When I first heard that Dengue Fever is coming to Santa Ana I must admit it scared me a bit. This is a hemorraghic fever from Africa that has taken root in South Texas and Louisiana, thanks to a local mosquito that can carry this viral disease. However, as it turns out it is the band “Dengue Fever” that is coming to my town this Saturday night, at the Yost Theater, courtesy of Dennis Lluy and Koos. Click here to buy tickets.
You can read more about this on Facebook. Here are a few details and more information about the band:
SATURDAY APRIL 11
Dengue Fever with The Steelwells
Start Time: Saturday, April 11, 2009 at 9:00pm
End Time: Sunday, April 12, 2009 at 12:00am
Location: The Yost Theater
Street: 307 Spurgeon Street City/Town: Santa Ana, CA
Doors: 9:30pm | $10adv/$12dos | All Ages
ABOUT DENGUE FEVER:
Dengue Fever’s psychedelic take on the Cambodian pop sounds of the 60s makes them one of rock’n’roll’s most unique success stories. They draw enthusiastic crowds from LA to the UK , from Maui to Moscow , and leave critics rummaging through their thesauruses looking for new superlatives to describe their sound. Their appearance at this year’s WOMEX, the world’s largest international music conference, cements their position as a global phenomenon. Amazon.com named their album, Escape From Dragon House, the #1 international release for 2005. In England , Mojo named Escape to their Top 10 World Music releases of 2006.
Brothers Ethan (keyboards) and Zac (guitar) Holtzman started Dengue Fever in 2001 when they discovered they shared a love for the Cambodian pop music of the 60s. After adding sax man David Ralicke (Beck/Brazzaville), drummer Paul Smith and bassist Senon Williams, they went looking for a Cambodian singer. Enter Chhom Nimol, who performed regularly for the King and Queen of Cambodia . Her powerful singing, marked by a luminous vibrato that adds exotic ornamentations to her vocal lines, and hypnotic stage moves based on traditional dances, complimented the band’s driving Cambodian/American sound.
Venus On Earth, out January 22, 2008 on M80 Records, is the third chapter in the band’s continuing journey to create a unique fusion of Cambodian and American pop. This time out, the songs are more American and more Cambodian, a sound that honors both cultures while fashioning its own singular identity. “We made a conscious decision to simplify the sound,” says album producer and Dengue drummer Paul Smith. “There’s a lot of space in the mix, more swing in the playing. The arrangements are less jammy; they’re finely constructed, with plenty of surf music and spaghetti western twang.” Guitarist & songwriter Zac Holtzman agrees. “We wanted a jazzy, European feel, with enough space to increase the impact of Nimol’s vocals. It’s emotionally deeper and moodier, in the tradition of the French chansons, but still retains its Cambodian soul.”
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