Les Boukakes

Rock'n'roll comes in all shapes and styles. But one thing that's apparent is that it can cross all manner of borders. That was all too apparent at the annual Womex conference. Not only did Robert Plant and his excellent band immediately capture the souls of the delegates, but on their showcase, France's Les Boukakes had them dancing and headbanging. They pitch their camp somewhere between the raw punk fires of the late Mano Negra and Rachid Taha, bringing together French and North African members in a very fertile collaboration that doesn't so much percolate as boils over time after time.

"They first came together in 1997 in Montpelier," according to percussionist Imed Alibi. "It was Stef Pouch (Occitan keyboardist), Thierry Chadelle (Corsican guitarist) and drummer (South of France) who began by playing on the street."

Alibi himself - who was born in Tinus, but raised in France - joined the band in 2001, after an initial EP, but just before they made their first album, Makach Mou'kil, which won them fans, and pushed them onto the festival circuit. Later, vocalist Bachir Mokhtar - who'd only recently arrived from Algeria - joined, and things kicked up to their present gear.

"We wanted to do something new for France," Alibi explains, "and show that integration can succeed."

The country, of course, has had many problems with relations between the French and the North African immigrants, but Les Boukakes do prove the old cliché to be truth; music can transcend borders. That was obvious in the heavy riffage of their live shows, with Mokhtat bouncing up and down and moving his hands just like a rapper, while Alibi provided a powerhouse of rhythms over the kit drums on his darbouka. They're so tight that a coin would bounce of the roaring sound, but free enough to let rip, with guitar and keyboard offering some overdriven, incandescent soloes.

It's music they've taken all over Europe in the last few years, "especially Spain," says Alibi, "they seem to like us there, and in Romania." They've even crossed the Mediterranean, playing Tangiers, where things went over powerfully.

2004 proved to be a turning point, where all the work they'd put in over the last seven years really began to pay off. They were finalist in Printemps de Bourges competition, while the European channel ARTE made a documentary about them, which culminated in a performance where they played to a crowd of 7000.

Their new album, Bledi (strictly speaking, their fourth release), brings together all that work and experience. Most of the material is their own, but there are also two heavily adapted tradition pieces, Dorbiha Zina and Sidi H'bibi, the latter of which was first supercharged in the late Eighties by Manu Chao's first band, Mano Negra. Les Boukakes take their version as a blueprint, then add the influence of the Nineties, and up the Arab quotient.

"It's rock'n'roll," Alibi explains quite simply. "It's got a traditional root, but it's integrated with modern France. That's where we all live."

These days they have a heavy schedule, play about 10-15 shows a month around d Europe. In December they'll hit another landmark when they to go perform in Qatar. It'll be their first time in the Middle East, an area not always receptive to innovative ideas like Arab rock. But they're all eager to see the place and make converts.

For all that they represent integration and the idea of 21st century France, they're a very apolitical band, preferring to rock rather than take a stand.

"We think it's better to keep our politics to ourselves," observes Alibi, and he may be right. Speaking out works well in some countries, but not in others - and rock doesn't have to be a political forum.

Right now it seems as if Les Boukakes are poised on a cusp. They've paid their dues and built up a following across Europe. But they need to take everything to the next level, to become better known and ready to headline events. It's the big leap, but from watching and listening, it's apparent that they possess that intangible "it" to make it happen. They've honed their sound sharp and, unusually, the live show is even better than their excellent CD.

French music has taken huge strides in the last five years. Where Lo'Jo once seemed to stand alone, there are now a host of bands representing almost every different facet of society, and bringing it all together. The trails have been blazed, and now the blank spaces are being filled in. Les Boukakes do it loud and proud, and show that hip-hop isn't the only language that flows across culture.

Make a note of the name. If there's any justice, you're going to be hearing a lot of them in the near future. Just remember where you read it first.

Les Boukakes

"We wanted to do something new for France," Alibi explains, "and show that integration can succeed."

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