GENUINE
Wapassou

This is a true gem for enthusiasts and collectors that we offer you. "GENUINE", the hybrid album by WAPASSOU. We are at the beginning of the 1980s, and the group, exhausted from concerts (over 300 in 7 years), feels a strong desire for renewal. After playing all these years as a trio, Freddy Brua, the leader of the group, dreams of performing with a drummer and a singer. It’s the disco era, and the group’s ambient and alternative music struggles to find a place in the musical landscape of the time. The group hires a singer, Christine Maillard. She charms the members of the group with her husky voice. She’s energetic. The group embarks on a new path, decides to produce "GENUINE", and goes to record in Germany. The session goes quite well, and after the recording is completed, the group starts looking for a record label. It’s in MUNICH that they receive a favorable response from UNITED ARTIST, which sends them to sign with its Paris office. The group's morale is high, and an international prestigious signature bodes well for revitalizing their career. Unfortunately, the joy will be short-lived as UNITED ARTIST FRANCE closes its music distribution, jeopardizing the future of the album. The STERNE label takes over, but for that, the group has to retrieve the master, which was already in engraving, using a ruse worthy of a spy movie. The record finally comes out, but STERNE doesn’t believe in it at all, and it’s a commercial failure, especially since the specialized press, which had always been more than kind to the group, lambasts the album and calls it a disaster. After a few more memorable concerts, the group parts ways with its singer and ends its career. In 1981, Freddy Brua opens the RBO studio, which later became Ebène in Strasbourg, and takes the opportunity to record what will be the ultimate and most accomplished album of WAPASSOU, "ORCHESTRA 2001", with the participation of the fantastic and talented SYLVIA B on vocals. An album that can be listened to and rediscovered on streaming sites like SPOTIFY and DEEZER (https://deezer.page.link/qQkLeeRxXihwvoPy). "GENUINE" is a strange album, and with this remastered version, one becomes aware of the group’s quality. The performance is remarkable, particularly that of Jacques Lichti and his lyrical flights on the violin. Christine Maillard's voice and her rock interpretation are quite contemporary. With "GENUINE", WAPASSOU was ahead of its time, and it is only right to give it a new life, especially after listening to the sublime "TORQUEMADA", a true anthology piece, the centerpiece of the album, played identically in the studio as on stage. After several listens, one eventually falls in love with this record. Hats off to the artists… we miss you!!! WAPASSOU - GENUINE Grand Piano and keyboard arrangement by Marc Dolsi Drums by Francis Mouss Gentel Guitar and Bass by Karin Nickerl Violin by Jacques Lichti Keyboards and organ by Freddy Brua Vocals by Christine Maillard Recorded in July 1980 at Möhrensound studio, Möhrendorf, Germany Remastered by Heliopolis Music in 2020 (from a vinyl record as the original master had disappeared).