Paléo unveils the line-up of an enthusiastic, sparkling 36th edition, with bill-topping stars of the likes of Jack Johnson, James Blunt, The Chemical Brothers, The Strokes, Robert Plant, Portishead, PJ Harvey, Eddy Mitchell, Jamel, Jean-Louis Aubert, Cali, Katerine, Patrice and The National. Some big names to accompany some fabulous new talent from home and abroad. The Caribbean will be guest of honour at a multicoloured Village du Monde, decked out in the music and flavours of the region. Tickets and festival passes will be on sale at midday on Wednesday 13 April on www.paleo.ch and at the usual sales outlets.

With the seductive English pop of James Blunt, the Hawaiian surfer folk-pop of Jack Johnson, the sonic and visual vroom of The Chemical Brothers duo, the year 2000 flavoured rock of The Strokes, that immense legend Robert Plant & Band of Joy, the unforgettable hits of Eddy Mitchell, the caustic humour of Jamel, the intact energy of Jean-Louis Aubert, the sweet wildness of PJ Harvey or the exhilarating class of Portishead, the 2011 line-up is chock-a-block with the stars of today, but certainly isn’t overlooking those of tomorrow!

Solid as a rock
Rock is centre stage at this 36th edition. In the company of the New Yorkers The Strokes, a veritable success machine, we find those classy adepts of soft rock with that voice from the abyss, The National, and the genius Zach Condon, leader of Beirut and their brass band reinterpretation of American folk. Les Cowboys Fringants, a bunch of crazy Quebecers, will be sweeping the audience away in a festive whirlwind, whilst Pulled Apart By Horses, the new darlings of the English scene, will be taking on the job of scouring out even the most reluctant ears with their garage sound crossbred with At The Drive In. Back in fashion for a few years now, psychedelic explorations will be personified by the Australians of Tame Impala and their pop-inclined music, whereas the seismic rock of Anna Calvi, a young prodigy reminiscent of Patti Smith, and the beach pop of Avi Buffalo will be proving that the map of rock still has some undiscovered regions waiting to be explored. In the Indie rock department, here come Mama Rosin & Hipbone Slim, a project with an Anglo-Genevan axis, Ventura, a trio from Lausanne in the purest tradition of the 90’s and Sheila She Loves You, the brats from Basel, descendants of The Cure. Pierre Omer, genial singer-songwriter from Geneva and ex Dead Brother, will perform some nuggets of American inspired rock.

Once folk, always folk! Cocoon and The Bewitched Hands are worthy French representatives of a scene in a constant state of renewal. New arrival on the world stage, the dazzling performer Irma, will be charming us from the depths of her soul, not forgetting Yael Naim– architect of a dream-like universe – and her sweet melodies and the multi-instrumentalist pop folk artist from Zurich, Fiona Daniel. Flamboyant yet sombre song-smiths, AaRON will be casting a spell with their little pop-rock gems, whilst the Australian duo Angus & Julia Stone will be serving up some slightly sweeter delicacies. The Franco-Finnish duo, The Dø, will be adorning the Asse with their pop folk emeralds, and the Swiss Barbadian William White, a reggae soul and folk artist, will be kicking things off on Friday on the Grande Scène.

Presented exclusively in Switzerland, the Congotronics vs Rockers project, coproduced by Paléo Festival Nyon, Nuits Botanique (BE), Vieilles Charrues (FR) and Couleur Café (BE), involves a live encounter between Congolese Tradi-Mods legends Konono N°1 and Kasai Allstars with the cream of Western rock and electro, including the Americans Deerhoof and the Belgians of Girls in Hawaii for an expedition between traditional music, rock and electro.

Behind the big beat locomotive of The Chemical Brothers, electronic music will be explosive and dance-inducing with the young Belgian Stromae and the sharp Italians of Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77, but also exploring more sophisticated areas of sound with those remarkable pioneers Portishead and the post kraut of Beak>– a side project of Geoff Barrow, one of the pillars of Portishead. Oy, expert in electronics based in Zurich and singer with Filewile, will be presenting her engaging and surprising compositions.

French chanson will be taking the honours at Paléo this year in the person of Monsieur Eddy Mitchell, invited to bring the Festival to a close on the Grande Scène, with the audience acting as choir, after the traditional Sunday night fireworks display. Completely zany but deep down very touching, Katerine will be leading us on an astonishing and deliciously dada mystery tour, while Cali and Zaz, those hypersensitive performers, will be casting a spell over the audience with all their charming and sometimes caustic verve. Artists waiting to be discovered, Camélia Jordana will be impressing with the surprising timbre of her voice whilst Florent Marchet will delight us with his finely crafted pop tunes.

Pluralistic groove
At times electro, sometimes old school, but always inventive, hip-hop has many different styles: Soprano, ex-member of Psy 4 De La Rime and his volcanic rap infused with electro, Solillaquists of Sounds and their tornado of Afrobeat-electro-rock and Pigeon John, a prodigy liberated from the norms of hip-hop, playing like nobody else on soul, rock and pop influences. A line-up completed by the hip-hop slam of Nyon-based group Trip In. Reggae is also under the spotlight with Patrice and his pop influences, Tarrus Riley, rising star of the new generation, and Queen Ifrica & Tony Rebel, exponents of a style of reggae that pays tribute to the roots of the movement that inspired the Afrobeat band from Lausanne, Professeur Wouassa.

Le Village du Monde drops anchor in the Caribbean
The Caribbean, guest of honour at this year’s Village du Monde, is a veritable melting pot of cultures, engendered by successive waves of colonisation. Behind the scars of history, there lies a tremendous proliferation of artistic activity, taking us to Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, Trinidad-and-Tobago, the Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Colombia, Mexico, Honduras and Puerto Rico.

Afrocubism, a project built round the encounter between musicians from Cuba and Mali, should have been the subject of a film by Wim Wenders. But faced with insurmountable administrative obstacles, the Malians were unable to obtain visas and never made it to Cuba, forcing the filmmaker to give up his project. However, a magnificent plan B emerged in the form of the celebrated documentary “Buena Vista Social Club”. Now that the red tape has been untangled, it’s time to catch up on missed opportunities and meet up live on stage.

Hooked on reggaeton, drum & bass, hip-hop, dance hall, Calle 13, along with Boukman Eksperyans and Admiral T will be making sure that the Village resounds to these spiced-up urban sounds. Amongst the legendary and emblematic figures of the region, Chucho Valdés, the extraordinary jazz pianist, Calypso Rose, diva of soca and Los Van Van, percussive inventors of songo. This multitude of influences will be brilliantly illustrated in the fusion salsa of Raul Paz and by the The Creole Choir of Cuba and their vocal harmonies of Haitian inspiration. Columbia will also be playing its part as a representative of these myriad styles with the musical cross-breeders Bomba Estéreo and Choc Quib Town and particularly with Systema Solar, the sensation of the moment with their sound-system producing an unceasing flow of electro, dub and rap.

A Sunday of laughter and emotion
Sunday’s classical concert will be performed by the Ensemble vocal et instrumental de Lausanne (EVL) under the direction of its founder, Michel Corboz. The programme will consist of the Requiem by Gabriel Fauré (soloists: Nathalie Gaudefroy, soprano / Christian Immler, baritone) preceded by extracts from Dixit Dominus by George Frederick Handel. The concert also marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the EVL.

The same evening, Jamel, that little genius with the innocent look who never misses out on a chance to make fun of the audience, will be providing his own special touch of comedy.

The organisers are planning a surprise for this 36th edition, which should be announced in the next few days.
All information on www.paleo.ch