We are pleased to welcome a French treasury – Berry, for the first time in CZ. Why Berry ? What hides behind this name? A childhood memory? An affectionate nod towards Britain? An alternate identity to hide behind? All of the above, probably then again, maybe not! One thing is sure, though : Berry is such a breath of fresh air on the current music scene, it shouldn't be long till she becomes a household name. Her life story is itself quite unusual. Aged sixteen and a day, yearning for freedom, she decided to give up her studies. A teacher suggested a compromise : stay in school and join the theatre department. Having enlisted in a theatre company, she was soon performing on national stages in Poitiers alongside seasoned actors. In the process, she discovered the joy of serving contemporary authors as well as the classics and philosophers like Seneca, reading a mixture of the latter's texts with letters of Algerian women. Critical acclaim came with a production of Moliére's Learned Ladies, directed by Beatrice Agenin at the Theatre 13, then the Theatre Hebertot. It will come as no surprise that Berry had a lot of fun playing Henriette, the only character who isn't taken in by the pedantic twaddle mocked by Moliére. While theatre proved the initial trigger for her desire to perform in public, Berry had always entertained a secret passion for writing. I've always put my emotions to paper, but not necessarily in a song format, and it didn't seem so important╗ she confides. These early attempts were to take shape thanks to jazz composer Manou. In partnership with guitarist Lionel Dudognon, who welcomed the pair to his home, they put together two, three and eventually twelve songs, then proceeded to grace them with home-made sound effects – using pieces of furniture! Visiting musician friends added a few bars of saxophone, Lingala words, etc.An album was born, and christened Mademoiselle. It was conceived in at atmosphere of pure exultation, Berry remembers. Yet the duo knew that, for the project to thrive, they need to grow out of their DIY approach and interest a proper record label. Once again, destiny intervened. Manou's brother was working in a kindergarten where a young mother offered to play their demo to an A&R friend. Four days later came the phonecall from Universal. The other demo packages were never sent. The project then moved base to Brussels. After months of carefree isolation, Berry and her accomplices finally settled in a studio. Soon they were joined by musicians they had dreamed of working with but didn't believe it possible: Laurent Vernerey (Francoise Hardy, Benjamin Biolay), Clive Deamer (Portishead, Robert Plant), Denis Benarrosh (Stephan Eicher, Keren Ann, Nougaro), Eumir Deodato (Bjork, Earth, Wind & Fire, Christophe), Yannick Fonderie (Biolay), Laurent de Wilde (Ira Coleman, Abd al Malik)… Back in Paris, Berry began gigging, playing support to the likes of Michel Delpech, Bazbaz and Abd al Malik. A magical experience for Berry, who discovered the joy of carrying her songs over to the stage and for the audience who fell under the spell of her unsettling voice. On first listen, some will of course look for unlikely similarities. Yet on closer inspection, something becomes obvious: Berry sounds like Berry. Her uniqueness is immediately striking, as is her mastery of the art of juggling with words, double-entendres and complex feelings, which gives Mademoiselle╗ its deeply personal character, its mixture of black and pastel, where lightness transcends melancholy. A surprising alchemy, and a knot of many contradictions: timeless yet terribly modern, greedy yet modest, dark yet exhilarating. All that comes thanks to Manou's subtle, elegant pop sensibility and a clever combination of alternate and oblique rhymes that all converge inevitably towards the heart. Indeed, Mademoiselle exclusively deals with love, whether filial or carnal, tyrannical or miserable. A map of tenderness, revisited in her own unique way, with its small and great torments, but also beauty that not only transports the listener, but may well make them a better person. Still, as Berry confesses with typical lack of affectation: it's no big deal, really!
