Article of the Week - Delega...

Quote of the Week

"Having wit is the opposite of having money, the less you have the more satisfied you are."
...Voltaire (1694-1778)

latest Reviews and articles

Cannes Film Festival 2012 - Find out which films are competing this year.

May Recipes - The sun will probably end up coming out in the days to come and...

Results of the French Presidential Elections 2012 - How the French in London voted - Find out how French Londoners casted their vote during the second...

Is it time to sell your property in France? - Amongst the many scare-mongering stories currently circulating...

MAGAZINE

Device converter

Weather

London Weather Forecast, United Kingdom

The KCS Christmas fair

If you are looking for a real Christmas fair experience in London visit KCSChristmasFair.co.uk

Classified ads

Put an ad on this website

Recently added

articles > Culture events

Mystic Rumba by Arthur H

Culture

CD Release. Arthur H : Mystic Rumba

By Matthieu Boisseau
03/11/2010

'Mystic Rumba” is Arthur H's thirteenth studio album with 24 titles selected from last ten years of his repertoire. But more than a Best Of, this retrospective is all delivered as brand new recordings with just his voice and the piano.

After the thrilling whirlwind of guitars, machines and grooves of “L'Homme du monde”, which earned him Pop/Rock Album of the Year 2009 at Victoires de la Musique, Arthur H Mystic Rumba is a private reflection, alone, behind his piano. With audacious reinterpretations of his past songs, Jacques Higelin's son brings a real love of blues and soul with a stylish piano and great lyrics. Surprisingly enough, he makes this album be true novelty, despite the fact it is a cover albums.

Arthur H, alone, behind his piano

However, I am not fully satisfied by this Mystic Rumba. As Arthur H is only accompanied by the piano, his voice becomes too grating to be harmonious. Why did he drop the successful melody of his previous albums like in Adieu Tristesse ? In Mystic Rumba, the delivery is dramatically minimalist, and turns, in my opinion, boring. Nevertheless, whether you like his voice or not, you cannot deny that this album worth the glimpse at least for the originality of its radical reinterpretations.

Final verdict : Average. Arthur H's piano-voice attempt is audacious but I just think that his rough edged voice is not suited for that.

Arthur H is performing in London as part of the London Jazz Festival 2010 on November 19th at the Queen Elizabeth Hall

Zone Tag

Matthieu Kassovitz, cinq mondes, Oto-rhino-laryngologues, Gabrielle, Vacances, Darphin, Mathilde, ricard, Jewish Book Week, Education, londres, bière, mode, 1973, e-change, Charles Peggy, vin, musique, vacherin, Tom McCarthy, francais, été, Charlotte Gainsbourg, London Fashion Week,

Win Books and DVDs

Film of the Week - The Source

DVD of the Week - Gang Story