Zaho de Sagazan

After the release of her first album, Zaho de Sagazan has reached dizzy new heights, becoming the first artist to win four French Music Awards: Album of the Year, Best Original Song, Best Female Newcomer, Best Newcomer Live Act. If you want to describe Zaho’s voice it most likely is a type of material: a metallic velvet, the texture both bouncy and rough, the movement between a silk-lifting breeze and the ripple caused by skimming stones. While Zaho de Sagazan’s voice has a peculiar character, it soon feels familiar before becoming powerfully intimate. She could be your sister, best friend, a shaman, a therapist? This very voice had made her feel uncomfortable during her childhood: "It made me self-conscious because many things about me were the opposite of the feminine and I couldn't hide my voice." It took her some time to admit to herself that her calling was to be an artist. At one time, she was tempted by working in healthcare, eventually channeling that kind spirit to bring her closer to her current work as a singer – "I'm the friend you call when you want to talk for three hours." Zaho, always a dreamer, grew up guided by the maternal insight of ‘putting herself in others’ shoes’, which was a charitable virtue and a wonderful way to hone her observation skills. Whether her songs are written from the “I”, ”you” or “he” perspective, the subject never changes: a person who loves, suffers, is hesitant, looks at themselves and seeks to explore further.