Transatlântikèr

Kèr, meaning ‘heart’ in Réunionese Creole and ‘village’ or ‘home’ in Breton, leaves the translation of Transatlântikèr up to some interpretation, but evident just from the double entendre, the influences of this Brittany-based trio are manifold. Rearranging traditional Brazilian songs, Enora Maillot, Enora Le Saouter, and Barbara Letoqueux released their debut album three years ago, but this follow-up is not your classic samba set-up; composed in Portuguese, French, Creole and Breton, it's a mosaic of styles from both sides of the Atlantic.

Although still heavily inspired by the sounds of Brazil, in this release Trio Bacana don't hesitate to showcase a fuller range of their diverse musical experiences. New to the mix is Letoqueux's electronic element, with synths, keyboards and sampling used as readily as the pandeiro, alfaia and zabumba. Transatlântikèr merges together Afro-Latin percussion, Celtic-tinged melodies in ‘Rah Koëd’, and a handful of quirkier songs like ‘La Cuisine’, that closer resemble France's pop urbaine or EDM scene than anything Brazilian. Consistent throughout the album though are the trio's impressive trademark vocals – harmonically intricate, rhythmically precise, and sung in such a percussive style that they almost seem to form part of the bateria. This transatlantic expedition does not disappoint!