Carolina Katún: TEOL

The Mexican-Swiss singer Carolina Katún and her band TEOL build up a new sound, a subtle and fresh crossover between jazz, south-central American folk music, baroc and improvised music.

While listening to her voice you’ll recognize various influences such as Mercedes Sosa for her deepness, Lila Down for her originality, Simon Diaz for his minimalism, Ella Fitzerald for her lyrism, Sisdel Endersen for her experimental side.

TEOL explore a collection of songs in original arrangements from Violetta Para’s, John Purcell’s, Atahualpa Yupanqui’s, Tomás Méndez’s, Carlos Gardel’s compositions and a few original ones from the band members themselves.

In 2015, Carolina has the opportunity to meet her partners in music, a great French team that was going to give life to TEOL:
The warm sounding and flexible double bassist Nicolas Moreaux, the lyrical and inspired guitarist Pierre Perchaud ( featured on classical, electric guitar, cavacino, banjo…), and the dynamic percussionist and drummer Arthur Alard.

These Paris resident musicians made this project possible, mixing these styles aiming at creating a unique sound, to build up their own voice together.

Since then, they’ve been playing mostly in Paris and Switzerland’s jazz venues, and had the chance to play in venues like the Montreux Jazz Festival, the New Morning (Paris), the Moods (Zurich), opening Roberta Flack and Randy Brecker’s shows in New York, ect..

In 2016, they release an E.P “on Soundcloud, “TEOL” and freshly released their first record « AL SILENCIO » in October 2018 on Jazzland Records.

THE FIRST ALBUM  » AL SILENCIO « 

« Al Silencio” is the opening track to Carolina Katun’s record: it’s both an ode to silence, to tenderness, and to the latino-American songs which accompanied her in her diverse and mixed pathway through life.

Spices and flavors are plentiful in the Mexicano-Swiss singer’s world. At times bittersweet, at others slow and sweet, they exalt the works of an artist lying at the distant crossroads of jazz and baroque, folk and pop, of electronic music and French ‘chanson’. Caroline isn’t the kind of artist one will simply stow in a put category.

Her profound voice, touched by a thousand woes and a life of traveling, beckons Lhasa and Lila Downs. Thus the Neufchatel-native, who balances her life between Paris, Montreux, Oslo or Mexico, constructs a colorful and hybrid world, where the lyricism of Mercedes Sosa, the minimalism of Simon Diaz and the audaciousness of Sidsel Endresen are always welcomed to the table.

Accompanying her adventure both on stage and in the studio, TEOL (“Spirit of the Tree” in Mayan) brings together key players of the Parisian jazz scene: guitarist Pierre Perchaud (French Jazz “Victoires” Award), bassist Nicolas Moreaux (Charles Cros Grand Prize) and drummer Arthur Alard.

At times weightless, at others firmly planted in the soil and engaged in horseplay, her fine band supports Carolina’s personal reworks classics often deemed untouchable: the Mexican traditional song ‘La Llorona”, Atahualpa Yupanqui’s “Tengo al silencio”, a masterpiece by Robert Wyatt, another by Henry Purcell…

Carolina talks about « TEOL » and the album « AL SILENCIO »

TEOL is a creative band made up of some of Paris’ top jazz musicians. They share a similar musical vision and appreciation for traditional forms of music, a deep friendship, and sensitivity for perfectly accompanying the voice that binds the group together.

« There are meeting places in the music world that have nothing to do with chance. I happened to meet the double bass player Nicolas Moreaux at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Then, in Paris, I met the guitarist Pierre Perchaud and the drummer Arthur Alard. This is how TEOL was created two years ago. TEOL means ‘The spirit of the tree’ in Maya. This tree whose pollination depends on the winds, speaks several languages, sings different kinds of music. « 

This band started playing together in 2016, mainly in Paris Jazz clubs. While interpreting and arranging, with input from each musician, a collection of songs gradually emerged, mainly consisting of Latino American songs.

« In Al Silencio« , I was willing to pay tribute to some of the keys songs and singers that have impacted my life so far. This repertoire is composed of some Latino American standards such as la ranchera Mexicana « La Llorona », and others which are less well-known, such as « Le tengo al silencio », from Athahalpa Yupanqui, the song that gave the Album its title… » Through pieces by Robert Wyatt or Purcell, the band opens up to other horizons such as pop and baroque music. The specific quality of the band is to make each piece their own in a common spirit, conjuring new arrangements that possess a beautiful simplicity. The group’s open-mindedness was the perfect fit for Carolina Katún.

« It’s an eclectic repertoire that enables me to explore countless vocal possibilities, to give tribute to all those who have influenced me: Mercedes Sosa, Chavela Vargas, Lila Downs, Bjork… The band’s attitude, which is to find an original interpretation stamped with their own signature, gave me the creativity I was looking for and enabled me to be myself. « 

Through his fine approach and understanding of the band’s expectations, Tony Paeleman, an exceptional soundman, helped TEOL with further explorations in the studio des Bruères in Poitiers.

Another great encounter with a world-renowned Jazz musician led to his playing on the record – and a little bit more besides, as Caroline explains. « I happened to meet an incredible artist and such a beautiful person: The Norwegian pianist Bugge Wesseltoft, who accompanies us on a few pieces on this album. He loved our music so much that he suggested we release the album on his label, Jazzland Recordings. »

« I’m deeply grateful to the musicians, Bugge, and Jazzland for believing so much in this project. They have given me the energy I needed to discover the best possible ways to bring this music to life. »