Syncop

Algeria, Quebec World Music

Biography :

As a teenager in Tunis, Karim Benzaïd, listened to IAM, Boys 2 Men and Cheb Hasni. He developed a passion for music in general and held private parties where he invited friends to share his passion. Sometimes during these evening gatherings, he performed on stage with a group of comrades.
Some years later, Karim decided to settle in Montreal. After arriving, he recorded demos and sang in bars, a long and hard learning process that ended up bearing fruit. In 1998, 10 years after setting foot on Quebec soil, Karim took part in creating Syncop, a group with both urban and oriental accents that gradually made a name for itself in Montreal. They played at the Spectrum, the Medley, the Club Soda, the Petit Campus, the Kola Note and the Club Balattou.
En 1999, Syncop won the Art-T-Fac university public favourites award. Two years later, the group won third prize in the Fiesta des Musiques Diversifiées festival. Gradually, from one award to the next and from one concert to another, Syncop brought out an album titled Les gens du voyage, inspired by the Touaregs.
Their warm, colourful music surfs between raï, chaoui (a leading Berber style), reggae, ragamuffin and hip-hop. The group now has seven members. In addition to Karim Benzaïd on vocals, this jolly gang includes Annick Beauvais (vocals and oboe), Guillaume Landry (drums), Gabriel Lambert (guitar), Anit Ghosh (violin and guitar), Gabou Lajoie (bass) and Aziz Badi (vocals and percussions). They provide a fruitful encounter between Algeria and Quebec, leading to all sorts of blends. With its member’s richness and vigour, Syncop brings spectators into an avalanche of energy, with an irresistible desire to dance and sing.