Dissidenten

Although the trio Dissidenten specializes in the exotic sounds of Africa, all three of their members -- Uve Müllrich, Marlon Klein, and Friedo Josch -- hail from Berlin, Germany. Originally formed in 1981, the trio issued a few self-financed singles, before touring Asia for the better part of a year. By 1982, the group had relocated to India, where they lived in the palace of Maharaja Bhalkrishna Bharti of Gondagaon in Madja Pradesh in central India. This proved to be the location where Dissidenten's debut full-length recording was written; the album, Germanistan, saw the group joined by such outsiders as the Karnataka College of Percussion, female singer Ramamani, and American saxophonist Charlie Mariano. A year later, it was time for the trio to move once more, this time to North Africa (more specifically, to Tangier, Morocco), where renowned author and composer Paul Bowles introduced the trio to some of the area's best instrumentalists -- resulting in Dissidenten's sophomore effort, Sahara Elektrik, produced by Abdessalam Akaaboune.

The mid-'80s saw the group score their first big hit (in Spain and Italy) with the dance track "Fata Morgana." Subsequently, the group launched a sold out tour of Spain, which led to a John Peel recording session in England, and increased interested in the band throughout the remainder of the world (the group was especially embraced by Canada, where Sahara Elektrik topped the independent charts). The trio decided to set up shop in Spain during 1986, which was where they recorded their third recording, Life at the Pyramids, issued the same year. To support the release, Dissidenten set out on a world tour, a standout performance being the opening night at the 1988 New Music Seminar at the Palladium in New York City.

Dissidenten's first release of the '90s, 1990's Out of This World, was also their first album to be featured on a major U.S. label (Sire/Warner). The album featured several guest North African musicians, including the string section of the Royal National Orchestra of Morocco, plus Cherif Lamrani and Mahmoud Saadi (both members of such renowned outfits as Lemchaheb, Jiljilala, and Nass El Ghiwane). Since beginning the group nearly ten years earlier, the trio decided to move their operations back to their homeland of Berlin. A year later, the in-concert album Live in New York was released (taped at the aforementioned show at the 1988 New Music Seminar), as the bandmembers concentrated on completing a movie/music project that focuses on Native American Indian music.

Dissidenten spent much of 1992 working on their next studio release, The Jungle Book, which again featured several guest musicians -- including the Karnataka College of Percussion, Trilok Gurtu, and Ramesh Shotham. Upon its release a year later, the album proved to be well worth the wait, as European DJs in their annual World-Music-Charts Europe voted the album into second place, while Sven Väth remixed a version of "Jungle Book Part II" as a techno dance track. Once the album's supporting tour wrapped up in 1995, Marlon Klein spent the remainder of the year in Los Angeles, producing the albums Human Love and First Sign of Life for Gary Wright (of which former-Beatle George Harrison made a special appearance).

In 1996, the members of Dissidenten formed their own music company, Exil Musik, and issued Instinctive Traveler, an album that marked the first time that the vocals were sung in English -- supported by appearances at such festival shows as Stuttgart Jazz Open, Leverkusener Jazztage, and Festival De La Diversidad, Barcelona. 1998 saw the group play further shows with guest musicians/singers Izaline Calister, Noujoum Ouazza, and Manickam Yogeswaran, including a spot at the Glastonbury Festival in England, which resulted in the release of the second live album of Dissidenten's career, Live in Europe.

Still going strong in the early 21st century, Dissidenten spent 2000 collaborating on an opera about the Danube River with American composer Gordon Sherwood, which was performed with an orchestra and choir at the International Donau Musik Festival in the city of Ulm. The same year, Marlon Klein traveled to Durban, South Africa, to record the Zulu Choir Phikelela Sakhula and the Real Happy Singers, in addition to producing the album Love Letter for PILI-PILI. 2001 marked the group's 20th anniversary together, which was celebrated by the compilation 2001: A Worldbeat Odyssey, as nine DJs and producers (including such artists as Badmarsh, Lemongrass, Shantel, and Slop Shop, among others) remixed tracks from throughout Dissidenten's long and winding career. Unlike most other remix albums, the release was supported by a tour, featuring several of the album's participants.

from Wikipedia:

Dissidenten are a German rock band known for their collaborations with Middle Eastern, African and Indian musicians and the main protagonists of what the New York Times described in the 1980s as "world beat movement, led by groups like Dissidenten...."

History

Around 1981, "Embryo's Dissidenten" were founded in India by Friedemann "Friedo" Josch (b 21 July 1952, Mainz, wind instruments, keyboards) and former Embryo band members Uwe "Uve" Müllrich (b 7 December 1947, Rügen, bass, oud, guitar, vocals) and Michael Wehmeyer (keyboards,piano). Still in 1981, Marlon Klein (b 13 December 1957, Herford, drums, perc, keyboards, vocals) replaced Wehmeyer, and the band renamed themselves to Dissidenten. 1982/83, they founded their own record label Exil in Berlin.

Following a one-year tour of Asia, the group decided to stay in India to produce their first album Germanistan, with the help of the Karnataka College of Percussion, female singer R.A. Ramamani and percussionist Ramesh Shotham. The live line-up was joined by Indian pianist Louis Banks and American saxophonist Charlie Mariano. Concerts in Calcutta, Madrid, Casablanca and Stockholm are documented on the live album Germanistan Tour 83.

They then moved on to Morocco to record Sahara Elektrik in 1982 at the Palace of Abdesalam Akaaboune in Tangier with the help of friend Paul Bowles and local sha'abi band Lem Chaheb. The track "Fata Morgana" became a dance hit in Europe (especially Spain and Italy) and Canada, and the group toured worldwide.

In 1986 the Dissidenten moved to Spain, producing Life At The Pyramids and began to receive recognition in the US and UK.

In 1989 they moved back to Morocco, recording Out Of This World with the Royal National Orchestra of Morocco, and other leading North African musicians including Cherif Lamrani and other members of Lem Chaheb. The album was released world wide and the band toured around the globe to promote it. In 1991, the album Live In New York was released, and the following year The Jungle Book was recorded, weaving recordings of Indian life into dance tracks.

In 1995, Klein stayed in the US to work as producer for two albums by singer Gary Wright, featuring George Harrison. In 1996, the group reunited to produce the album Instinctive Traveler, their first album with mostly English-language songs sung by Müllrich's daughter Bajka, which was followed by a tour of international festivals. Two years later they appeared at the Glastonbury festival and released their second live album, Live in Europe.

In 2000, with American composer Gordon Sherwood, video artist Stefanie Seidl and the Bratislava Orchestra under Petr Feranec they created The Memory of the Waters, a “documentary opera” about the River Danube, debut performed at the International Danube Music Festival in the city of Ulm. The following year, they issued an album of remixes, A World Beat Odyssey, which they then performed live with accompanying DJs.

In 2005, the opera "La Memoria de las Aguas" with the choir and orchestra of Pamplona under the direction of conductor Tomas Garridoand was broadcast by the Spanish National Radio at the Navarra Festival. In 2006 the group worked on a new Moroccan project, The Tanger Sessions, with the legendary Moroccan cult group Jil Jilala.

In 2007, Dissidenten toured North Africa with Jil Jilala. Between concerts they worked together in Tangier and Casablanca to complete The Tanger Sessions. Also in 2007, the band composed and arranged the musical program for the final party of Germany’s spectacular CREOLE-Award for World Music. French/German TV ARTE and German TV WDR broadcast a lengthy feature about Dissidenten’s Moroccan experiences, "The Hippie Trail".

In 2008, The Tanger Sessions was released and they toured Europe and North Africa. The first gig of the tour was broadcast live and online by German National Radio SWR in April 2008. Since summer 2008, Dissidenten & Jil Jilala performed live in Europe and North Africa. 2009 sees them again at various festivals around Europe/Northafrica and North America.