French trio performs

A French musical trio called Samarabalouf will perform at Peery's Egyptian Theater October 4, 2008, at 7:30 p.m. The band is described as a delightfully crazy music trio.

Diane Stern, Director of Cultural Affairs at Weber State University, helped to bring the music group to Ogden.

"I saw them at a conference several years ago and liked them," she said. "The music is based on this very specific style of jazz from the '30s and '40s."

Samarabalouf, whose members do not all speak English, began in November 1997 when Francois Petit attended a Gypsy-themed international film festival in Amiens, France.

He had with him a few musical arrangements in Gypsy swing style and 1940s Musette style (a mix of Gypsy, French, and jazz) which he was invited to play on his guitar for the festival.

Within a few months, Petit had written more compositions with his wife, Isabelle, who played a string bass, and Nicolas Ionas, playing a local rhythm guitar. They frequented the local stages for two years and released their first self-titled CD in 2000.

The group toured France with increasing numbers of gigs and released another CD, La Valche Folle, in 2002. Samarabalouf's music evolved into a unique, energetic sound. It became a combination of the blues, rock and roll, Middle Eastern, ska, and Arabic, influenced by Django Reinhardt, a Gypsy jazz guitarist from the 1940s.

The new style of music they created was a hit in Europe as well as the U.S. and Canada, which they first visited in 2004. Audiences tapped their feet and clapped their hands in a light, humorous atmosphere.

Over the years, the group has gone through some lineup changes. The trio now consists of Petit, Pierrot Margerin on the rhythm guitar, and Luc Ambry on the double bass.

Samarabalouf is including one more instrument in this tour.

"I heard they recently added an accordion which I can't wait to hear," Stern said.

Profitez-en, their third CD, was released in 2004 and they released a fourth CD, bababa, earlier this year. They have been touring France, Switzerland, and the U.S. for several years.

Bernard Schmidt, Samarabalouf's manager, said in an email the group "took off September 25 by plane for Texas where they start their ten day U.S. tour, the sixth since April 2004."

Tickets for the show are $12-15 through Peery's Egyptian Theater. There is a student rush price the night of the performance between 6:30 and 7:00 at the theater. Tickets are $2 off.

The Department of Cultural Affairs is able to bring international performers to Ogden because of the generous donations of the Browning family, according to Stern. Many universities are not able to make these kinds of performances happen.

"It's a different level of performance," Stern said about international performers. She is excited to be able to provide groups like Samarabalouf for the community.

Crystal Hardman, a WSU Music Education major, said she understands the thrill of playing in front of a crowd.

"It's an adrenaline rush to perform," Hardman said. "I don't know why people do drugs when you have music. It's so great."