Biography

Bombes 2 Bal is an Occitan folk group from Toulouse, France, whose album debut in 2004 on the label Tôt ou Tard was acclaimed. Founded by vocalists Lise Arbiol and Aurélie Neuville with the initial involvement of Claude Sicre of the Fabulous Trobadors, the group also includes Romain Magnes (percussion), Magali Brunel (trucanètas, agogô), Jérémy Couraut (bass, violin), Martine Lastaste (accordion, harmonica), Mathilde Brudo (triangle), and Géraldine Lopez (tambourine), plus dancers. Bombes 2 Bal is best known for singing in both French and Occitan, the latter a declining Romance language similar to Catalan that is spoken in Occitania, a region encompassing the south of France as well as Monaco, the Occitan Valleys of Italy, and the Aran Valley of Spain. The group is also well known for infusing their music with forró, a music style of northeastern Brazil synonymous with the dance of the same name. Danse Avec Ta Grand-mère (2004), the full-length album debut of Bombes 2 Bal released on Tôt ou Tard, was especially infused with forró. The group's second album, Bal Indigène (2007), was a departure from its predecessor stylistically yet proved more popular, peaking at number 51 on the French albums chart. On the side, Bombes 2 Bal collaborated with Claude Sicre and the Fabulous Trobadors on Le Quartier Enchantant (2006), an illustrated children's book with music. ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi