A new artist you (maybe) haven’t heard about. Melissa Laveaux is a charming young lady with a very interesting back story and even more interesting music. Born in Montreal of Haitian parents, bred in Ottawa where she went to college and currently living in Paris, she blends folk music, Creole blues, and an amazingly entrancing voice in her album “Camphor and Copper” to produce a record of complex and subtle purity. Joy! I dare say.
Singing in English, French and Creole with a voice so warm you’ll feel like Ottawa is the capital of Barbados, Melissa brings us to places that feel both comfortably familiar and excitingly novel. She never goes for the easy guitar strum but rather for the more intricate guitar pick and keeps the listener yearning for more. This combination of three languages might be a barrier for some but actually adds more layers of authenticity. Even if you don’t understand it, the Creole songs are always a throwback to days of childlike innocence and optimism whereas the French and English songs tend to deal with more adult issues such as heartbreak or disillusionment. By communicating about her childhood in the way that she experienced it in her family household (i.e: in Creole), Ms. Laveaux manages to communicate a truly authentic emotion.
So check it out: a great cover of Beyonce’s “Crazy in love”, the soulful “My Boat” and “Ulysses” where she drops names of Greek poets before telling her “lukewarm lover” she wants to “break his knees”. Also, Camphor and Copper just got a digital re-release with bonus tracks available all over the world. Suffice it to say that the best way to reach out to others is to be yourself.
Melissa Laveaux – Crazy in love
Bred in Ottawa? Huh? Raised?