Hear Mounsi interviewed by Harriett Gilbert for The Word, BBC World Service
Hear Christov Rühn read from his piece Lost in Music published in XCiTés
Hear Jamika's underground hit 'Smell the Roses'
Jamika Ajalon's debut solo album, Helium Balloon Illusions, was launched in Paris in March 2007. Her thought-provoking lyrics are set against the backdrop of an original fusion of musical genres, from hip hop beats to electronic music, creating an utterly unique and indefinable groove. This synthesis of styles is reflective of her multi-faceted career. A self-styled interdisciplinary artist, Jamika is a writer, poet, lyricist, filmmaker and visual artist: 'I have always considered myself a poet at root and by route, using different mediums to express the poetic - including spoken word, music, visual arts and the fusion and blending these different media. I like to blur boundaries of genre and form to draw from all my influences in creating something that is truly an expression of my vision.'
As a musician Jamika has performed in Chicago, Canada (Montreal Jazz Festival), Texas (South by South West Festival), New York, London, throughout France in various venues and festivals including the La Cigale in Paris, Austria and Africa (Shrinemania Tour, Uganda) with the Urban Poets, Tony Allen Band, The Shrine and various DJs. For several years now, she has toured and recorded with popular French dub group, Zenzile, and features on five of their albums. Her unique brand of heartfelt lyrical activism is particularly powerful in the underground hit 'Smell the Roses.'
Jamika is accompanied on the Helium Balloon Illusions Tour by the inspired drumming of Nico Gallard (ex Lo'Jo) and by Laurent 'Baron' and Frank Bergère (respectively bass player and drummer of Kyu, Jive Puzzle and founders of the electronic duo El Baron Brissetti).
JAMIKA AJALON meets ZENZILE on albums:
MODUS VIVENDI (Discograph 2005)5+1 JAMIKA MEETS CELLO (Discograph 2004)
TOTEM (Discograph 2002)
SOUND PATROL (Crash Disques 2001)
5+1 ZENZILE MEETS JAMIKA (Crash Disques 2000)
Compilations
SAMPLING DNA features on APHRODISIAC, vol 3 (Infracom 2001) and LONGRAIN MUSIC 2 (Instinctive Travel 2004)
SMELL THE ROSES features on ANOTHER FRENCH REVOLUTION? (The Letter F 2004)
Press
AFRICULTURES.COM - Those who discovered Jamika performing Live with Zenzile, with whom she teamed up at the end of the 1990s, will not be disappointed. Jamika, who is sometimes referred to in the press as a female Tricky or the Grace Jones of the underground, expends great energy in the delivery of her subtle lyrics
TRIP-HOP.NET - Over an atmospheric masterful dub, Jamika offers us her feverish voice that is finely balanced between hip-hop phraseology and rock contractions. Jamika is aptly tagged 'dub poetess' because of her lyrics: always sharp, often funny, sometimes heading off in a wild zigzag . but always imbued with light
NOVA MAGAZINE - Zenzile are the French equivalent of Massive Attack in the early 1990s
TELERAMA - Zenzile excel in creating a languid, raw vibe. American singer Jamika Ajalon is reminiscent of Grace Jones
CODA - In recording Jamika's lyrics, Zenzile are one of the few, if not only, French groups to use real dub-poetry
A NOUS PARIS! - Jamika Ajalon's humanist lyrics pulsate with rhythm, fluid riffs and a powerful bassline
PULSOMATIC - 'Smell the Roses' is a surefire hit
PUMP - 'Gypsy déjà-vu' is a bluesy real dub, Jamika's voice has dramatic power
ROCK & FOLK - Jamika's contribution to this album ['Smell the roses', 'Change', 'She landed here'] is balmy and sophisticated
LE COURRIER DE L'OUEST - Zenzile benefit from the vocals of American, London-based, poetess Jamika Ajalon; the sweeping track 'Samplin D.N.A.' is an up-tempo little gem
NATTY DREAD: LE MAGAZINE DU REGGAE - Jamika's chat on 'Revolution at' is pure dub-poetry reminiscent of Linton Kwesi Johnson. To limpid instrumentals, Jamika sings got to move on; the intro to an unusual track, 'Love Child' is more neo-dub than King Tubby
ZENZILE interviewed in PRESTO! - Jamika's lyrics mean a great deal to us. They are completely her thing. The point is the way she sings and for this to fit in with our musical vision at its deepest level. She has a unique way of dealing with dub
ZENZILE interviewed in RAGGA: REGGAE, SKA, DUB - We met Jamika when we were playing at The Fridge in Brixton. A mysterious guest-performer landed on us out of the blue: Jamika. Nothing had been rehearsed. We were told not to worry, that everything'd be fine. It all went very well, so we asked her to record our next CD with us and do some gigs in France. Jamika's lyrics are mostly about herself. About her position as a black woman in the world. Her style has a special sensuality in the way she approaches music. She doesn't try to follow a specific style, or to imitate, but does her own thing. We suggest riddims and she goes for what suits her, live 'n' direct. We don't pre-record her voice and use technology to create the sound and vibe, but record her live with the music. Jamika has an instinctive way of working, two or three takes are enough. Her voice wouldn't suit all our music, but as we compose we realise which tracks suit her perfectly. We leave her space so she can express herself. All this wasn't planned, it was an encounter, a synergy between people
REGGAE MASSIVE - Zenzile is fast becoming one of the best experimental dub groups to come out of France
LA MARSEILLAISE - The seductive vocals of American dub poetess Jamika Ajalon calmly leads 'Astro-Projection'; the music unfolds with a refined and dreamy langorousness
OUEST FRANCE - Zenzile are back, with an EP featuring the wonderful, proud voice of American poet, Jamika
MICRO & MUSIQUE - Stable rhythms laced with poetry, minimalist melodies rocked by vocal grooves - such are the harmonies which transcend this mystic electronic dub
