Deportation
Cormac Rea
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Kazi : " The seed is growing "
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LAL tackles the D-word
Toronto's LAL might be deported, if we're not careful. After 10 years of putting out deep, politically conscious and soul-drenched down-tempo, the music of Rosina Kazi and Nick "Murr" Murray may slowly be chalking itself up an uncertain future. Who knows? Their new LP, Deportation, tackles the threat and implications of a word that has had much currency of late. "It's a word that when you sit down and read it, it really strikes you," says Kazi on the phone from Toronto. "I think it's a very strong word."
"Basically, we had a friend deported," she adds. "She was picked up on International Women's Day at Ryerson University. Her name is Wendy Nzinga and she is an amazing activist and artist. She was deported back to Costa Rica. Also, we were sort of involved with a campaign called Project Threadbare that No One Is Illegal was also involved in. It had to do with a case of over 15 Pakistani men who were accused of terrorism and deported back to Pakistan. These young men were innocent and there were no charges laid. So, basically, these situations made me think about my own Canadian-born privilege and that was basically why we chose the name."
It really is a privilege for Canadians that a group like LAL exists. Their first two albums - Corners (2002) and Warm Belly High Power (2004) - demonstrated just how moving Murray's lush, deep beat-making and Kazi's incredibly tonal voice could be; Exclaim! Magazine voted Warm Belly High Power as best soul album of 2004. Comparisons
to Esthero, Sade or Portishead's Beth Gibbons, depending on the tune, have been quick to come for Kazi."I get that from people and find it interesting because I really don't hear it," says Kazi, laughing. "But Esthero has a wonderful voice and that's a real compliment."
Having released their first single in 1998, LAL are celebrating their 10-year anniversary by touring select venues in Ontario and Quebec with Deportation CD release parties. But the group's ambitions may soon take them further afield. After a European tour for Warm Belly High Power, LAL's travelling bug took root.
"We're talking about maybe moving to Berlin. It's cheap, it's in Europe, and there are a lot of Canadians up in there," explains Kazi. "There are some cool things happening and it would be easy to connect into Europe - from Toronto, that can be really hard. We're not quite sure yet, but the seed is growing."
LAL
w/ QR5, Trevor Walker
@ Mercury Lounge
May 22
I'm so stoked about this show! LAL kick ass.
p.s. The information in the Xpress article is incorrect, they're playing on the 29th, not the 22nd.
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Z. Karim
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