90s French RnB, Neo Soul and Swingbeat Music Videos

Delavoix, Tribal Jam, K-Reen, Les Nubians, Alias LJ etc...

Selected Works is a regular newsletter by the Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand) based freelance music journalist, broadcaster, copywriter, and sometimes DJ Martyn Pepperell. Yes, that’s me. Most weeks, Selected Works consists of a recap of what I’ve been doing lately and some of what I’ve been listening to and reading, paired with film photographs I’ve taken + some bonuses. All of that said, sometimes it takes completely different forms.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve been quietly researching and collecting music from the 1990s French RnB, neo-soul and new jack swing scenes. Whether you’re talking about the melodic records created by members of France’s North and West African immigrant communities or even Caucasian French chanson singers who decided - or had their label decide - they wanted a new jack swing remix or record, there’s a certain something to the sound/sounds that emerged out of that region during that era.

I’m still not entirely certain where I’m heading with this. After it, it really emerged as an outgrowth of when I started taking an interest in global new jack swing records recorded outside of the US in the 1980s and 1990s, as documented on DJ mixes of mine such as New Jack Feeling (Skylab Radio), Around The World (Hong Kong Community Radio), and J'ai Pas Sommeil (Skylab Radio). But we’ll see.

A couple of weeks together, I put together a newsletter focused on rare 1990s UK Street Soul (and non-UK street soul) music videos. Earlier today, I thought it could be cool to do something similar with 1990s French RnB, Neo Soul and New Jack Swing. I was hoping to include some writing about this era as well, but I’ve had a hard time finding anything at all. Something to think about/consider, I guess.

Below, I present seven clips for your viewing/listening pleasure. Think of this as a very loose introduction. There is absolutely nothing definitive going on in this newsletter at all.

Leila, ‘Le retour du Funk’ (WEA Music, 1995)

Leila Bencheikh, aka Leila, is a French singer of Algerian and Moroccan origin who started her career in 1995 with the single ‘Le retour du funk’. You can watch the video for it above. Later on, she changed her stage name to Shéraz and recorded two full-length albums, Une Larme De Plus and Shéraz.

Delavoix, ‘Rien Ne Vaut La Vie’ (Polydor, 1997)

Made up of Bruno Edjenguele, Cool Jam, James Ténor and Paul-Éric Toussaint, Delavoix is a French r&b group (bass and three tenors) of Antilles origin. They released a bunch of incredible singles and one self-titled album. When they’re in the full flight of harmony, Delavoix is, in a word - ascendant.

Tribal Jam, ‘Remind Me’ (EMI Music France, 1997)

The group project of Joseph N'Tumba, Moïse N'Tumba, and René de Wael, Tribal Jam formed in 1994. Over the 1990s and early 2000s, they had a string of commercial RnB, New Jack Swing and Hip-Hop hits in France. Their two albums, Tribal Jam and Démarre Le Show are well worth checking out.

K-Reen, ‘Au Bout De Ton Rêve’ (Defrey Music, 1999)

Karine Patient, aka K-Reen, is a legendary rapper and singer-songwriter from French Guiana. Over her long career, she has collaborated with Princess Erika, MC Solaar, Lokua Kanza, Tonton David and more. When I last checked, she’d released six albums. Personally, I’d recommend starting with her self-titled debut.

Les Nubians, ‘Makeda’ (Virgin, 1999)

Les Nubians is the French soul duo of sisters Hélène and Célia Faussart. They began singing a cappella, producing poetry slams in Bordeaux and Paris, and singing background vocals for various artists worldwide in the mid-1990s. In the late 1990s, they became one of the most successful French-language music groups in the US through their Billboard charting single ‘Makeda’ and their Grammy-nominated debut album Princesses Nubiennes. Over the following years, plenty of accolades followed.

Alias LJ, ‘Tout N’est Qu’un Reve’ (Polydor, 1999)

Fabrice Grandjean, aka Alias LJ, is a French producer, songwriter and film director. In the late 1990s, he was on a tear as a commercial RnB songwriter and performer. When you listen to his work, you quickly realise how undeniable his vocal delivery was.

NoDéjà, ‘Quelque Chose About You’ (Tox, 1999)

This is a bit of a bonus round entry, really. NoDéjà was an R&B trio formed in the 1990s in Quebec, Canada, by Barnev Valsaint, Patrick Chevalier, and Mike Coriolan. I just want to thank Montreal’s Aïsha Vertus aka Gayance for putting me onto their self-titled debut album. There’s some moments of real beauty on here.

BONUS:

As an exclusive for my subscribers, I spent a couple of hours yesterday recording a 1990s French RnB, Neo Soul and New Jack Swing mix, which you can check out on Soundcloud here.

FIN.