DINO BANJARA
percussions, danse
Dino is more and more famous in India like the new kalbeliya dancer from Rajasthan, following the road showed by his mother, Gulabo (Gulabi Sapera). He plays percussions too. You can appreciate him also on stage with la Coque and Maria in the Titi's "family program".
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photo Louis Vincent |
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CHRISTIAN BERTHELOT
photographer
A young photographer from Brittany, working above all in black and white, Christian Berthelot has a very personal and unique vision that captivated Titi Robin and his entourage. Many of the photos on this website are his.
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leaving the stage after the show (photo Christian Berthelot) |
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BILL AKWA BETOTE
photographer
Originally from Cameroon, Bill Akwa Bétoté was one of the very first African photographers to work with the major French and European press. In 1997, he was asked by Patrick Labesse, still label director at Auvidis, to undertake a series of portraits of Titi which have been published very often by the press (including the one adorning the cover of the anthology “Alezane”) and the cover photo of the album “Kali gadji”. The photo below was taken during performances of Titi Robin and Gulabi Sapera’s show in March 2004 at the Café de la Danse in Paris.
click here and visit some Bill's galeries
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Gulabo by Bill Akwa Bétoté |
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FRANCOIS CASTIELLO
accordion
A permanent member of the group Bratsch, François Castiello is one of the most brilliant representatives of the gipsy-style accordion in western Europe. Titi Robin had invited him to play in his homage to gipsy music, the album “Gitans”, in 1992. His rich personality was a major asset to the record (listen to “Marraine” or “Patchîv”).
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KEYVAN CHEMIRANI
percussions
Son of the master of Iranian classical percussion Djamchid Chemirani (with whom he plays in their family group) and himself a virtuoso of numerous percussion instruments, Keyvan Chemirani is a regular guest in important creations in Oriental music (for example with the Labyrinth ensemble) or in jazz (Jean-Marc Padovani, Jean-Marie Machado, ...). The way in which he handles both his Persian heritage and a Western approach to improvisation in perfect harmony is exemplary.
He plays in "Un ciel de cuivre" – listen for example to “En aqueste case” where he plays the zarb and the daf in a majestic five-beat compas, and “la course de l’alezan” (in a trio bouzouki/daf/drums). His brother Bijan is also a guest musician on the album "Rakhî".
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LA COQUE
Percussions
Colombe Robin "La Coque" learned rythms at home, with family. She plays more and more often on stage with sister Maria (voice, dance), Dino Banjara (percussions, dance) and father. You can hear her on cd "ces vagues que l'amour soulève".
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GUILLAUME DUBOIS
manager, stage/studio manager, in charge of the sound system
This is the unique individual who managed the “serious” classical Montreux festival and the “craziness” of African or Japanese tours with Gipsy, Arab and French musicians in Titi’s shows, with the same patience and efficiency! He is also the general stage manager for the festival “Les Suds” in Arles since it began. He has closely accompanied Titi Robin’s career as manager-stage/studio manager since 1995, forming a very close-knit duo with the artist, who feels greatly indebted to him.
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Guillaume and Jérôme Musiani (photo: Véronique Guillien) |
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SEVERINE GALLOU
sound manager for the stage
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Séverine et Titi par Julio Antunes |
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VERONIQUE GUILLIEN
photographer
A talented photographer for live shows, Véronique Guillien first took portraits of Titi Robin with the Erik Marchand Trio, for the cover of the CD “An tri Breur”. She was also behind some wonderful shots of improvisations between Titi and members of the Taraf de Haïdouks (see “Encounters”). After discovering Gulabi Sapera (Gulabo) in the “Gitans” show, she left for Rajasthan and brought back a magnificent photo-reportage on Gulabo and her cast. This later became the subject of the book written with Titi: “Gulabi Sapera, Danseuse gitane du rajasthan” published by Naïve-Actes-Sud.
She has also taken numerous photos that illustrate the booklet of the anthology “Alezane”.
click for visit one Veronique's galery
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Gulabo (Gulabi Sapera) by Véronique Guillien |
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HAMEED KHAN
tablâ
Hameed Khan is a tablâ player from Jaipur, just like his father Yussuf Khan. He arrived in France in 1984 and met Titi Robin. They immediately shared a deep affection for each other and formed the duo "Luth and Tablâ", that recorded its first record for Alain Normand’s label Playasound. They continued working together within the "Erik Marchand Trio" and for the first recording of “Gitans” in 1992 (listen to “Payo Michto”). It was Hameed Khan that Titi asked to invite the dancer Gulabi Sapera for their first joint creation in 1991.
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FRANCOIS LAIZEAU
drums
Considered by his peers as one of the best jazz drummers around, François Laizeau is, in Titi’s opinion, one of the rare drummers that knows how to fit into the latter’s music by assimilating his inner way of thinking. Having played together as a duo in the past without it ever being recorded, they bring their musical worlds together with joy every time (the recordings of “Un ciel de cuivre” and “Rakhî”, a meeting of his drums and traditional percussion, with the Iranian daf: “La course de l’alezan”; with the Rajasthani nangara: “Shadi ke badh” ; and the bendirs of Moroccan chaabi: “Casablanca” or “Le marché aux musicians”). But they have only been seen on stage on a few rare occasions: in 1997, invited by the Volcan, in Le Havre, with Sylvain Marc on bass amongst others; during the Parthenay Jazz festival, with Jean-Marc Padovani and Francis Varis; at the Sunset in Paris, in 2003, where he met Ze Luis Nascimento for the first time.
François Laizeau's web site
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PAUL LAVERGNE
publisher
Independent publisher with Madoro Music, specialised in film music, a long-time collaborator of the composer Bruno Coulais (Microcosmos, Himalaya, Les Choristes) he manages Titi Robin’s releases and the promotion of his compositions. He was executive producer of the soundtrack for Manuel Boursinhac’s film “The Code" ("La Mentale”).
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GABRIEL LEVASSEUR
accordion, keyboards
Jazz musician, a student of François Jeanneau and Francis Varis (with whom he “crossed swords” in virtuoso style on one of the tracks of “Un ciel de Cuivre”: Fatsa), he regularly works with street theatre troupes and also plays on the albums "Kali Gadji", "Rakhî" and "Alezane" (the Hammond organ in the remix of Bichu Rap is him!). He took part in the creation and numerous tours of the Kali Gadji orchestra.
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PACO EL LOBO
vocals
Cantaor flamenco of great sensibility, Paco el Lobo brought an authenticity to "Gitans" that was so clearly highlighted by the vocals and oud duo in the stage performance of the Martinetes. The way in which his style, both highly personal and yet respectful of tradition, unites flamenco jondo and Arabo-Andalusian roots in “Cuivre” (Payo Michto) is not to be missed.
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ERIK MARCHAND
vocals
The Breton Erik Marchand is one of France’s very rare singers to come out of a tradition the roots of which he sincerely respects while exposing it to different styles so as to strengthen it. In the mid-1980s he worked with Thierry Robin as a duo, uniting the ancient style of the Breton gwerz to the modal improvisation of the oriental taqsim on the oud. Hameed Khan joined them and the Erik Marchand Trio’s concerts followed, sometimes with dancer Gulabi Sapera. Titi composed songs for Erick Marchand’s voice using erratic temperaments with quarter tones. Both a modern approach by virtue of its innovative crossover (Breton singing-oriental lute-Indian tablas) and traditional in its respect of the original modality of the repertory that inspires them.
The Erik Marchand official website: click here
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with Okay Temiz, Hasan Yarim Dunya and Titi in Gelibolu |
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MARIA
singer, dancer
Titi's daughter, she sings and dance "from the cradle". You can hear her voice in Titi's cd "ces vagues que l'amour soulève", "Alezane", "La Mentale B.O.". She learned a lot of songs and dance from Gulabo (Gulabi Sapera) and try now to find her own way.
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Maria on indian newspaper |
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VALERIE MAUGE
management
Having worked for many years with Titi Robin as press officer for record labels Auvidis and then Naïve, she is the artist’s manager from 2003 to 2007.
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FRANCIS-ALFRED MOERMAN
Selmer guitar
Former accompanier to the great Sarane Ferré, and disciple of his brother Matelo Ferré’s unique style of gipsy guitar, Francis-Alfred Moerman is possibly one of the last representatives of this gipsy school still playing – exceptional by virtue of his rich style. After paying homage to Matelo in the record “Gitans”, (listen to “Marie Jacobé et Marie Salomé”), they improvise together with the oud in “Django à Bagdad” ("Un ciel de Cuivre") highlighting the lyricism shared by the Gipsies and Orientals.
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Francis and Titi (photo: Guillaume Dubois) |
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SERGIO MONDELO
film director
Sergio Mondelo made a film on Titi and then on Gulabi Sapera for "Nulle part ailleurs" (Canal+). His virtuosity and highly involved approach, deeply artistic in his way of capturing images and light, led to the desire to take their collaboration further. Sergio made “La danse du serpent”, 52’ about Gulabi, and a DVD dedicated to the artistic world of Titi Robin is planned.
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JOSE MONTEALEGRE
vocals
Cantaor flamenco based in Toulouse from a Spanish family originally from Malaga, Jose "Pepito" has taken part in shows by Titi’s quintet since 2004, while also working with Louis Winsberg’s “Jaleo”.
The great suppleness of his voice and his virtuosity work wonders.
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Pepito (and Ze Luis) by Christian berthelot |
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JEROME MUSIANI
sound engineer
Jérôme has worked in international tours and the small venues in which Titi plays with the same warm and contagious enthusiasm. He is currently in charge of the façade sound for Titi & Gulabi’s show.
Stéphane Le Vigneront, Antoine Garry and Silvio Soave have also worked, either together or successively, on the sound for the various show.
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NAÏVE
record label
In 1998 Titi Robin decided to leave Auvidis with whom he had recorded five albums, in order to find a new partner for his subsequent records. While he was meeting and negotiating with various record labels, Patrick Zelnick (accompanied by Gilles Paire and Frédéric Rebé) contacted him as he had just taken over Auvidis, making it a part of a new independent record label: Naïve. He told Titi that he wanted to work with him. The artist was interested in the venture and signed a contract for four albums. Today all of Titi Robin’s work (bar the very first “Duo luth et tablâ”) are on this record label. He is guaranteed complete artistic freedom for his projects’ content and, essential for someone aiming to be coherent in his work (all of his various albums mutually shedding light on one another), all of his albums are available. “Gitans”, released eleven years ago, is still regularly sold and the general public discovering Thierry Robin today in “ces vagues que l'amour soulève” can obtain his entire musical opus.
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ZE LUIS NASCIMENTO
percussions
A young Brazilian virtuoso percussionist from the state of Bahia, Ze Luis Nascimento has taken an interest in styles of oriental and Western percussion, mixing highly varied instruments in an extremely coherent musical discourse, favouring both solo improvisations and collective exchanges. He has worked with Titi regularly since 2002 while increasingly performing on both French and Brazilian stages where he is in great demand.
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photo: Christian berthelot (détail) |
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SAWAY NATH
vocals
"Sawayji" is for many the best singer of the Kalbeliya (the cast of the snake charmers) in Rajasthan. He unites a very rich tone of voice to a fabulous sense of speech. He is also known in his community for having composed famous songs to the glory of “Gulabo”. He can be heard in “Neem” (Rakhî) or on the record accompanying the book "Gulabi Sapera, danseuse gitane du Rajasthan".
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PASCALE PAILLARD
light creation and management
It is Pascale Paillard who created the original lighting for the Titi Robin & Gulabi Sapera show in 2002, during its successive residences in the Jardin de Verre in Cholet and the Théâtre de Coutances (a jazz festival under the apple trees). She created a world of colours that magically matched Gulabi Sapera’s choreography and Titi Robin’s compositions. The reaction to the show owes her a great deal. Hervé Dilé and Anne Pascal are currently in charge of the lighting for this show.
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RENAUD PION
Polyinstrumentiste (instruments à vent) de culture classique, jazz et rock (il a collaboré avec Gavin Friday, Hector Zazou, Lo'Jo, John Cale, ...) et également compositeur et arrangeur (il publie en 2008 "Paradise Alley" pour Signature/Radio-France), Renaud Gabriel Pion participe depuis de nombreuses années au travail de Titi Robin qui le considère comme un interprète véritablement révolutionnaire dans le monde du saxophone contemporain, que ce soit dans sa maîtrise instrumentale (sa sonorité et son phrasé sont d'une grande profondeur) que pour son intégration exceptionnelle des tempéraments orientaux au sein d'un discours occidental contemporain. Il lui a confié également le travail de composition ou d'arrangement pour cordes à l'occasion de la B.O. de La Mentale ainsi que pour Kali Sultana.
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KISHAN LAL RANA
percussions
Kishan “Roshan” is an excellent dholak, dhol and nangara player from Jaipur, who has toured a lot with Gulabi Sapera in India and abroad. He actively took part in the recording sessions for "Rakhî" in Belgium in 2001.
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Kishan playing dholak |
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PATRICK ROBIN
stringed instrument maker
An outstanding instrument maker specialising in quartet instruments (violin, alto, cello), Patrick Robin created the specific model of oud that Titi uses on stage (and that can be heard above all in the album “Le regard nu”), and looked after all of his instruments “as a brother” for many years. Since 2003 Jean-Marie Fouilleul has taken over and has just made a copy of the Di mauro guitar that the musician has played for over twenty years.
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ERIC ROUX-FONTAINE
painter, graphic artist
Here is a contemporary artist that knows both the world of city-centre exhibition galleries and the travellers’ camps of the city outskirts with whom he has often worked. An exception in this world made of pigeonholes. For the release of the album “Le regard nu” in 1995, he painted a backdrop on stage while Gulabi and Titi exchanged their danced and musical improvisations (this canvas can be seen at the musician and dancer’s joint performances to this day). He was then asked to undertake the entire visual artwork for the anthology “Alezane”. It was then Eric Roux-Fontaine’s turn to commission a set of texts from Titi Robin for his travel notebook: “Rajasthan, Voyage aux sources gitanes”, published by Garde-Temps.
Several illustrations used for this website come from these two projects, including that on the homepage.
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Eric Roux-Fontaine |
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THE SAADNA FAMILY
A dynasty of Catalan gipsy musicians that settled several generations ago in the capital of the Roussillon region, Perpignan, in the Saint Jacques “San Jaume” quarter. They formed “El Rumberos Catalas” or “Los Rumberos Catalans”, a group specialised in gipsy rumba.
JOSEPH « MAMBO » SAADNA, BRUNO EL GITANO, FARID « ROBERTO » SAADNA, ESTEFAN « ABRAHAM » GONZALES
chants, guitares, palmas
At the beginning of the seventies Mambo and Bruno created a very effective style of rumba for two voices. When just fourteen and thirteen years of age, they scoured the Catalan bars and clubs, and then the gipsy community’s weddings with their magical sense of the compas. They began to work professionally with Titi Robin in 1992 for the recording of “Gitans” and toured numerous countries with the ensuing show. All five came together once again in 2002 for the recording of the soundtrack of Manu Boursinhac’s film “La Mentale”. (They can even be seen in the DVD’s extra features, dancing with the guests at the gipsy party). In 1996 they put on a family show, directed by Mambo and Titi, based on the voices of young Roberto Chico (Mambo’s son) and Xinu (Abraham’s son).
Roberto Saadna joined Titi at the time of Kali Gadji and has since accompanied him regularly; his sensibility and the subtleties of his vocal modulations make him one of the rare gipsy cantaors able to place his voice in inventive contexts without losing any of its expressive strength. Titi has composed extensively for his voice.
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Los Rumberos (with Xinu and Roberto Chico) |
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ABDELKRIM SAMI “DIABOLO”
vocals, bendir, darbouqa
A Berber from Morocco, his playing of the percussion is traditional with a preference for folkloric rhythms. A long-time companion (since the early 80s) of Titi’s musical ventures ("Johnny Michto", "Gitans", "Kali Gadji", Trio) he has now left the musical profession and owns a café in the Montplaisir quarter of Angers. At the time when he was touring all over the world, he continued selling fabric in the markets in the West of France: as soon as he got off the plane, he would go straight to the family stall! Titi and Diabolo’s relationship was as human as it was musical and left its mark on many compositions (listen to “Salutations” in "Alezane").
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BANWARI SAPERA
pungi, spoken word
Banwari Sapera is a snake charmer from Jaipur, in Rajasthan (India). He lives in the Pani Pech quarter. Gifted with a strong personality, he has often played for Gulabi Sapera’s dancing. He is the one who raps so wonderfully in Rajasthani (together with Gulabi) in “Bichu Rap” (in "Rakhî" or "Alezane" for the remix). He must also be heard playing the pungi in “Neem” (in "Rakhî"). His portrait, taken by Véronique Guillien, is in the book “Gulabi Sapera, Danseuse gitane du Rajasthan”.
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GULABI SAPERA “GULABO”
dance, vocals
see special section
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Gulabo by Christian Berthelot |
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SILVIO SOAVE
sound engineer
The first recording that Silvio Soave and Titi Robin made together was during the recording of “An Tri Breur” with Erik Marchand and Hameed Khan in 1991. Since then Silvio has been behind all of Titi’s records up until "ces vagues que l'amour soulève" in 2005. They always work very closely, starting with the sound recording and finishing with the mastering. Silvio Soave has thereby profoundly influenced the aesthetic quality of his productions. He was one of the very first sound engineers in the field of acoustic music, and his experience with traditional Western and non-European instruments is formidable.
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PASCAL “KALOU” STALIN
bass
From a family of both fairground people and settled folk (and hence sharing the knowledge of both gadji (non-gipsy) and gipsy culture with Titi), Kalou Stali’s playing innovates by its fusion of the gnawa hajhouj’s groove, the compas of the Catalan rumba and various Mediterranean rhythms, creating an extremely original vocabulary.
His chaabi compas in “Casablanca” (Un ciel de cuivre) must be heard while his subtle taqsim (modal improvisation) on the bass in duo with the dancing during the “Titi Robin & Gulabi Sapera” show "JIVULA" must be seen.
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photo: Christian Berthelot |
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BERNARD SUBERT
clarinet, bagpipes
Breton musician who has taken part in numerous experiments with French groups playing traditional music, he joined Titi for "Johnny Michto". He is an important figure in the Gitans venture and was part of the renowned tours with this group, with an impressive stage presence (listen to “L’exil” in "Payo Michto"). It is his skilful performance of the famous “Rumba do vesou” on the album Gitans.
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playing clarinet in "Gitans" (photo: F. Carnevali) |
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HACER TORUK
vocals
Haçer Toruk is a young French woman of Turkish origin, who possesses a great purity in her style when singing traditional songs. She was a guest on the album "Un ciel de Cuivre" (listen to “Petite-Mère Sultane” or “Ayrildim”). No doubt we will be hearing more of her in the future, her and her true and inspired voice.
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JORGE “NEGRITO” TRASANTE
drums, percussions
Originally from Uruguay, Negrito Trasante is a specialist of the Afro-Latin percussion of “comparsas lubolas”. Since arriving in Paris his ever-increasing encounters have taken him from world tours with the Gipsy Kings to the recording of Titi’s album: "Kali Gadji" (on the drums), or to playing with Renaud Garcia-Fons’ Oriental Bass. He created the style of drumming for the "Kali gadji" group and his compas mixed with Diabolo’s bendir playing is a delight to listen to. Listen to him playing the drums with brushes on “Panolero” (Alezane) and conversing with the bouzouki or the “Latin” introduction on seven beats in “Choucar Zizou” (Kali Gadji).
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FRANCIS VARIS
accordion
A trained jazzman, Francis Varis made a name for himself with his group Cordes et Lames (Dominique Cravic on guitar), his participation in Paris Musette and his work with Jacques Bolognesi in Bolovaris. He has rubbed shoulders with jazzmen such as Tal Farlow and Lee konitz and regularly accompanies Brazilian singer Nazaré Péreira, Georges Moustaki and Maria Teresa. Francis Varis’ improvisation is poetic and his phrasing pure, making him an ideal guest for Titi Robin’s projects, the bond between them longstanding. He has been a member of the “Gitans” show, the creation with Gulabi Sapera and the “Titi Robin Trio” for many years. He can be heard, for example, in “le père et la mère” (Alezane) or in duo with Gabi Levasseur in “Fatsa” (Un ciel de cuivre).
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Gulabo and Francis (photo: Christian Berthelot) |
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LOUIS VINCENT
photographer
Since 2005, Louis Vincent is THE photographer who follows Titi Robin in many places and work with him very closely. He made all the pictures for "ces vagues que l'amour soulève" and for the new DVD "Jivula".
Please visit his wonderful work: click here
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photo Louis Vincent |
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ZAMORA PRODUCTIONS
tour agency, producer
Since Spring 2004 the Zamora team and Titi Robin have decided to work together in developing his stage performances in France and abroad. It was the Blue Line agency that did so before.
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TITI ROBIN ON STAGE: ADRESSES OF OTHER PHOTOGRAPHERS
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Yannick LECOQ
click here: Titi & Gulabi on the photographer's site
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Maria et Rakhî (photo: Yannick Lecoq) |
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Mikaël BRIZARD
click here for contact
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Maria, Dino & Gulabi (photo: Mikaël Brizard) |
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Fabien ROUX
galery site: lart-scènes
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Jef RABILLON
photo galery
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Gulabo with tchang (photo Jef Rabillon) |
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Albert G. Finestres (Courrier de l'Ouest)
click here: photos on the net
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INTERNET SITE (DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION)
The team behind this web site is:
Elise KAMM: graphical conception
Andréa D'AGOSTINO: programming
with the collaboration of
Christian BERTHELOT: photographs
Eric ROUX-FONTAINE: paintings
Maria ROBIN: Rajasthani motifs
Valérie MAUGE: monitoring and update
Marushka VIDOVIC: english translation
Thanks to Marc Benaïche, Laurent Benhamou and the Mondomix team
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