Joanne Radao is not an artist who is enclosed in a box. Author-songwriter-interpreter and producer Franco-Malgache, she weaves with audacity and heart a music that celebrates interbreeding, roots and memory. His hybrid pop, both cosmopolitan and generous, draws from Malagasy sounds to offer a fresh and universal sound, which resonates far beyond the borders of its two land of belonging.
Born and raised in France, Joanne grew up with French as a mother tongue, but it was with her grandmother, Jeanine, that she discovered the Malagasy. “” I understand pretty well, but I don’t talk yet enough She confides with a touch of humility, before adding that she continues to learn. This linguistic and emotional connection with Madagascar, inherited from his grandmother, is at the heart of her artistic identity. “” Even if I was born in France, even if I was raised in France, it was important for me to pay tribute to these roots and especially my grandmother She explains.
His first EP, “Fety” (which means “party” in Malagasy), released in 2023 and recorded between Paris and Brussels, marked the spirits. With this project, Joanne makes the melancholy of the red island dance, mixing Malagasy rhythms and Western pop influences. The success was immediate: France Inter, RFI, Nova and FIP succumb, Tiktok France integrates it into its novelties, and the Malagasy media take hold of the phenomenon. Across the Atlantic, Radio Canada discovered it, while its consecration arrived in 2024 with its selection at the Francofolies de La Rochelle site. First part for artists like Fatoumata Diawara, Emeli Sandé or Blick Bassy, Joanne gradually imposes his singular voice. His first tour, produced by the Periscope, then spread the “Fety Mania” through France.
But it is with his second EP, ” Jélinne », Whose release is scheduled for this day, that Joanne Radao unveils an even more intimate facet of her art. This opus, which bears the first name of his grandmother who died two years ago, is a vibrant tribute to dear beings. “” I was writing this project when she left, so it was obvious that the songs had to bear her name “, She says, moved. From Jélinne to Joanne, the capital “J” becomes a symbolic bridge between generations and cultures. “” It is the recognition of the belly. My guts and my heart speak without detour ”she adds.
Musically, Jélinne remains faithful to this pop she claims, wide and eclectic, where Rock, R’n’B, Soul and, of course, discreet loans from traditional Malagasy music. We find in particular the Valiha, this emblematic instrument of Madagascar, played by the virtuoso Rajery. “” It is Western pop, but with rhythms and melodies typical of certain places in Madagascar “, Specifies Joanne, who likes to collaborate with other artists, such as M. Beats for remixes of” Fety “.
If his work seduces in France ” The feedback is good here », She says, he also arouses debates. Some purists regret an overly daring fusion with traditional music, while others are surprised by its multilingualism. “” Critics are good too, because it allows you to say that I ask questions with my music “, She retorts with serenity. “” I try to present a coherent and professional artistic project. There will always be people who will not appreciate, and it does not matter ».
Through his songs, Joanne tells of her reality, her emotions, her life. In ” Jélinne “, A title like” The courage Talk about the necessary strength and determination to move forward. “”I try to make my personal emotions touch people She says. And it works: her music, which is mainly expressed in French with a few Malagasy words, opens a window on Madagascar, a country that she dreams of winning artistically. “” My dearest wish is to offer a tour of Mada, to come to play “, She announces, as she prepares her return to the island.
With two EPs of five songs each, Joanne now has a solid repertoire, almost a complete album, which she carries on stage with a communicative energy. Between France and Madagascar, she builds bridges, celebrates diversity and makes a voice heard which, in her own way, redefines pop of today. “” The important thing is diversity “, She concludes. A diversity she embodies, from Jélinne to Joanne, with disarming authenticity.
Heriniaina Samson
