Rupa and The April Fishes

Completely unclassifiable! Where the hell do you place a woman, Rupa Marya, who was born to Indian parents, brought up in France, moved to San Francisco and plays music with its heart Southern France and Spain and has elements of Chanson, Gypsy, reggae and Kletzmer. Personally I would place her at the top of the tree because I can’t find a thing to criticise in this wonderful blend.

Aaron Kierbel supplies the percussive elements of the April Fishes sound and drives it all along with real verve and skitter scatter rhythms and the music features accordion, bandoneon, cello and a full complement of horns but it is Rupa’s voice that holds the foreground with a girlish whimsy and scads of emotion and on numbers like 'La Rose’ against Pawel Walerowski’s cello she has all the quivering tone of a younger Piaf before she breaks out into a full on French/Gypsy/Israeli bop. On 'El Camino Del Diablo’ they mix in a desperately lonely trumpet over a gentle strummed guitar and 'Soy Payaso’ gives us a mix of flute and tabla until they break into a klezmer that is just about divine

They mix up styles and forms without any care or consideration for classicism and the result is fresh and utterly exhausting.

This really is World music and I have it on good authority that they are even better live – music with this much life and joy should be heard and experienced and if you can’t get to see them live then this will do.