Friday - June 10th, 2005
Club Quattro, Osaka, Japan

“Music is the greatest communication in the world,” famed Singer/Songwriter Lou Rawls once said. “Even if people don’t understand the language that you’re singing in, they still know good music when they hear it.” Mr. Rawls’ words have been epitomized since the 60s, when the Beatles first performed at the Budokan in Tokyo. In fact, foreign music, mainly American and British, has become so popular in Japan that it usually takes up more shelf space in music stores than Japanese music does. An American who looks to music for modern day social commentary in the form of poetic quips may find it is difficult to imagine not understanding more than half the music that fills local record stores. This is a reality, however, for all the die-hard fans who, in early June, filled downtown Osaka’s Club Quattro for a first-hand look at the charismatic quartet from Rouen, France: Tahiti 80.

I was at first surprised that a “French rock group” generates such a large fan base in Japan, considering the other French groups to hit it big here are the electronic mood-altering professors of Air and smooth sounding rappers of IAM. But after taking a closer look into Tahiti 80’s unique repertoire, I realized that all of the songs are written and performed entirely in English, not French! As a matter of fact, Tahiti 80’s lead singer and songwriter, Xavier Boyer, told French Magazine, RFI Musique, how it appeals to him “to sing in another language, there’s a playful aspect to it and you don’t have the same reflexes as you would in your own language. English allows for much greater vocal inflections which would be ridiculous in French.” One has to wonder if there is something beyond the lingua franca differences that attracts Japanese fans to Tahiti 80’s music. And if so, does it really matter whether the songs are in French or English?

While waiting for the show to begin I had the chance to speak with a few Japanese fans about what attracts them to a group like Tahiti 80. Yuko Itou, who rushed to Club Quattro immediately after work, spoke about how she likes “the smooth and soft sound of his [Boyer’s] voice. I have been a fan of Tahiti 80 ever since my friend introduced me to their sound over a year and a half ago.” Another fan, Sashiyuki Okada, remembered his first time hearing the group’s sound: “The first time I heard Tahiti 80 was five years ago when they played Summer Sonic. Since then I have been a big fan of Tahiti 80. They are a great band.” (Summer Sonic is a one of Japan’s renowned summer rock festivals that takes place simultaneously in both Tokyo and Osaka). Despite the fact that most Japanese fans, like Mr. Okada, were initially introduced to Tahiti 80’s sound only five years ago, the group’s story really began in 1993, at Rouen University in France.

As a student of English at Rouen University, and a musician in his spare time, Xavier Boyer met and became quick friends with bassist Pedro Resende, who shared Boyer’s passion for music. After two years of making demo tapes, the duo recruited guitarist Mederic Gontier and drummer Sylvain Marchand, ultimately creating the four man line-up of today’s Tahiti 80. Once the band was complete a name search was inevitable. It was Boyer’s father who finally provided the inspirational missing link when he brought home a shirt from his holiday in Tahiti; and thus, Tahiti 80 was born.

Tahiti 80’s four members share a passion for 60s British pop music, such as that of the Beatles and the Kinks. This era being the focal point of each member’s musical influence, as well as Boyer’s devotion to the English language, the decision was made to compose and perform music solely in English. Although artists like Christina Aguilera, Ricky Martin, and Utada Hikaru have all bolstered their fan base by writing albums outside of their mother tongues, stardom in their native languages was achieved first. Tahiti 80, on the other hand, took a huge risk in their decision to be different. After a few failed record deals, the band received a big break in 1999 when Sony Entertainment added the catchy pop quartet to their label. Soon after signing with Sony, Tahiti 80 entered the studio to record their first major label debut, 1999’s Puzzle.

Being home to songs, “Yellow Butterfly,” “Heartbeat,” and “Made First (Never Forget),” Puzzle possesses a collection of aesthetically pleasing tunes that make any day of the week seem like a holiday. Unfortunately, the decision to sing in English inadvertently caused a slight rift between Tahiti 80 and the French audience. To this day, France has shown little interest in the group’s sound. In response to this lukewarm support from France, the group began focusing their efforts on the international market, and by late April of 2000, Puzzle reached Japanese music stores.

To everyone’s surprise, Puzzle sparked huge interest throughout the Japanese music community. The success of Puzzle in Japan is a unique situation, considering most Japanese fans do not speak fluent English or French. “I have to say the Japanese are highly educated when it comes to music and I think that accounts for a lot of our success out here,” reveals Boyer to RFI Musique before a 2003 show in Tokyo. “I think Japanese music fans really understand what we’re trying to do with our arrangements and melodies. And that’s the kind of paradox that makes it really fascinating to come out and play here.” Tahiti 80 did a tour of Japan a month after the release of Puzzle. Every show received rave reviews. With the hit single “Heartbeat,” receiving constant airplay and the success of their concert in Japan, Tahiti 80 was invited back to Japan that same year to perform at “Summer Sonic” (where aforementioned Mr. Okada heard Tahiti 80 for the first time).

For the next year and a half, Tahiti 80 continued to tour various cities around the globe, release many single/mini-albums, and put out a second album, Wallpaper for the Soul (2002). Once the group completed a rigorous tour to promote Wallpaper, they disappeared from the public eye for a little more than a year before re-emerging in February of 2005 with their third and most soul-driven album, Fosbury.

To create a more refined sound with a little hip-hop flavor, Tahiti 80 brought in sound engineers, Serban Ghenea and Neal Pogue (famous for their work with Outkast and N.E.R.D.) Fosbury, with its beat-driven hooks and uplifting lyricism displays a more experienced and confident Tahiti 80. The video for the first single, “Changes,” entered MTV Japan’s video rotation in late January. The album hit Japanese stores in February, three months prior to its release in England and France. (To this day American audiences can only purchase Fosbury through import retailers at a hefty price.) The early release of Fosbury in Japan was largely due to Japanese fans’ devotion to Tahiti 80; and soon after “Changes” reached Japanese music outlets, it immediately climbed the charts.

“Changes” (not to be confused with the David Bowie song of the same title) gives the world a glimpse into Boyer’s memories of youth and innocence. Through metaphors of strength and determination, Boyer brings his audience back to a place where the feeling of invincibility was king, and dreams were merely an arms length away. “Remember when you were a kid/Playing in the yard/No fence was high enough/To stop you from moving forward/It’s the same situation now/Nothing can stop you/Just go, go now,”chants an astral-like Boyer as the background fills with lush hooks and a base line that could be easily mistaken for a Kanye West produced track off Common’s new album, Be.

At first it was a mystery why the Japanese audience had taken such an interest in Tahiti 80. Most of their song lyrics are filled with emotionally charged messages of love. If such lyrics are assassinated at the language barrier toll booth, then the messages will fall by the wayside; yet, this didn’t matter to the legion of Japanese fans who vehemently cheered as Tahiti 80 took the stage at Osaka’s Club Quattro.

The set began with the opening track off Fosbury, “Big Day,” and Boyer at the helm on electric piano banging out a zealous opener (reminiscent of Coldplay’s Chris Martin during a performance of “Clocks”). During the second song, “The Train,” off Wallpaper for the Soul, Boyer went from an animated Jerry Lee Lewis on piano to a guitar blazing Mike McCready. The women expressed their approval by the universally understood language of “scream.” Straying from the sound of their studio albums, Tahiti 80 bombarded the audience with a barrage of instrumental alchemy, which was then intensified by captivating light production. Fans got in on the action when Boyer invited everyone (in English) to help sing the passionate ode, “Your Love Shines,” from Fosbury. The energetic crowd graciously accepted Boyer’s invitation to replace famed vocalist Linda Lewis (who originally duets with Boyer on this track), and became members of Tahiti 80 for this five-minute-plus upbeat rendition. The evening was filled with energy, long extended versions of songs, amazing production, and club rattling bass that could simulate small earthquakes in nearby buildings.

The most memorable highlight of the evening, however, came during the final song of the first set, “Changes.” Before the song began, Boyer introduced it as “our first single off the new album,” and instantly the crowd’s cheering raised a few decibels. With bodies fluctuating throughout the strobe-light effects, the vibe of the show went from a rock concert to a dance party. But instead of ending the song after its initial five minutes, the group slowly continued the beat with Congo drums, which transformed the song into a hypnotic tribal drum session. During the early stages of this piece, Boyer borrowed Resende’s bass, while Resende picked up a drum stick and gave Marchand, the drummer, and extra hand. The continuity of the beat was never broken during this instrumental interchange. The colliding of multi-layered complex guitar, keyboard, and drum solos created a hybrid sound that resonated throughout the venue. As the energy grew, so did the visual effects and volume. By the final moments of the near ten minute jam session, Club Quattro radiated with both the calm of a Jack Johnson show and the energy of an all-night rave party: paradox redefined.

To conclude the concert, Tahiti 80 chose the smash hit, “Heartbeat,” off their Puzzle album. “Heartbeat” was the first single to hit Japanese airwaves; so, in true Japanese karaoke fashion, the show closed with a grand finale sing-along and roaring applause. Once the show fhad inished, it was clear that everyone in the audience understood Tahiti 80 on a different, more universal level. This level exemplifies Mr. Rawls’ idea of music being the world’s greatest form of communication.

For years, international music has been prevalent in Japan’s music scene despite the fact that the lyrics are not in Japanese, therefore, not understood. But through Tahiti 80’s example, it is the sound instead that plays the role of language in itself. Whether or not the lyrics are understood, people can close their eyes and nod their heads to the well-produced beats of “Changes,” and appreciate what is being heard. This is because the Japanese have conditioned their ears to focus on the sound, whereas, American audiences have a tougher time focusing on music outside the realm of English. This fact is proven by the absence of foreign language albums among American music charts such as Billboard’s top 40.

If Japanese fans have trained themselves to pay more attention to a song’s sound, rather than its lyrics, then does it make a difference whether Tahiti 80’s music is in French or English? Yes, it does. To the Japanese ear, French and English carry a different vibe, and that in-turn has been one of the reasons American and British rock bands out number French bands in Japan. As mentioned before, one of Boyer’s reasons for singing in English is because of the advantage in vocal inflections. Since the focus is on sound, the vocals take on the role of instruments. Depending on the type of music, some instruments compliment music better than others. For example, to hear Led Zeppelin’s monumental rock classic, “Whole Lotta Love,” played solely on a flute might sound pretty, but inevitably lacks the power provided by Jimmy Page’s electric guitar. In Tahiti 80’s case, singing in English gives the band a range of sound that cannot be matched by French, and the Japanese audience recognizes this.

The understanding of the universal language of sound plays the largest role in Tahiti 80’s popularity in Japan. While the lyrical content of songs remains important in most countries, Japan has acquired the skill to go beyond any language barrier, and appreciate all the unique sounds of the world. Through hard work and talent, Tahiti 80 has created a sound that carries mass appeal. With this catalog of charismatic music, it will not be long before the world follows in Japan’s footsteps.