La Marche du Bonheur

Celebrating cultural differences, the richness of their respective heritages and the chance to further decolonise France’s imperial past, this virtuosic trio – Senegalese guitarist Hervé Samb, French-born singer/accordionist Viviane Arnoux and François Michaud, violin player from French-speaking Québec – convene on an album devoted to the pursuit of happiness. And what a joyous project it is, merging traditional melodies and rhythms to serve the whole, with all three players additionally expressing their joy through song and vocalese. The instrumental ‘&Fusion’ rollicks along, with Arnoux’s accordion pumping good vibes under ringing guitar strings and wheeling passages of violin, its impact furthered by sparkling improv flourishes from each. Further highlights include the zinging title-track and Arnoux’s ‘Thé Divin’, in which the accordion slaloms through rocky territory before slowing to embrace dramatic strings and the dreamy vocals and harmonium accompaniment of guest Maude Trutet. An album to lift the spirits.