biography
Sometimes, in the mystery of the oceans, mother nature gives birth to a pearl. A rare and precious thing, it waits for its moment to come : the one when waves will sweep it along, when shell will be cracked, when sun will reveal its sparkle.
Perle Lama comes from the West Indies, she was only 14 years old when she first showed to the footlights. By winning the First Price of the JM Harmony Contest, she won the recording of her first album "Challenger". She sold 20 000 copies of it in the Caribbean Islands, and the first single of it, "Akwarel la sé taw" has been awarded with the SACEM prize "Best Zouk" in 2000.
The new jewel of the West Indies knew then a lightning rise : Perle released her second album, "Perle etc.", and critics saw in her reggae-mixed-up-with-R&B-zouk, the renewal of the genre. After having featured on a dozen of compilations and best-of, after having sung in duets with all the major West-Indies artists and having won two more SACEM prizes (Best Female Singer in 2003 and 2006), Perle Lama decided to step back a little in order to write her new and third album, "Mizikasoleil", which is to be released next 2006, June the 26th.
With this record, Perle sets up two purposes. The first one is to bring zouk to the other side of the hemisphere, remembering that French music can also be sung in Creole and on the most far-away ocean shores. The second is to bring zouk to other spheres, using it as a basis for synthesizing and melting-up the black musics she appreciates (soul, reggae and R&B…).
The result is brilliant : being in reggae accents of her cover of "Don't Leave Me Boy" (The Jackson Five), in the R&B limpid arrangements of "You and I", or in the fury of her dancehall duet with Krys the toaster, Perle demonstrates that she's got an absolute mastery whatever the register is. And she recalls (as if it was necessary) that before being a great zouk singer she is firstly a great singer.
If "Mizikasoleil" firstly sings about love, Perle Lama reveals in this record a very touchy sensitivity and a new maturity, that drove Jocelyn Beroard (from the famous band Kassav') to present her as a spiritual daughter. By evoking, in a falsely ingenuous and really ingenious manner, the war theme through a child's eyes ("they say prosperity but all around me I only see misery" in the song Tell Dem), or by paying homage to the great defenders of the black question (the vibrating Racines), she makes the feat of strength to bring an unusual depth in zouk music while maintaining a universal musical range.
Take Me Away is the first single excerpted from this album, and is also one of the most beautiful invitations to enter the universe of Perle. For "Mizikasoleil" is a travel through souls : travelling the West Indies, travelling the black musics, and in the end, travelling the soul of a young passionate singer. Those souls reveal to be discreet but luminous.
From the depth of the ocean, we remind why the black pearls are the most precious ones : they are the rarest and the most delicate ones.
Mizikasoleil - New Album, release in October 2006.
Emmène-Moi - First Single, release in August 2006.
press shots
music videos
» Emmène-moidownload the artist files
» English Biographylive shows
[2007-07-12] . France . Pamiers . Pamiers[2007-06-09] . France . Montereau . Parc des Noues [Festival Montereau Confluences]
[2007-04-28] . France . Bobigny . Canal 93
[2007-03-31] . France . Fontenay-Aux-Roses . Théâtre des Sources
[2007-03-29] . France . Lille . Splendid
[2007-03-28] . France . Toulouse . Havana Café
[2007-03-27] . France . Bordeaux . Rock School Barbey
[2007-03-24] . France . St Martin de Craux . Espace Le Galet [Festival Voix de Femmes]
[2007-03-16] . France . Paris . La Cigale
[2007-03-15] . France . Montigny le Bretonneux . Salle Jacques Brel
[2006-11-19] . France . Calais (62) . Le Calypso - Corneille's first act
[2006-11-18] . France . Paris . Le Zénith - Corneille's first act
[2006-11-15] . France . Cannes (06) . Grand Auditorium - Corneille's first act
[2006-11-10] . France . Salon de Provence (13) . Espace C. Trenet - Corneille's first act
[2006-11-06] . France . Albi (81) . Le Scénith - Corneille's first act
[2006-11-05] . France . Bressuire (79) . Espace Europe - Corneille's first act
[2006-10-25] . France . Epernay (51) . Le Millesium - Corneille's first act
[2006-10-24] . France . Le Havre . Les Docks - Corneille's first act
[2006-10-22] . France . Amiens (80) . Cirque Jules Verne - Corneille's first act
[2006-10-21] . France . Montigny le Bretonneux . Corneille's first act
[2006-10-17] . France . Thionville (57) . Théatre Municipal - Corneille's first act
[2006-10-15] . Belgique . Mons . Mons Expo - Corneille's first act
[2006-10-13] . France . St Loubès (33) . La Coupole - Corneille's first act
[2006-10-10] . France . Voiron (38) . Le Grand Angle - Corneille's first act
news
[2006-09-21]Perle Lama on tour with Corneille
Discover Perle Lama live during her tour with Corneille
links
Emmène-moi (take me with you) / Perle Lama's ecardPerle Lama on MySpace / www.myspace.com
Perle's official website / www.perlelama.fr
Perle's SkyBlog / www.skyblog.com
