Colette Magny ‎– Répression (1972, Le Chant Du Monde)

Media VG+
Sleeve VG+

Format : LP
Cat N° : LDX 74476
Style : Free Jazz, Chanson

“Répression” by Colette Magny, released in 1971, is an unapologetically bold album that passionately tackles sociopolitical issues through a mix of avant-garde jazz and free improvisation. Magny’s collaboration with musicians like François Tusques, Beb Guérin, Guem, Bernard Vitet, Juan Valoaz, Barre Phillips, and Noel McGhie, gives rise to a sonically charged and politically charged atmosphere. In contrast to traditional song structures, Magny’s compositions take on the form of extensive incantations, echoing her immersion in free jazz influences brought forth by Tusques, Vitet, and Guérin, which led her to abandon conventional couplet/refrain patterns. “Répression” is a collective musical response to revolutionary themes, incorporating text-collages inspired by the Black Panther movement and featuring iconic figures like Bobby Seale, Eldridge Cleaver, and Huey Newton. The album’s lyrical content, expressed through extended chants and march-like melodies, intertwines with Magny’s denunciation of socio-economic inequalities, racial injustice, and political repression. “Répression” encountered censorship by the French broadcasting organization ORTF, indicative of its potent critique of authority. Magny’s profound engagement with free jazz and her dedication to socio-political expression position “Répression” as a remarkable and enduring embodiment of protest and artistic resistance.