The thought of endorsing roots reggae groups founded by Frenchmen can trigger apprehension in reggae snobs, especially when such groups have never set foot on Jamaican soil. But what Vibratone lacks in geographical legitimacy it more than makes up for with enthusiasm, as evidenced by its performance at Doors’ Vibe Music Festival last week. Between them, Ben and Leonard (guitar), Julien (bass), Vibol (keys), Luis (drums) and Maia (vocals) boast an eclectic background, with musical roots from Brazil to France to the Philippines, yet their all-original reggae genuinely rocks.
What are your biggest influences?
Julien: I’ve been writing and making music for years and I got really into reggae culture in France. When I went to London everything sort of took off from there.
Luis: I mostly did Brazilian style jazz back in Sao Paulo. It was not until recently that I had even played this type of music.
Vibol: I was a b-boy back in France. I’m French-Khmer, so my first experience was learning Cambodian music from my father.
That’s a motley assortment. What’s more unique is that you don’t do covers. Who writes your material?
[Everyone looks at Julien]
Vibol: Julien mostly, but Maia writes a lot of her lyrics as well.
Maia: Yeah, Julien is the one with the reggae background. I actually had no experience with it before and I’m also very shy, so it’s been a learning process.
You learned reggae from scratch?!
Maia: I was completely lost at first. In the Philippines I didn’t have much exposure to it.
Luis: We had it in Sao Paulo, but most of my experience was with other genres. Reggae seemed really simple compared to jazz styles, but it still took a lot of getting used to.
What does music mean to you?
Ben: Music is a way to communicate with many different people in many different places. For me it can cross culture and class in a way other things can’t. You can express ideas, feelings and beliefs with it.
A universal language?
Julien: Exactly.
Maia: Music is a way to express who I really am. I’m a lawyer by trade and after being in really rigid environments all day I can put everything out on stage. It really is all about the music.
Some of your songs have strong undertones, like Dreams, for example. What’s the inspiration behind it?
Maia: Dreams talks about just that: dreams. The wants, needs and desires that we all have. When I wrote it, it began on a really materialistic note – be it money, a house, a car – then Julien and I spoke and I realised it needed more substance, so there is this transition between the first and second verses. It talks about being at peace with oneself and gaining happiness through fulfillment. We have another song called Who Are You Fooling? and it’s very political; it criticises the status quo and speaks about injustices.
What do you hope listeners will take away from Vibratone?
Ben: I want them to have fun
Maia: Truth. There is a joy in truth.
Indeed there is.
WHO: Vibratone
WHAT: All-original reggae
WHERE: Slur, Street 172
WHEN: 9:30pm August 23
WHY: See ‘what’