If local singer Rupa were a movie, she would be Amélie meets Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown meets Latcho Drom meets Do the Right Thing. She'd be set in India and Berkeley...She would be (and, in fact, is) an instant cult classic among the smart, idealistic, international set. --Hiya Swanhuyser, SF Weekly
While the music of Rupa & the April Fishes defies categorization, their intimate sound combined with a broad appeal has earned them comparisons to everyone from Manu Chao, Pink Martini and Lhasa to Beirut, Dengue Fever, Gogol Bordello and Keren Ann. Rupa’s nomadic upbringing has led her to write songs in a multitude of languages, including French, Spanish, Hindi and English. With themes ranging from love and death to politics and philosophy, the songs offer a magic carpet ride through time and place and embody Rupa’s goal of breaking down borders both real and imagined, arranged for cello, accordion, guitar, trumpet, upright bass and drums.
Besides being a songwriter and band leader, Rupa is also a doctor, splitting her time between her music career and caring for patients, whom she often finds inspiration from. “A lot of my music feels like it derives its heart from these vulnerable encounters with people,†says Rupa. “Taking care of people is such a deep inspiration for so many things, but especially music.â€
The band is based in the lotus-eaters land of San Francisco and has toured on the West Coast, Mexico, NYC and Europe. They have traveled to Tijuana where they stayed with deported migrants and learned more about the humanistic impact of the US-Mexico border. In San Francisco, they have orchestrated spectacular sold out shows at the Great American Music Hall and the Independent, working with local musicians, performance and visual artists to create transportive events, removing the audience from ordinary experience to create fresh perspective. Rupa & the April Fishes have had the honor of working with Marcus Shelby, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Aterciopelados, Susana Baca, Rodrigo y Gabriela and Richard Dawkins. They play in concert halls and on streetcars, inviting people from different backgrounds to get together across supposed divides for a shared moment.
"these folks are the shining embodiment of globalization-gone-good...As someone who has very fond memories of drunken trots through impromptu street parties during last year's World Cup, let me just say that Rupa and the April Fishes remind me of those festive convergences in which folks from all over the world would get together to kick it up, regardless of language barrier."--Todd Lavoie, SF Bay Guardian
++New music video by filmmaker Dugan ONeal++
++rupa's dual passions as doctor/musician on current tv++
"[Rupa's] music sounds like that dream: romantic and pulling from many worlds -- Indian ragas and sultry tangos, Gypsy waltzes and bossa nova. And all of it shares the soothing quality of lullabies, with deeply poetic imagery, which [she] sings in sweet, lilting French."--Lisa Hix, SF Chronicle
++DEBUT CD EXTRAORDINARY RENDITION TO BE RELEASED APRIL 22ND 2008 ON CUMBANCHA++
review of extraordinary rendition on sfstation.com!
"They sing and play together with such wonderful ease and gusto, it's as if they've been playing together for years. Their multilingual music draws from cross-cultural influences and source material -- Indian ragas, tango, French chanson, bossa nova, jazz, not to mention numerous forms of folk music from around the world -- which conjures words like slinky, fevered, hypnotic and intoxicating."--Aquarius Records Review
Featuring dreamy artwork by muralist Mona Caron who has followed the songs through to create a breathtaking visual world, smooth basslines by jazz master Marcus Shelby , rich songwriting by Rupa , found sounds from our adventures and electric performances by the band, the album is an exhilerating ride through sound and space.
"extraordinary rendition" is the euphemism to define our times, an example of the horrific language play that pushed me to start writing in several languages in an attempt to show that what is true is communicated between the syllables, under the words. "extraordinary rendition" is the term used by the us government to describe the practice of moving folks in captive to other nations where torture is allowed in order to interrogate them with impunity.
we must shed a bright light in the dark places in order that things can get better.
paz y amor
rupa
"Extraordinary Rendition truly is nothing short of extraordinary. It’s a romantic, whimsical, surreal escape. It’s also a passionate and heartfelt assemblage of songs that reflect many facets of what truly makes us human. Love, loss, mourning, and happiness are all explored with an undeniable authenticity."--Matt Forsman, sfstation
"Honestly, a listen to...Extraordinary Rendition is a perfect way to spend 52 minutes away from the day's stresses and grumbles to indulge in a bit of much-needed magic realism."--Todd Lavoie, SF Bay Guardian
watch a short video of the urban circus cd release party!
View rupa and the april fishes's EPK
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