Massilia Sound System
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Massilia Sound System | |
|---|---|
Tatou, one of the singers of the band | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Marseille, France |
| Genres | reggae, ragamuffin music, dancehall music |
| Website | www |
Massilia Sound System is a reggae band from Marseille, France, formed in the early 1980s.
Band member Papet Jali has described the stylings of the band as including reggae, ragamuffin music, and dancehall music. The band's music has lyrics both in French and in Occitan, the traditional language of the region the band comes from.[1] The band "promotes the conservation and vibrancy of [Occitan] and its dialects". Band member Tatou has said that the French government "still sees regional cultures that are not the language of the court of Versailles as exotic, folkloric, bizarre – cute but unimportant".[2]
Their recent[when?] albums have incorporated more rock sounds, with deepening explorations into world music, such as the use of tabla, and make further incursions into drum and bass and hip-hop.[citation needed]