Americans tend to approach folk in the retrospective no matter its origin. Of course, there are stellar examples when the now of African folk music has stricken the nerve. Yet we’re concerned with the histrionics that surround folk rather than the exploration of its roots as it tendrils continue to stretch. We often miss the point: that folk music is always-evolving. We are stuck with preconceived notions. It must sound a specific way because that’s the manner in which we frame it. If anything is relevant about Voucera/Fahy from trio La Tène, it’s that folk is always moving ahead, even if it has to leave others behind because they are late sightseers. Though Voucera/Fahy pays homage to no particular regional variant, the use of an Indian harmonium and hurdy gurdy tinge the album with Mediterranean and sub-Saharan flair. But what La Tène do is akin to Latin-based remixers and DJs, who imbibe the local culture and sounds of Salsa, Merengue and others and transform the folk staples of yore into modern dance hits without preying on old traditions. The flavor and fever of the past is very much alive in those works, despite different expectations of both the music and audience. La Tène run with a similar idea, transforming sounds associated with particular regions and cultures into a pop cornucopia that caters to an emerging interest in experimental sounds all over the world without abandoning the rhythms and sounds that speak to generations lost.
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