Review: Lo Cor de la Plana

Incroyable, merveilleux, et exubérant! Incredible, marvelous, and exuberant!

Last night's concert by Lo Cor de la Plana was nothing short of amazing. The performance was so full of life that at times it felt like a wild thing, barely contained by the four walls of the theater. Somehow, the music was both spiritual and fierce, the tone sometimes cheeky and sometimes reverent.

The subjects of their songs, as described by the leader of the group, range from policemen to a history of their home city of Marseilles to a homage to wine. They dedicated one to Dayton--a song about Christmas, because it was so cold. While I love a good turn of phrase, not understanding the words they sang was freeing: I got lost in the incredible blend of their voices as they went from unison to harmony, the ever-shifting rhythms and the way they made them.

You may think that watching six guys sing and drum would be boring, but nothing was further from the truth. The performers moved on the stage, shifting emphasis from one to another, from voice to drum. Sometimes the music moved one to dance a few steps, too powerful to be expressed in voice alone. The rhythms they beat out on drum and tamborine, with foot and hand were usually simple, but carried each song to new heights. For the most part, they sang for several minutes straight, shifting to new rhythms (and songs) seamlessly. It was fascinating, and built the energy up higher and higher.

Every once in a great while, a performance astounds me, reaffirms how deeply creative traditional music is, and invigorates me. This concert by Lo Cor de la Plana has joined that very short list. Sure, I'm biased, but I have to say it: we are profoundly lucky to have an organization like Cityfolk in Dayton, to bring such incredible performers to our city. What a treat and a joy to enjoy this performance so close to home.