I REMEMBER I remember back then, at the end of the seventies, when I began to recognise in my musical compositions an echo of the landscapes unfolding before me when I shut my eyes. It was wonderful to be able to contemplate this secret world outside. It had a very oriental feel, and very gipsy, because these two cultures were my school, and within these two communities its meaning was taken literally, without any exoticism. The “World Music” trend arrived a few years later, with its fantasies of the crossover of peoples and cultures. But I did not forget that this also implied exile, at least for some, and that if these marriages of cultures were for many a question of destiny, they also meant the longing for their land, for their childhood, separation, the patience to learn all over again, to understand, misunderstanding, and of course the enormous gamble of having children (children like songs), of being happy far from home, of making the family bigger, of changing, of loving.       CROSSOVER I sometimes get asked why I “crossed” my music: It happened over twenty years ago, and I was not looking to run away from myself but on the contrary, I was simply aiming for the most intimate part of myself, and trying to go straight there. This music is my world, the reflection of my life. That is all. I wanted to bring together the scattered pieces of my consciousness and my senses, to express how a man who wants to embrace the world with his eyes open and who does not fear the biting fire feels. His troubles, his idea about love, as he makes love, the happy or bitter memories that stick to him, the taste of beauty, the price of an upright life, that is what my music is about. Sometimes I need that secret solitude that ties me to the oud, the bouzouki or the guitar; and then I want to sing, to celebrate, and a group forms around the compas, and the night is never-ending. If there have always been French, Gipsy and Oriental musicians accompanying me on stage, it is because these are the people I live with, and they alone provide me with the equilibrium I need to live and to survive.       MY ARTISTIC SCHOOLING I know no other artistic school than that of the street and of pleasure, as no-one has ever taught me to speak this language, other than the men and women I have crossed on my path and who are far from being all musicians. There is truth in the beauty that seeps out of the world, and I polish a subtle mirror that might reflect that light; this gesture is the meaning of my music. As the Oawwal says: “I have dived into this bottomless river thousands of times, but it was in a pool that I found the precious pearl.” The true voyage is within. Music feeds off this intimate source, in the heart’s pit, under a star, as there is nowhere better, nor past golden age. Every day, under a copper-coloured sky, we head out once again, digging a little deeper to find the bread, salt and gold of the profound song. Thierry Titi Robin “We are the Epicureans, the lovers, the fire starters of the world, those who tear at their throats, and if we live in a world of sadness, what need have we to think about the world?” Alisher Navoï       ABOUT LIVE CD "ANITA!" "Le voyage s’est poursuivi, avec des trains débordants, les soudaines crises de hoquet des avions, des crevaisons et ces égarements sur la route qui se révèlent souvent salutaires, de la ville au désert, la visite de grands théâtres enluminés et de jeunes clubs énervés qui réchauffent leur monde, avec nos chemises grand-ouvertes puis les manteaux cols relevés, des petits-déj’ brûlants et endormis après des dîners froids sur le pouce, des apparitions puis des disparitions, ces amis qu’on retrouve et qu’on quitte à nouveau, les cicatrices laissées par un regard croisé qui soulignent d’un trait vif notre mémoire de voyageur, ces pays qu’on découvre et qu’on n’oubliera pas, à cause de la douceur de leur paix ou de l’injustice d’une guerre qui les écrase (que peut dire notre art de ces souffrances?), .... Le dernier enregistrement en public datait de 1996. Il était temps d’offrir à nouveau un miroir de nos échappées à priori insaisissables, de ces rencontres avec le public, le vrai but de nos voyages. Khodâ Hâfez, kalakar!" Titi, octobre 2006         COMMENTS ON THE ALBUM “ALEZANE” “These two records are a selection of recordings made over a period of a dozen years (the first session took place during the winter of 1991), but draw from some twenty-five years of compositions. It was not easy to choose. In my preceding albums I have always tried to bring together dance and intimist tracks in the smoothest possible way. Here, on the contrary, we present a panorama by categorising the tracks as either rhythmic tunes (CD I) “Le Jour”) or calmer ones (CD II “La Nuit”). Of course some tracks could have been put into both selections. Digging the same furrow has the advantage of highlighting the tracks in a different way. I hope that this will bring to light the musical world in which I have been wandering for over twenty years. It has existed for a long time and has stopped being an issue. On the other hand, the true challenge is to express, within an artistic system that has rather more imposed itself on me than been chosen by me, my path as a contemporary musician, with its joys and shadows, the solitary words and collective exchanges, and all the colours and scents that envelop and go through me.” "LE JOUR "(CD I) I LA PETITE MER 6'45" (taken from "GITANS") lyrics: Joseph Saadna / music: Thierry Robin «It was the winter of 1991 and we had recorded this rumba right off, in one take, winking at each other for the chord changes. The whole of the “Gitans” album was recorded like that, like a series of clear and musical encounters. “La petite mer” then became our mascot track, the one the audience often recognises at the first beat and that we still perform today, whichever orchestra is playing." PANOLERO (version II) 5’22’’(original version in "KALI GADJI") French lyrics: Thierry Robin Spanish lyrics: Farid Saadna music: Thierry Robin ”A new sung version of a track recorded in 1997, in homage to the matador Nimeno II. Panolero is the name of the bull that was his downfall. This style of “gipsy tangos” played on the bouzouki is one of my favourite compas, that Fosforito and Chano Lobato had acknowledged and encouraged. Negrito Trasante is brilliant on the drums.”   Negrito et Roberto in studio     III RUMBA DO VESOU II 6'36"(taken from "PAYO MICHTO") Thierry Robin ”This rumba was the final track from the “Gitans” concert that we performed on numerous stages around the world. It bears witness to our big family. Mambo Saadna, Paco el Lobo and Bruno el Gitano compete with complicity, and one of the very rare bagpipe players to play gipsy rumba, Bernard Subert, can be heard!” L'OR DU MALI :(original version in "KALI GADJI") IV BLEU INDIGO 2'29'' musique :Thierry Robin V SWING WASSOULOU (version II) 2’58” lyrics: Thierry Robin, Abdelkrim Sami / music: Thierry Robin ”In homage to the great Malian singer Oumou Sangaré, with a new version that adds verses in French to the version originally released in Arabic alone. Oumou joined us on stage at La Cigale in Paris in 2000, for a vocal improvisation around this musical theme. I have great respect for the musical style that she has launched with her voice.” VI REVEIL A LA CARAVANE 1'47" (taken from the soundtrack of "THE CODE" LA MENTALE) music: Thierry Robin ”The theme composed for the soundtrack of Manuel Boursinhac’s film “La Mentale” in which Samuel Le Bihan wakes up one morning, haggard, in the “Gipsy” Clothilde Courault’s caravan. For this film music we recorded gipsy songs played by a symphonic orchestra, traditional rumbas and more intimist compositions like the “Theme pour Lise” that can be heard on CD II of “La Nuit”.” VII FANDANGOS MAURES 4'35" (taken from "UN CIEL DE CUIVRE") lyrics: Farid Saadna music: Thierry Robin “fandangos” curits”, on an inspired compas of Moroccan Chaäbi. Roberto Saadna is one of the extremely rare gipsy cantaors able to sing in an inventive context with precision and without losing the authenticity of his roots. On the drums, the subtle François Laizeau!”   François Laizeau (photo: Alex ...)     VIII SALUTATIONS (mix II) 3'31" (original version in "KALI GADJI") lyrics: Abdelkrim Sami, Thierry Robin music: Thierry Robin ”Abdelkrim Sami, known as “Diabolo”, is an old friend with whom we founded a band called “Johnny Michto” when we were young and crazy, in a southern area of Angers called “La Roseraie”. He was the lead singer and this song reminds us of those good times. Some people in Angers’ housing estates still remember songs like “Sara” or the “Maroco Michto Blues”! Karim, after having pursued his career as a musician (with “Gitans” and “Kali Gadji”) while continuing to sell fabric at the market, has definitively stopped playing music and now has a café in the Montplaisir estate in Angers.”   Diabolo and Titi some years ago!... (photo: Chris Bartaud)     IX NEEM 3'58" (taken from "RAKHÎ") lyrics: Gulabi Sapera, traditional music: Thierry Robin, traditional ”The original idea behind this arrangement is to imagine the pungi, the Rajasthan snake charmers’ oboe, played here by Banwari Baba, as the leader of a wind section. Saway Nath, who sings the verses, is in my opinion the most inventive singer of the Kalbeliya community of Rajasthan.” X MA GAVALI-rumba 1'56" (taken from "UN CIEL DE CUIVRE") music: Thierry Robin ”A rumba recorded after the aperitif, between two fits of laughter. The Catalan compas by the Saadna brothers is unbelievable.” XI CHIRMI MALA 4'09" (taken from "RAKHÎ") lyrics: Gulabi Sapera, traditional music: Thierry Robin, traditional ”Rajasthan reggae, sung by “Gulabo”, certainly the most famous gipsy artist of North India. The original rhythm is very popular in India and we had fun swinging it over to Jamaica using some additions such as the mischievous Hammond organ played by Gabi Levasseur, accordionist and companion for many years with “Kali Gadji”. Ram Swarup and Kishan Lal Rana have accompanied Gulabi for years and together we spent many nights in Jaipur playing for her dancing.”   Gulabi in Jaipur     XII ANITA (instrumental version) 4’21’’ (original version in "KALI GADJI") music: Thierry Robin ”Originally sung, this “Kurdish style” dance here becomes an instrumental piece, highlighting the warm beauty of Renaud Pion’s improvisational style, a truly revolutionary musician in the world of the modern saxophone.” XIII RUMBA CHOUCARDE 3'06" UNRELEASED (family version) music: Thierry Robin ”A modest bluesy rumba that was our “summer hit” at home during the sunny months. In this anthology I wanted to evoke some new pieces as yet unfinished. Here there are still no lyrics and the performance is an intimate one.” XIV EL WARDA ZINA 2'42" UNRELEASED lyrics: Thierry Robin, Hadj Khalfa music: Thierry Robin ”Encounter with a famous family of Algerian musicians from Paris, the Khalfas, for a track originally composed for a celebration of L’Aïd. The renowned percussionist, the eldest brother Rabah, is also a singer with an astounding voice.” XV L'AMOUR S' ENVOLE 3'39" (taken from "UN CIEL DE CUIVRE") lyrics: Thierry Robin music: Thierry Robin ”Yet another gipsy rumba by Titi, this time sung “in payo” (in non-gipsy French).” XVI BICHU RAP REMIX 3’39’’ (original version in "RAKHÎ") lyrics: Gulabi Sapera, Banwari Sapera music: Thierry Robin, Silvio Soave ”Humorous allusion to the trend of remixing, based on a story of healing (to be found on the record “Rakhî”): Gulabi has been bitten by a scorpion and Banwari Sapera, a snake charmer from her community, attempts to cure her using the magic formulae possessed by the members of his cast.”   Banwari Sapera and his snakes (photo: Véronique Guillien)     "LA NUIT" (CD II) I NUIT DE PLEINE LUNE 0'08" (taken from "LE REGARD NU") ”The record “Le regard nu” was made while working – just like a painter or a sculptor – with models posing in the studio, and my palette was made of notes of the oud and bouzouki, with which I improvised as a soloist of the tagasim, depicting my visions and the feelings they awoke in me. I worked for a year in this way, with different models, and sometimes I renew the experience as if going back to the source, to enrich my inspiration.” II PATCHÎV(extract) 6'46" (full version in "GITANS") music: Thierry Robin ”François Castiello, renowned as a leading member of the group “Bratsch”, is an exceptional accordionist and it is he who played during sessions at the end of 1991 for the album “Gitans”. This piece, inspired by Rumanian music, is a homage to Eddy Schaff.” III PETITE-MÈRE SULTANE 5'51 (taken from "UN CIEL DE CUIVRE") music: Thierry Robin ”The young Franco-Turkish singer Hager Toruk kindly accepted to lend her very beautiful voice as a prelude to this dance in the form of a Greek syrtos. Renaud Pion plays the clarinet.” IV PUNDELA 4'10" (taken from "GITANS") lyrics: traditional music: traditional arrangement: Thierry Robin ”This is first song that Gulabi and I performed together as a duo, and this very personal recording of a traditional Rajasthani song has led to numerous other versions, by groups ranging from the Roms from Budapest (Ando Drom) to new groups from North India touring in the West. “Pundela” is closely linked to our story and remains an echo of an ancient tie between our respective gipsy cultures.”   Gulabi and Titi (photo: Véronique Guillien)     V THÈME A LISE II 2'19" (taken from the soundtrack of "THE CODE" - "LA MENTALE") music: Thierry Robin ”Another track from the music of Manuel Boursinhac’s film, dedicated to the character of Lise that Marie Guillard played with great strength. The beautiful sound of Kalou Stalin’s bass can be heard, and the congas that Negrito tuned to the melody’s scale!” VI KICSI, KICSI KÉM 5'37" (taken from "LE REGARD NU") music: Thierry Robin ”Result of the meeting between the artist and the model, here addressing the eye that watches her, the notes that reveal her and the music that depicts her… Take this little dagger, open up my chest and you will see your portrait, and how good it is.” VII LOVARI (extract) 3’15’’ (full version in KALI GADJI) music: Thierry Robin ”I spent a long time looking for an original way to orchestrate music that was meant as a meeting of vocal soloists, without randomly sticking a foreign musical philosophy onto it. In general, the drums set the rhythmical base, the bass complements this foundation and the percussion provide the “ethnic” colour. In this case the idea was to give the rhythm section the roles played by the three bendirs in Moroccan Châabi (the bass weaves the foundation, the bendir replies and the drums comment). Taking inspiration from this polyrhythm, a highly original orchestral way of playing was developed that we used a great deal afterwards.”   One great rythmical team (Diabolo, Abdellah and Mohammed) photo: A. Von Buxhoeveden)     VIII RUMBA DE LA CASA 3'54" UNRELEASED (family version) music: Thierry Robin ”Another little “homemade” song, recorded in the family living room. It will definitely be used on stage in future, and maybe orchestrated for a new studio recording.” IX DJANGO A BAGDAD 3'19" (taken from "UN CIEL DE CUIVRE") music: Thierry Robin Selmer guitar: Francis-Alfred Moerman / oud: Titi Robin ”Imagine the dream encounter between Munir Bachir and Django Reinhardt for example, in a Baghdad café. We had performed in Iraq, in between the two “Gulf wars”, in this country with such an eminent musical and poetic culture.” X IMPROVISATION A LA GUITARE VOILÉE 2'45" UNRELEASED music: Thierry Robin ”The veiled guitar, in the same way as the voice may sometimes be, can express golden feelings. The instrument’s timbre evokes spicy perfume.”   1992 photo: Serge Picard     XI CHUNDRI 3’09 » (taken from “RAKHΔ) lyrics: Gulabi Sapera, traditional / music: Thierry Robin, traditional ”A wedding song, in which the young bride looks back with regret to the times when she played at home with her beloved brother. The day on which he gave her this magnificent scarf (“chundri”), she had not realised straight away that it was a wedding present, and therefore the moment of their separation, of her departure to the home of strangers, another house, forever. This is one of my favourites of the beautiful – and sad! – wedding songs from Rajasthan, which Gulabi and I rewrote in our style.” XII MARRAINE 4’14 » (taken from “GITANS”) music: Thierry Robin ”I love the seven-beat compas and this one, together with the track “La famille” also recorded in “Gitans”, is quite old. The melody is full and the asymmetric rhythm creates a tension that generates the energy and maintains the emotion.” XIII MA GAVALI – boléro 4’07 » (taken from “UN CIEL DE CUIVRE”) music: Thierry Robin ”This track has two versions: rumba (on CD I “Le Jour”) and bolero. The orchestra playing here is a dream band for me, and Francis-Alfred Moerman, descendant of the Mateb Frerré gipsy school, is once again a great stylist of the guitar, a rarity indeed.” XIV LE PÈRE ET LA MÈRE 3’56 » UNRELEASED music: Thierry Robin ”Francis Varis is the accordionist with whom I have played the most, from Canada to Japan, via South Africa and Brazil. His style has that “Parisian” sensitivity in which the poetry of the ‘faubourgs’ mixes with the sophistication of jazz. I have seen him move the audience in a prison courtyard and that of a subsidised theatre with the same lyrical efficacy! This is the story of an old mixed couple, the guimbri is the immigrant worker employed by Renault and the accordion his French wife, native to the area. They chat.”   Francis and Titi at the Cabaret Sauvage (photo: Françoise Kaznadir)     XV LEITO JE JE 0’16 » (taken from « GITANS ») lyrics and music : traditional ”This little Kabeliya song was the opening and closing piece on the “Gitans” album.” XVI TAQSIM ET DANSE AU ‘OUD 3’27 » UNRELEASED music: Thierry Robin ”Another compas that I love, following a taqsim on the oud. Alain Genty cleverly devised this harmonic bass playing, during the creation of the “Kali Gadji” orchestra.” XVII LA ROSE DE JAIPUR 3’34 » (taken from « UN CIEL DE CUIVRE ») lyrics: Gulabi Sapera, Thierry Robin music: Thierry Robin (based on a traditional lullaby) ”Two gipsy voices talk to one another in this lullaby recorded in Jaipur.” XVIII KALI GADJI 3'01" (taken from "LE REGARD NU") music: Thierry Robin ”In the gnawi mode, on the oud, I wander in and out of the model and musically render the feelings that it generously gives me.” XIX EPILOGUE EN MAQÂM RAST 1'33" (taken from "LE REGARD NU") music: Thierry Robin ”The adieu of the muses, on a five-beat melody on the oud.”   La course de l'alezan (Eric Roux-Fontaine)

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