Various Artists "Nouvelle Génération Francaise II" 1995(comp)-disc2**

As I previously mentioned, "Nouvelle Génération Francaise II" seems to be a compilation produced as a showcase of modern French popular music. CD no.2 is subtitled "Rap, funk, groove, world, reggae" and starts off with a forgettable disco song by Native. Tonton David offers some decent roots reggae and Sinclair some funk-rock very reminiscent of  Lenny Kravitz. 3 Rap songs follow, of which the best is the one by MC Solaar. Surprisingly, and contrary to rock, rap seems well suited to the French language. There's a thriving hip-hop scene there and probably worth the try to investigate further. EFF offer more Kravitz-style funk-rock -I don't get it. I know babe-du-jour Vanessa Paradis was Kravitz's girlfriend at the time but did they really think they'll get some hot French starlets into their beds by imitating him? Phénoménal play a weak rap/raggamuffin hybrid and Fabulous Trobadors are even worse. Malka Family play a sort of electronic disco and Les Negresses Vertes a funky latin number marrying War with the Gypsy Kings. It's the first really good song on the disc. Some socially conscious songs follow by rappers Schoonk! from multi-cultural Belleville and Les Garçons Bouchers. The latter remind me of my favourite anarcho-punks Metal Urbaine, with their angry vocals, electronic sounds and pre-Rammstein industrial riffs. Zebda are a Franco-Arabic band playing a dancable mix of ska, rock and rap. Somehow they reminded me of the chaotic early Red Hot Chili Peppers. Franco-Algerian Rachid Taha delivers his anti-fascist message through a funky dancing beat and Christian Fougeron brings the proceedings to end with some sunshine "Lazy Reggae". On the whole, I found the 2nd CD of the compilation even less convincing from the 1st. But I have to admit that my French isn't good, so I'm missing a potentially important element to this music, which is the words.

*** for Il Marche Seul (Tonton David), Séquelles (MC Solaar) Répugnant (Soon E MC) Apres La Pluie (Les Negresses Vertes), Humanitaire (Les Garçons Bouchers) Arabadub  (Zebda), Voilà Voilà (Rachid Taha), Lazy Reggae (Christian Fougeron)

** for  La Vie Demande Ça (Native), Mes Valeurs (Sinclair) Sachet Blanc (IAM), La Camisole (FFF), Est-Ce Que Le Son Est Bon ?(Phénoménal), Pas De Ci (Fabulous Trobadors), Ciscomulkr (Malka Family), Le Soleil Brille (Schkoonk)