Dissidenten

History

The band originally called Embryo's Dissidenten came together in India around 1981, founded by Friedemann Josch and former Embryo members Uwe Müllrich and Michael Wehmeyer. Later that same year, Marlon Klein took over from Wehmeyer, and the group shortened its name to Dissidenten. In 1982 or 1983, they set up their own Berlin-based label, Exil. After spending a year touring Asia, they chose to remain in India to make their debut album Germanistan, working with the Karnataka College of Percussion, vocalist R.A. Ramamani, and percussionist Ramesh Shotham. For live shows, Indian pianist Louis Banks and American saxophonist Charlie Mariano joined the lineup. Performances in Calcutta, Madrid, Casablanca, and Stockholm were captured on the live release Germanistan Tour 83. Next, they traveled to Morocco, recording Sahara Elektrik in 1982 at the Tangier palace of Abdesalam Akaaboune, with assistance from writer Paul Bowles and the local sha'abi group Lem Chaheb. The song Fata Morgana became a dance hit across Europe and Canada, and after being featured in the 1987 Brazilian telenovela Sassaricando, it sold more than 1.5 million copies in Brazil, spreading its popularity throughout South America. In 1986, the Dissidenten relocated to Spain, where they made Life At The Pyramids and started gaining attention in the US and UK. They returned to Morocco in 1989 to record Out Of This World, collaborating with the Royal National Orchestra of Morocco and other North African musicians like Cherif Lamrani. That album saw a global release, followed by a worldwide tour. Live In New York came out in 1991, and the next year they released The Jungle Book, which mixed field recordings from Indian daily life into dance tracks. Co-founder Uve Müllrich later explained that the band never aimed to use non-Western music as mere decoration for Western pop; instead, they sought a genuine, balanced cultural exchange that consciously crossed boundaries.