La Marseillaise

Description

After 3 albums as the singer of the group Baobab and 2 solo albums under his own name, Merlot, during a tough lockdown, armed with exit permits, returns to his first musical love, reggae, to deliver 12 mature and personal self-produced tracks recorded at Studio K in Port de Bouc during the global pandemic.
Taking advantage of this forced pause, refusing the paralysis imposed on artists, Merlot and the musicians of Handcart, accompanied by Stepper, embark on a vital creation, in search of true sensations. In an exceptionally hard, violent, and troubled period, a common need for brotherhood, gentleness, and creative solidarity motivates and transcends them, giving birth to a spontaneous and polished opus.
An inveterate suburbanite, Merlot creates a bridge between north and south, song and reggae, orchestral arrangements and traditional rhythms to prove the power of a simple and deep musical style. Thanks to a consistently sharp pen, the punk crooner tells of adulthood, heartbreak, his joy of living, and his hybrid identity. Like a Gainsbourg in Kingston, it is in Marseille that Merlot is reborn and rediscovers the desire to sing, shaking up the boundaries between reggae, soul, and chanson. Mixing his experiences, not denying anything from his past lives, the poet-singer returns with an album that is both classic and original. Borrowing the best from Caribbean style and French chanson, he offers us timeless, beautiful, and tender tracks.
Tracks that blend French variety and traditional reggae. A successful combo that could very well be the best reggae album of the year.