LOBI Stéphane Galland

• 1 En Ruta 03:33
• 2 Aparani Par 05:06
• 3 Para Para 05:20
• 4 Ioio 05:26
• 5 Pralaya 01:36
• 6 Pygmalyte 04:19
• 7 Ali Pasha 06:35
• 8 The Sky Is Cloudy 05:01
• 9 Lamma Bada Yatathanna 09:58
• 10 Memory from Times of Yore 07:47
• 11 Hommage & Minino 05:33
• Total Runtime 01:00:14

Info for LOBI

Stephane Galland’s LOBI project is nurtured on elements borrowed from multiple ancestral traditions treated in a contemporary way, in which the diversity of experience of the musicians involved gives rise to a unique sound entity. LOBI is a word from Lingala (the language of the Congo)

​In Lingala, the language of the Congo, the term Lobi means both 'yesterday' and 'tomorrow'. It is in this concept that one must seek the deep roots of this project, which is unique in several respects: unique in its way of tackling a multifaceted repertoire, made up of original compositions and 'traditional' pieces rearranged; unique in its way of musically linking the past, present and future; unique by the meeting of musicians coming from very different universes and countries who, each in his own way, brings his tradition whilst learning from and exchanging with the singularities of the others; and unique, too, by the style that results from the combination of all these factors, not comparable to other existing groups.

For this adventure, Stéphane Galland, unconventional Belgian drummer and, for the past twenty years, a member of the Aka Moon trio, has surrounded himself with all the musicians with whom he has always wanted to share the stage and recording studio: his Dream Team, as it were. It was his meeting the young Armenian genius of the piano, Tigran Hamasyan, that constituted the starting point. Then, the pieces of the puzzle gradually fell into place, eventually arriving at the current configuration, which includes the magician of the flute Magic Malik; the king of the Bulgarian accordion, Petar Ralchev; the most gifted of flamenco bass players, Carles Benavent; and the uncontested master of Turkish percussion, Mısırlı Ahmet.

At the finish, here is a project as eclectic as it is coherent, destined to exist equally well on stage as on disc (or, should we say, in the form of recorded music?). If you like to be surprised, fascinated (as much by the extraordinary virtuosity of the protagonists as by their lyricism), moved (listen to their interpretation of 'Lamma Bada Yatathanna'...), and if a rich, stimulating musical discovery puts you in a good mood and gives you the impression of having not wasted your day, this album is meant for you!

“LOBI has brightened up my summer, no doubt that this album will warm up your cold autumn evenings...” (Jazz Magazine)

Stéphane Galland, drums
Magic Malik, flute, vocals
Tigran Hamasyan, piano
Petar Ralchev, accordion
Carles Benavent, bass
Mısırlı Ahmet, percussion

Stéphane Galland
was born into a musical family and received his first drum set at the age of three. He decided to take lessons in classical percussion when he reached the age of nine, at the conservatory at Huy (Belgium) and started playing jazz with his fellow pianist Eric Legnini two years later. At the age of 13, having had the opportunity to play with the best jazz musicians in Belgium, he developed a growing interest in this musical field. Always in search of new musical experiences, he met Pierre Vandormael, Fabrizio Cassol and Michel Hatzigeorgiou, and later with the last two, formed the band called AKA MOON. The band, which recorded 16 CDs and performed worldwide (Europe, Africa, Asia, the United States, Canada, South America, the Caribbean Islands, India…), has been a unique and invaluable field of development and experimentation with different musical traditions. This led Stéphane Galland to record and perform with the Malian star Oumou Sangare, Senegalese master Doudou N'diaye Rose (Miles Davis, Rolling Stones, Peter Gabriel...), the Great and undisputed South Indian master of Mridangam Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman, the Turkish master of percussion Misirli Ahmet, and many different artists from Africa, India, Asia, Europe and America.

Other than that, Stéphane Galland has been playing and recording with numerous famous artists from different horizons including Joe Zawinul, Joe Lovano, Toots Thielemans, Philip Catherine, and singers Ozark Henry, David Linx, Axelle Red, Zap Mama, Novastar, Claron McFadden, Cristina Zavalloni as well as many different groups using new developments in rhythm and harmony such as Dhafer Youssef, Nguyên Lê, Nelson Veras, Thôt, Kartet. Stéphane was the drummer for many special projects including African Voices (with Oumou Sangare, Me’shell Ndegeocello, Baba Sissoko), Aka Moon & 600 children (with a unique gathering of a 600 Children choir), Homage to Jaco Pastorius (with Toots Thielemans, Othello Molineaux, Felix and Julius Pastorius, etc....), to Jeff Buckley (with Marie Daulne (Zap Mama), Kris Dane & David Linx), Homage to Friedrich Gulda with Martha Argerich, Alexander Rabinovitch and Gautier Capuçon, Philippe Boesmans’ opera “Wintermärchen” (on Deutsche Grammophon), Anne-Teresa de Keersmaeker Rosas Dance Company “In Real Time” and more than 260 shows with Alain Platel’s widely acclaimed “VSPRS” and “Pitié!”.

In the summer of 2011, he founded his own project called “LOBI”, exploring multiple ancient musical traditions in a modern, futuristic and alchemistical approach. Stéphane Galland’s “LOBI” is a meeting of some of the most sought-after musicians today, coming from different traditions: Magic Malik on Flute and Vocal (Guadeloupe/Ivory Coast), Malcolm Braff on piano (Brazil, Senegal, Switzerland), Petar Ralchev (Bulgaria), Misirli Ahmet on percussion (Turkey) and Carles Benavent on bass (Spain).

He has been teaching drums, rhythm and ensemble in different schools and conservatories in Belgium (presently teacher at the KCB, Royal Music Conservatory of Brussels) and France, and gives seminars, Clinics and Master classes worldwide.

Booklet for LOBI