Roseaux: The French Collective Blending Soul, Jazz & World Music

Roseaux is a French musical collective known for its sophisticated fusion of soul, jazz, and global rhythms. The group, formed around producer and musician Émilie Kahn, first gained significant attention with their 2013 debut album that reimagined classic songs through a contemporary lens.

Early career

The project crystallized in Paris around 2012, spearheaded by producer and multi-instrumentalist Émilie Kahn. Kahn's vision was to assemble a rotating cast of talented vocalists and musicians, creating a fluid collective rather than a fixed band. Their initial work focused on crafting lush, organic covers, building a distinct sound that blended live instrumentation with subtle electronic production.

Breakthrough

Roseaux's breakthrough arrived in 2013 with the release of their debut album, The Sun, on the French label Wagram Music. The album, featuring soulful interpretations of tracks by artists like Bill Withers and The Beatles, was praised for its elegant production and introduced the collective's signature style to a wider European audience. It established them as a fresh and compelling voice in the French alternative scene.

Key tracks

The Sun — This title track and lead single from their debut album perfectly encapsulates their warm, soul-infused sound and served as their initial calling card.

Shine — A standout original composition from their later work that highlights the group's evolution into writing compelling original material with a global groove.

Ain't No Sunshine — Their acclaimed cover of the Bill Withers classic demonstrated their ability to respectfully reinvent a well-known song with a fresh, jazzy arrangement.

Following their debut, Roseaux continued to evolve, releasing the album R in 2016. This work featured more original compositions and collaborations, including with British singer-songwriter Aloe Blacc on the track Shine. Their music has been featured in various television and film soundtracks, broadening their reach beyond the traditional album format. The collective's strength lies in its collaborative spirit, often featuring different lead vocalists and instrumentalists who bring diverse influences to their cohesive sound. For fans of Roseaux's eclectic and smooth style, other artists in the French and European scene offer similar blends. Nouvelle Vague shares the approach of sophisticated, genre-bending covers with a distinct lounge and bossa nova feel. Chinese Man operates in a similar space of collaborative, sample-based production that mixes hip-hop, jazz, and world music. The organic soul and jazz influences can also be heard in the work of Gregory Porter, though from a more traditional vocal jazz perspective.

Roseaux's polished and atmospheric tracks are a natural fit for a variety of radio formats. Their music regularly appears on playlists for eclectic online radio streams, independent music radio stations focusing on jazz and world fusion, and sophisticated adult-alternative FM stations seeking smooth, internationally-flavored sounds.

You can hear the rich, blended soul and jazz music of Roseaux on the diverse radio stations featured here on onairium.com. Tune in to discover their catalog of soothing grooves and elegant covers across our network of curated music channels.