Linda Clifford
Let Me Be Your Woman

Madre Lingua is a collection of songs born via the constant interactions among the Artists that gravitated around Mother Tongue in the first two years since its opening.On the back of this continuous exchange of musical ideas and vibes MT’s own Patrick Gibin [full time coordinator and producer of many of the songs here] worked on this project like painting a blank canvas inviting Tommaso Cappellato, Tiombé Lockhart, Kaidi Tatham, K15, Mark de Clive-Lowe, EDB, Gary Superfly and the mysterious 黒舌 (Infectious Madness) to bring their colourful and heartfelt contributions to this unique collection of songs.

Few funk groups have had as far-reaching an influence as New Orleans band The Meters, the project of keyboardist/vocalist Art Neville, and the famed house band of Allen Toussaint. During their mid-60s-to-late-70s heyday they released a heavy mixture of instrumental and vocal albums and singles of Louisiana-inflected soul, R&B, and funk music that continues to inspire and marvel, and get covered by groups and artists like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jaco Pastorius, Widespread Panic, and even The Grateful Dead. A major change occurred for the band, leading up to the release of their 1972 album Cabbage Alley; Josie Records, the label which had long the home of The Meters, went bankrupt. The band left Josie for Reprise Records, which brought a crisp, and slicker sound, as well as a newfound interest in both reggae music, and the works of Professor Longhair. Cabbage Alley featured 10 Toussaint-produced cuts of funky New Orleans splendor, (And even a Neil Young cover) with less of their signature instrumental jams, and more of Art Neville's vocals taking the forefront. It may not have been the widespread success Josie albums like Look-Ka Py Py and Struttin' were, but Cabbage Alley was still a rock-solid collection of funk, and a sign of greater things to come from their time at Reprise.