From the moment they won the Francouvertes two years ago, Rau_Ze has shown great promise. With a style that fuses jazz, soul, R&B, groove and pop, the group brings an innovative and original sound to the Franco-Quebec public. Virer nos vies, Rau_Ze’s debut album, is the fruit of a creative collaboration between singer Rose Perron and musician/producer Félix-Paul.
Rose is the very definition of an interpreter. Behind her delicate voice, which is immediately apparent, lies an impressive power that allows her to explore a vast range of styles. As for Félix-Paul, he drew inspiration from the world of Les Louanges to create an album in which soul, R&B, groove, funk and jazz form a coherent whole. He also deserves credit for writing seven of the album’s nine songs.
These tracks explore themes such as love, loneliness and consumerism, topics that may resonate with the experience of Quebec youth today.Although Rau_Ze is first and foremost a duo, it is accompanied by a group of musicians with whom the tandem has collaborated since their jazz studies at Cégep Saint-Laurent – including Henri Bouchard on bass guitar, Jeremy Leon on saxophone and Juan Espitia on drums. Their musical complicity grew out of numerous jam nights at Unik, the legendary bar on Décarie Street where Cégep music students gather to improvise and create.
Rau_Ze brings a breath of fresh air to the Quebec music scene, which is sorely lacking in female R&B singers expressing themselves in French. The U.S. has H.E.R., England has Jorja Smith, Montreal has Magi Merlin and Hawa B. We can now say that French-speaking Quebec has Rau_Ze. With Virer nos vies, the band has positioned itself as a rising star, one that can help define the contours of Quebec neo-soul/R&B.
