For her first solo album, this Guadeloupe-born singer and harpist takes Afro-American and Afro-Caribbean music on a voluptuous journey bursting with soul and groove. She blends gospel, folk and R&B in a cleverly pared-back arrangement around jazz beats with beautiful, ethereal backing vocals. In this solo version, Sophye Soliveau’s impressive musicianship weaves together Erykah Badu, Angie Stone, Rachelle Ferrell and Bobby McFerrin, taking us on a fascinating journey through sensual, organic post-nu-soul.
BIOGRAPHY
> SOPHYE SOLIVEAU (France)
Raised on Afro-American music from childhood, Sophye Soliveau first studied classical harp and choral singing at the conservatory, before turning to more improvised forms of expression, including jazz, gospel and spontaneous singing. She is passionate about vocal harmonies, from Bobby McFerrin to Francis Poulenc, and has directed and continues to direct various vocal ensembles, including the Oshun choir, a vocal collective of professional female singers working together on a project with original arrangements; Maré Mananga, an Afro-feminist choir exploring Afro-diasporic repertoires; and Bat’man de Chœurs, an amateur ensemble co-directed with Arnaud Dolmen as part of the 40th Banlieues Bleues festival. A former member of the Afro-Caribbean groove group Ábàjade, this harpist and singer performed solo at the Banlieues Bleues festival (in 2023 and as part of a musical outreach project this year), at the international Punkt festival (Norway), and with Jan Bang and Hamid Drake in a tribute to Alice Coltrane. She is in residence at La Dynamo (Pantin) for concerts celebrating the release of her first album, Initiation, in spring 2024.
