Pink Martini - Je dis oui! (2016)

A rollicking around-the-world adventure, Pink Martini’s ninth studio album Je dis oui! features a cavalcade of songs – many of them original – in French, Farsi, Armenian, Portuguese, Arabic, Turkish, Xhosa and English, and affirms the band’s 22-year history of global inclusivity and collaborative spirit. Je dis oui! – which means “I say yes” in French – is the optimistic mantra of the chorus of “Joli garçon” (“Pretty boy”), one of three songs co-written by the band for the upcoming film Souvenir, starring the legendary French actress Isabelle Huppert. In addition to songs sung by lead singers CHINA FORBES and STORM LARGE, Je dis oui! includes guest vocalists NPR’s ARI SHAPIRO (who sings a new Arabic version of “La Soledad” from the band’s first album) and RUFUS WAINWRIGHT, who sings a stunning version of the Rodgers & Hart classic “Blue Moon.” The album also marks the singing debut of two long-time friends of the band: fashion guru IKRAM GOLDMAN and civil rights activist KATHLEEN SAADAT.