Although dance, trance, a smile on the lips, bodies dripping with sweat and eyes flashing with vital energy are at the core of Cissy Street’s music, their new jazz funk album “La Tour Du Pouvoir” comes tinged with a bittersweet after-taste; a steely beat concealed in the groove. For this music echoes the Black Panther’s snarl – exudes the very same sweat of toil and struggle – recalls James Brown’s howl: “Say it Loud! I’m Black and I’m Proud. Musical revolution joins hands with revolution in the streets: Cold Sweat, one of the biggest hits in funk history, was released the year before the French riots of ‘68. It was a reflection of those tumultuous times. And it’s from this dimension that the Lyon-based band draw their energy. In its revolutionary cry and its universal nature. The titles from this album are a testament.
“Tric!”, the title of the first track of “La Tour Du Pouvoir” means “strike” in old Lyonnais dialect and would be heard in the rallying cries of the printer’s revolt in 1539. The same cry for liberty was shared by oppressed African-Americans and “canuts” (silkworkers from Lyon). That same cry resounded when the Black Indians of New Orleans appropriated Indian symbols in their protests.
“La Tour Pouvoir”, order here
