Search - Claude McKenzie ( Kashtin ) :: Pishimuss

Hear to Claude Mckenzie's voice!

Unci | France | 07/10/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I agree heartfully with this other customer! I love this cd and Claude McKenzie's voice!The first time I heard him, it was back in the 1990's when Kashtin (Claude McKenzie and Florent Vollant) were singing in Europa. I heard the song "E UASSIUIAN"(my childhood) on a tv show broadcasted on the French Tv and I was instantaneously hooked by Claude's voice! Since that moment I have never forgotten this voice and this song's music...But life goes on and I had lost tracks on Kashtin a lot of years ago...But with this marvellous album "Pishimuss", I am rediscovering Claude's great talent and "old" Kashtin cd's as well....Listening to him singing in his Innu language is quite magic. This album is very moving and it's my special favorite. Claude's voice is even more beautiful today and all the songs on this cd are unforgettable!!! Everybody who is a little bit interested in First Nations 's musical talents or just in good musicians, must give a try to this cd!I hope a day will come where Claude will come back in Europe, to honor us with his presence on a stage!!"

MY FAVOURITE CD AND ARTIST

a music fan | GB | 06/21/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Claude McKenzie, former member of the much-acclaimed duo/band KASHTIN, is a Native American Indian of the INNU nation - formerly called the Montagnais.

The Innu are the largest First Nation in Quebec, and about 70% live on-reserve. Besides Quebec, Innu communities are also found in Labrador.



Claude McKenzie sings all songs on this CD in his really BEAUTIFUL native Innu tongue.

On his previous CD, "Innu town", also a beautiful CD but probably less so than this one, he sings all songs in Innu except one in French and one in English.



Claude's both singing and songwriting show great progress and maturity compared with his time in Kashtin - I am amazed. And this without losing any of younger time's impulse and creative spark - on the contrary, gaining there too.

Although the end result sounds wonderfully polished, there's also a free flow of zest and exuberance, that may be born of found poise, a sense of balance and confidence; There's his superb energy; and then it all mixes in harmony with his radiating warmth, tenderness and sensitivity.



The accompanying music is also marvellous, and full of (subtle) little surprises which seem to still come up when you think you know the CD. I bought this CD years ago and I am still compelled to play it every now and then(despite a large & ever-growing CD collection).



Nothing boring or plain on this CD.

It is a really fresh, exciting experience, as well as intense and moving at times. A booklet is enclosed with a summary of the lyrics' meaning in English and in French, showing some spiritual content in the same line as in Kashtin's time. Claude's spiritual inclination is in all of his CDs - as also in other former Kashtin's member FLORENT VOLLANT's.



Also - and I'm usually difficult to please there - , there is no " bad track ": I can just let it play its whole length without any track skipping. Love it all.



I just cannot get tired of this CD, in fact I like it better and better. This subtly powerful (and shall I say sexy) voice reaches deeper and deeper as you let it, leaving a feeling of glowing warmth inside you.



Both Claude & Florent ( and Kashtin before the time of their solos ) have a way of introducing us to their Innu world that has captivated and captured my heart - it started a frenzy in me of finding out all I could about this distant part of the world and their people, and reading good books on it although unfortunately there exist so few of these books.

( I keep hoping some day Claude or Florent Vollant might write a book too!). Claude with this new CD makes me dream, dream, long after the cd is over.



( Funnily, at the time of just Kashtin, I didn't even like them all that much - it's now with this CD, that I want to return to the roots - and feel very silly buying back my whole collection of 3 Kashtin CDs which I had been happy to sell off in the past!! I'm rediscovering Kashtin, but have to say Claude's new cds are quite different from Kashtin's - better).



TRY IT! (I know, it's an expensive one... do you never take a risk? It is also listed on other Amazon branches: you might compare prices).



And to dear Claude, if you're visiting this page and reading this: thank you for the quality of your work; and please, please, do let us know what your music plans are for the future. Please do use this review space - select 5 stars so as not to lower the present score - and do talk to us!



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