FM LAETI

Originating in Guadeloupe, raised in Canada, and subsequently based in Paris, FM Laeti's blend of R&B, jazz, and pop with the music of her globe-trotting background has seen her hailed as one of France's most exciting soul talents. Born in the village of Karukera in 1981 to a literature student mother and drummer father (who'd previously co-founded the zouk group Kassav'), Laetitia moved to France at age three with her family, and then at age nine to Canada, where she first developed a love of music, singing in the school's chamber choir and immersing herself in the music of Bob Marley, Nina Simone, and Etta James as well as world musicians Salif Keita and Bebel Gilberto. After graduating from college in Illinois, she returned to Paris where she began performing in jazz bars and worked as a costume designer and English-language voice-over artist. Adopting the name FM Laeti, she was spotted by multi-instrumentalist François-Marie Dru, and after signing to Wagram Records, the pair began work on her debut album, It Will All Come Around. Featuring the lead single "Rise in the Sun" and a collaboration with Malawi vocalist Fatoumata Diawara (Coco), it was released to critical acclaim in late 2011. In 2014 she returned with the club-aimed single "I Wanna Dance," along with the album For the Music. ~ Jon O'Brien