Radio Radio Interview: SXSW 2010

Acadian hip-hop group Radio Radio have recently released their second album, 'Belmundo Regal.' The group, who originally got its start in the city of Moncton in New Brunswick, Canada, is known for its unique rap style and the fact that its members perform in a language known as Chiac, which mixes Acadian French and English. During an interview with Spinner before Radio Radio's first SXSW performance, Alexandre [also known as LX on stage] talked about how Acadian rap is different than the standard genre, how gospel music actually influences their performances and why they view themselves as musicians of the world.

When you tell someone that has never heard your music before that you are rappers, there might be an immediate association to the standard hip-hop genre, which definitely does not encompass who you are as musicians. How do you break through that stereotype?

Once you meet us, see us and play with us, you will probably notice that pretty quickly. Also, we're Acadian, so just doing Acadian rap is already very different. Our concept is to break those stereotypes and just have a good time. We are Acadian rappers, but our music is for the world.

When would you say is the best time to listen to your music?

Morning, afternoon, nighttime, anytime. We used to listen to a lot of club music before but we started listening to a lot of gospel music because we noticed it has that energy and that celebration to it. They have that energy in the morning without any drugs or alcohol. They go to church and sing, and they feel it. We want that energy of gospel music; not in the traditional sense of it, but the feeling and [the] having a good time and getting into it.

Do you think the spirit moves through people who listen to Radio Radio like it would for people singing gospel music?

We don't have the voices of gospel singers. Our frequencies don't match gospel singers, but I think if we're really doing it right, you can probably feel some spirit in it. Sometimes it happens the way it should, and you can feel something.

What is your writing process like?

We all write together. We almost live together, and we write together. We imagine the whole thing together all the time. The words are all based on sounds. Our language is a mix of English and French. It's French with a lot of adopted English words and English translations. Traditionally, French people don't respect our language because they see it as a bastard language. But it gives us a lot of creative liberties because there are no rules or grammar. It's more stylistic. Whatever feels good, that's what you do. Because of that, we have access to a large vocabulary. We also watch a lot of movies and TV, so we mix it all up.

What kinds of movies do you incorporate into your style or message?

We watch a lot of documentaries. Ken Burns gives us a lot of ideas. He takes a classical and idealistic approach to America. That's what we're trying to have. In all his movies, he shows America as a great land of hope. He tells great stories of people trying to build the world up. The Acadians came here 400 years ago trying to look for a new world. Somewhere between then and now, we got caught up in US and Canada and different territories that came to represent something else, and not what we came here for. We're strong believers of America as a continent, as a new world [and] as Atlantis -- a land of hope. Ken Burns links that all together. He links jazz music and the history of the West and the history of everything. He makes America a place where things can happen.

Is that an idea you've found most people north of the American border share?

Well, we're Acadian, so we're mostly separated from Canadian thought. We don't necessarily feel Canadian. I got tired of that feeling that said Canadians are this and Americans are that. We just started thinking more from a continental point-of-view. We are all living on this island of America together, this new world of Atlantis or whatever you want to call it. We just developed this American pride. We're just trying to fit into that culture of America as a continent. It's good to know where you come from as a people, but at some point you have to branch out and open your eyes to all the beautiful things around you.

Have you ever been as far south in the US as you will be when you go to Austin for SXSW?

Never! We're very excited. We're going to Louisiana in April, too, so it will be our first time going to that part of America. We just want to go and meet some Americans, which we hear about on TV all the time. We rarely get a chance to meet Americans, but when we do we always like them. We also want to check out some bands and see what the music is like. We're ready to open our minds.


Kiko Martinez is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.