From the Lélou EP '' Capito / Léti Pommé ''
Re-issued on Babani Records on 24 Sept 2021
Before his rise to prominence, the prolific Mauritian-born artist Menwar was briefly known as Lélou where he recorded his first songs on two 45rpms pressed in Madagascar under the Mauritian label of 'Green Turtle’. Now re-issued under Babani Records, the EP has been carefully remastered and digitized restoring the original 1977 sonics enduring elemental decay over the years. After several months of restoration work with our engineer, Neil Combstock and Menwar the closest version to the original tapes was restored.
The first track sees Lélou singing about a father’s relationship with their child ‘Capito’. Lélou tells the story from a parent’s perspective when their child has seemingly gone missing only to see that they haven't strayed off too far.
'Léti Pommé’, is a social commentary on the theme of the working class. The title literally translates to 'plumped lettuce’ is a metaphor used to express the perks of hard work. Lélou sings about people in the countryside who have chosen hard work over having ‘fun’ who have earned themselves a stable income and home.
The pair of tracks; ‘Capito’ and ‘Léti Pommé’, pays tribute to Lélou’s hometown Cassis, one of the renowned areas in the periphery of Port Louis, the capital city of Mauritius. The original tapes accidentally got pressed at the wrong speed on vinyl when transferred to Madagascar from Mauritius via Reunion Island for additional elements to the music.
His short-lived moniker originates from his childhood nickname Ti Zoulou, then Lélou later on, coined by his mother in 1980. Lélou would go on to change his moniker to the current Menwar, foreshadowing greater musical prowess.
Supported by Gilles Peterson, DJ Gilla (Bandcamp Weekly), Tom Ravenscroft (BBC6), LeFtO and more…
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/// SHOW YOUR SUPPORT ///
☼ Lélou (Menwar) :
/ menwar.mu
fanlink.to/menwar
☼ Babani records :
www.babanirecords.com
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