the help of friend Paul Bowles and local sha'abi band Lem Chaheb. The track "Fata Morgana" became a dance hit in Europe (especially Spain and Italy) and Canada, and the group toured worldwide.

In 1986 the Dissidenten moved to Spain, producing Life At The Pyramids and began to receive recognition in the US and UK.

In 1989 they moved back to Morocco, recording Out Of This World with the Royal National Orchestra of Morocco, and other leading North African musicians including Cherif Lamrani and other members of Lem Chaheb. The album was released world wide and the band toured around the globe to promote it. In 1991, the album Live In New York was released, and the following year The Jungle Book was recorded, weaving recordings of Indian life into dance tracks.

In 1995, Klein stayed in the US to work as producer for two albums by singer Gary Wright, featuring George Harrison. In 1996, the group reunited to produce the album Instinctive Traveler, their first album with mostly English-language songs sung by Müllrich's daughter Bajka, which was followed by a tour of international festivals. Two years later they appeared at the Glastonbury festival and released their second live album, Live in Europe.

In 2000, with American composer Gordon Sherwood, video artist Stefanie Seidl and the Bratislava Orchestra under Petr Feranec they created The Memory of the Waters, a “documentary opera” about the River Danube, debut performed at the International Danube Music Festival in the city of Ulm. The following year, they issued an album of remixes, A World Beat Odyssey, which they then performed live with accompanying DJs.

In 2005, the opera "La Memoria de las Aguas" with the choir and orchestra of Pamplona under the direction of conductor Tomas Garridoand was broadcast by the Spanish National Radio at the Navarra Festival. In 2006 the group worked on a new Moroccan project, The Tanger Sessions, with the legendary Moroccan cult group Jil Jilala.

In 2007, Dissidenten toured North Africa with Jil Jilala. Between concerts they worked together in Tangier and Casablanca to complete The Tanger Sessions. Also in 2007, the band composed and arranged the musical program for the final party of Germany’s spectacular CREOLE-Award for World Music. French/German TV ARTE and German TV WDR broadcast a lengthy feature about Dissidenten’s Moroccan experiences, "The Hippie Trail".

In 2008, The Tanger Sessions was released and they toured Europe and North Africa. The first gig of the tour was broadcast live and online by German National Radio SWR in April 2008. Since summer 2008, Dissidenten & Jil Jilala performed live in Europe and North Africa. 2009 sees them again at various festivals around Europe/Northafrica and North America.

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawkwind</span> English rock band

Hawkwind are an English rock band known as one of the earliest space rock groups. Since their formation in November 1969, Hawkwind have gone through many incarnations and have incorporated many different styles into their music, including hard rock, progressive rock and psychedelic rock. They are regarded as an influential proto-punk band. Their lyrics often cover themes of urban life and science fiction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tangier</span> City in and capital of Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, Morocco

Tangier or Tangiers is a city in northwestern Morocco, on the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The city is the capital of the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, as well as the Tangier-Assilah Prefecture of Morocco.

Hoelderlin were a German progressive rock band that was formed in 1970 as Hölderlin by brothers Joachim and Christian von Grumbkow with Nanny de Ruig, whom Christian was married to. They were influenced by rock, jazz, and folk music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scream (band)</span> American hardcore punk band

Scream is an American hardcore punk band from Washington, D.C.; they originally formed in the suburb of Bailey's Crossroads, Virginia. Scream originally formed in 1981 within the vanguard of the Washington Hardcore explosion. In 2009, the band reunited, and as of January 2012 were on tour in Europe. As of 2017, the band was still touring in both America and the United Kingdom.

<i>Nicos Last Concert: Fata Morgana</i> 1994 live album by Nico

Nico's Last Concert: Fata Morgana is a live album documenting Nico's performance at a show called Fata Morgana – Wüstenklänge im Planetarium, held on June 6, 1988 in West Berlin as part of the European Capital of Culture festival that year. The concert took place at the planetarium of the Wilhelm-Foerster-Sternwarte. Except for the album's closing song, Nico and her backing band the Faction composed all the pieces specifically for the show, during which they were accompanied by optical effects and Moon-themed projected pictures and films.

<i>Fata Morgana</i> (1971 film) 1971 West German documentary film

Fata Morgana is a 1971 film by Werner Herzog, shot in 1968 and 1969, which captures mirages in the Sahara and Sahel deserts. Herzog also wrote the narration by Lotte H. Eisner, which recounts the Mayan creation myth, the Popol Vuh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audrey Horne (band)</span>

Audrey Horne is a hard rock band from Bergen, Norway. Formed in 2002, the band took its name from Sherilyn Fenn's character in the TV series Twin Peaks. The band's musical style is a mixture of heavy and melodic classic rock, inspired by Iron Maiden, Kiss, Ozzy Osbourne, Van Halen, Mötley Crüe, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin. As of 2022, Audrey Horne has released seven studio albums, one live album and one EP.

Jil Jilala is a Moroccan musical group which rose to prominence in the 1970s among the movement created by Nass El Ghiwane and Lem Chaheb. Jil Jilala was founded in Marrakech in 1972 by performing arts students Mohamed Derhem, Moulay Tahar Asbahani, Sakina Safadi, Mahmoud Essaadi, Hamid Zoughi and Moulay Abdelaziz Tahiri. In 1974, they released their first record Lyam Tnadi on the Atlassiphone label. The songs "Leklam Lemrassaa," "Baba Maktoubi," "Ha L'ar a Bouya," "ah ya Jilala" and "Chamaa" quickly achieved the status of popular 'classics.'

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Orchestra (band)</span> UK musical group

The Orchestra is a rock band formed by former members of the Electric Light Orchestra and ELO Part II. It is the continuation of ELO Part II following Bev Bevan's departure and selling of his share in the rights to the ELO name to Jeff Lynne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Spasm Band</span>

Anthony Joseph & The Spasm Band were a band led by Trinidadian poet, novelist and lecturer Anthony Joseph. The band was formed in London in 2005 as an offshoot of his then novel-in-progress The African Origins of UFOs. The band's musical influences include Free Jazz, Afro-Caribbean funk, spoken word, soca, rapso, Calypso, Rock and the hypnotic Spiritual Baptist rhythms that were prominent in Joseph's childhood in Trinidad. In December 2005, as a quartet, they recorded their first album 'The Spasm Band' in London. The album was self produced and received only limited exposure. It was heard via Myspace by Parisian producer and Jazz aficionado Antoine Rajon who signed Joseph to his Heavenly Sweetness label and released the Spasm Band's debut 12" EP Spirit Lash, which featured songs from their initial recordings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Embryo (band)</span> German world music band

Embryo is a world music band from Munich, West Germany that began in 1969. Its origins have even been traced to the 1950s in the city of Hof, when musicians Christian Burchard and Dieter Serfas met at the age of 10. The band was described by one critic as "the most eclectic of the krautrock bands."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marlon Klein</span> Musical artist

Marlon Klein is a musician and producer in the World Music and Fusion genres. He is a co-founder of the German group Dissidenten.

The Deep Purple European Tour was a year-long successful concert tour by English hard rock band Deep Purple, lasting from July 1969 until June 1970. The band played mostly United Kingdom shows, also covering West Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium. It was the first tour to feature the classic Deep Purple line-up: Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord and Ian Paice. It is considered to be the pre-tour for the In Rock album, as the band mostly played songs from the upcoming album.

Wissam Khodur, better known as Eslam Jawaad, is a rapper of Lebanese-Syrian origin. His debut album, The Mammoth Tusk, was released in 2009. The album was considered an international advancement for local Arabic hip-hop as it featured support from a number of high-profile acts including Damon Albarn (Gorillaz/Blur), De La Soul, The Rza / Gza / Cilvaringz, Focus..., Rude Jude / Lord Sear, and 'Arap' band-mate Shadia Mansour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Reynolds (musician)</span> Musical artist

Rob Reynolds is an English singer-songwriter and a recording artist. He plays acoustic and electric guitar, lap steel, dobro steel, harmonica, bass and keyboards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renewable energy in Morocco</span>

As of 2019, renewable energy in Morocco covered 35% of the country’s electricity needs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Bunka</span> German instrumentalist and composer (1951–2022)

Roman Bunka was a German guitarist, oud player and composer, active in world music and jazz fusion bands. He lived most of his life in Munich, Bavaria, where he was involved in various musical crossover projects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mendoubia</span> Historic building in Tangier, Morocco

The Mendoubia or Mandubiyya refers to the former ceremonial mansion of the Mendoub, the representative of the Sultan of Morocco in the Tangier International Zone from 1924 to 1956. It now houses the commercial court of Tangier and a memorial museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abdelhafid Palace</span> Historic structure in Tangier, Morocco

The Abdelhafid Palace or Moulay Hafid Palace is a historic structure at 23, rue Mohammed Ben Abedelouhab in the Hasnouna neighborhood of Tangier, Morocco. It was built in 1912–1913 as the intended main residence of former Sultan Abdelhafid following his abdication, but was never used for that purpose. In 1927, it was purchased by Italy and subsequently renamed Palazzo Littorio, hosting various public institutions including schools and a hospital. In 1943 the Badoglio government had it renamed Casa d'Italia, and a few years later it became known as the Palace of the Italian Institutions. Even though it still houses various Italian-related activities and was renovated in the early 2000s, it has long remained underutilized.

References

  1. ↑ Holden, Stephen (April 27, 1988). "The Pop Life". The New York Times . Retrieved March 22, 2014.
  2. ↑ Charlie Mariano Tribute | Bands & Leaders
  3. ↑ Musikvideos, News & Interviews - MTV.de Archived June 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ Biography at www.dissidenten.com [ permanent dead link ]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.