Tropi-Cléa 2 (EP)

Cléa Vincent has been recording singles and EPs since 2013, and has released two albums, one in 2016 (Retiens mon désir) and the other in 2019 (Nuits sans sommeil). The singer, songwriter and lyricist obviously loves samba-funk and Brazilian tropicalia, as well as Cuban son, New York salsa and Jamaican reggae. She also enjoys interviewing artists, notably on the Sooo Pop show she hosted for the web on the Trois Baudets platform. This shows her dynamism within the new Parisian scene. Tropi-Cléa 2 is the sequel to an EP of the same title and is part of a modern tradition – for three generations, French pop and chanson has been interested in the tropics, among the first in Europe for the promotion of Brazilian and West African music, to name just a few examples. Vincent has also been digging in deeper by adapting Caribbean and Latin American rhythms to songs that are, after all, very… French. There are some well-turned and well-defined rhymes, a delicate and high-pitched voice, a stylistic appropriation that’s acceptable, a certain thinness in the general execution, a sincere curiosity and openness to the music of the Global South… despite the clichés on the programme. It may not be Peru, but it’s still France that we love!