was busking in Formentera in the Balearic Islands. They heard her singing in a bar and literally whisked her off to hear on the car’s clapped out cassette machine the music the Fabrica were creating. She was hooked. Not that Marina would welcome being spoken of as the main focus of the band. as they are a collective and have no leader. As she says: ‘We feel the collective is the best foundation of working. We are not a conventional group: we‘re all friends and have emotional links as well as musical ones which is important in terms of functioning together. There’s no leader and we try not to impose anything. We try and express ourselves as a collectivity. That‘s the sound you get.’
You only have to see ()jos live to know this is true: they create all their music together. often working in each others‘ flats in intimate spaces so they get the vibe between them in the music from the start. On stage they seize the moment. dipping and diving out of each other. shifting the energy around from the two flamenco guitarists (one of whom. Ramon, is an ace body-popper) to the back line of cajon box percussion to DJ Panko and bassist Juanlu. Their latest album. Bari. gets its name and lyrics from ‘calo’, the Romani-flamenco gypsy language.
()nto a bed of flamenco bulerias. soleas and rumbas. ()jos draw in sounds from the flamenco diaspora. frotn India. the Mediterranean. North Africa. as well as Latin America and the Middle liast. adding in rhythms of ragga. hip hop. scratch and looped sounds. Their ‘Tiempo dc Solea’ is dedicated to the street kids they know around downtown Barcelona. many of them from the Magreb. ‘Tanguillo de Maria' is. as Marina explains. a ‘tribute to marijuana because we think it is a plant that helps. There‘s a parallel drawn between marijuana and Mari. an Arabic woman who is illegal here. just like maria (marijuana). There's a lot of Morrocans come to Spain but they’ve not got papers yet have to survive.’
Inspired by Spanish gypsy ethos. ()jos’ philosophy is to "‘seguir volando" — carry on
20 THE LIST 4—18 Mar 2004
Senegalese rappers Daara J (left) and Marina Abad (below), part of Oios de Bruio
flying and breaking down frontiers.’ Which means that. aided by an inspired VJ show. they generate tremendous joy. particularly with pieces like the ‘Buleria del ayl‘. This. says Marina. ‘is a funky buleria about a very flamenco phrase that means happiness. sadness and panic and it makes people laugh so it is positively global.‘
All of the nine winners out of the 32 nominated artists are expected to come to the Poll Winners‘ Concert. And there could be some surprises in store from the Audience Awards (‘Barefoot Diva” (‘esaria livora is in the final four). Then there are those who will present prizes: poet and ()Bli refusenik Benjamin Zephaniah will be joined on stage by Scottish folk singer Mary Ann Kennedy to make the awards. Although the Usher Hall had its roof mended recently it may still take a pounding from the energy inside.
BBC Radio 3 World Music Awards: Tue 9th Mar, Usher Hall Edinburgh. Box office: 0131 228 1 155. www.bbc.co.uklradi03. The concert will be televised on BBC4. Daara J also play at Instant Access, the Sub Club, Glasgow, on Thu 1 1 Mar. See Clubs listings for details.
Winners in the BBC Awards’ nine categories have all been announced. Alongside Ibrahim Ferrer, Daara J and Ojos de Brujo, here’s the
lowdown on all the rest. I Think of One Winner: ‘Boundary Crossing’ category The backbone of
Belgium’s roots music scene. Think of One is a six-piece brass ensemble, plus a collection of collaborators from elsewhere. Mixing jazz and rock, folk and funk, punk and disco. it's fast gaining a fan base outside the Low Countries. Boundary crossing in every sense.
I DJ Dolores Mnner: ‘Club Global’ category
Oddly enough. DJ Dolores is a man. And to add to the confusion he's not a musician. ‘l'm a DJ and producer.‘ he
says. but the quality of his musical output is good enough to net this award. Rap and hip hop are influences. although the music seems equally rooted in rural Brazil.
I Rolda More Winner: Critics’ Award She's from Mali, and with a soulful vocal style. Rokia Traore creates a mesmeric west African sound with haunting harmonies overlaid on backing from Malian instruments. It's catapulting Traore into the premier league of African music, alongside Salif Keita and Youssou N'Dour.
I Sewara Nazarkhan Winner: Asia/Pacific Nazarkhan is a pop star in Tashkent. the capital of Uzbekhistan. But if her media image is the Posh Spice of Central Asia, her music is
something else. Like the country itself, it's located at the crossover between Asia and the West, with a Soviet flavour.
I Warsaw Village Band
Mnner: Best Newcomer
The Warsaw Village Band typifies the swagger of a country whose musical roots run deep. Mixing furious improvised drum beats with instruments such as the suka. a traditional Polish fiddle plucked with the fingernails. the band sounds both traditional and totally modern.
I Kazern Al Sahir Mnner: Middle East 8: North Africa
The world’s most popular Iraqi singer has been compared to Julio lglesias . . . but don't let 4 11* k 3" that put you off. It hasn't deterred millions of listeners across the Arab world. Critics claim Kazem's output is some of the finest Arabic music of recent years. and it's been achieved under the shadow of war in Iraq.