In this joyful and profound debut album Celia Wa nods to the past and future, as well as both sides of the Atlantic.

Born in Paris, singer and flautist Celia Wa spent part of her childhood in Guadeloupe, where she learned traditional Afro-Caribbean music, especially Gwo-ka rhythms, and the flute.

Returning to Paris, she studied at the American School of Modern Music, worked for years as a hip-hop dancer and created the music she calls Karibfutursound, which is deeply committed to her Caribbean cultural heritage. Three EPs later this is her first fuull-length album, sung in Creole, published on Heavenly Sweetness.

The album features Wa’s longtime collaborators, Martiniquean Xavier Belin on keyboards and Guadeloupean Kristof Négrit on drums and ka. the trio was joined by producer and multi-instrumentalist David Walters, whom Wa met at jam sessions. Walters plays guitar and bass and arranged most of her compositions, bringing out the familiar infectious danceability known from his other records.

“Fasadé” translates to face or meet in Creole, and throughout the album, Wa confronts a spectrum of emotions—sadness, anger, a demand for justice—all presented with an invitation to dance. The album opener ‘Ola’ is a break-up song with rich vocal harmonies, followed by ‘Démounaj’, a call to not forget the traumas of slavery in the Antilles. The title track, ‘Fasadé,’ fuses pensive synth-pop textures with the raw pulse of the acoustic ka drum. The more stripped down ‘Rasenbleman’, revolving around driving percussion, bass and voice, pays tribute to Haitian singer Toto Bissainthe, who wrote the song – ‘Rasenbleman’ carries a dual meaning, both gathering and rallying together to move forward. With a 40-year long career in the Guadeloupean and Parisian music scene, percussionist Roger Raspail joins on this track. Throughout the album, Wa deepens her transatlantic connections by featuring kora by Ousmane Kouyaté as well as a tribute to the Orishas by Owomide.

The album closes with a praise song by an important figure in Guadeloupe’s music scene, Frantz Brousillon of the Gwoka band Indestwas Ka, grounding the project firmly in Guadeloupean musical heritage, the foundation of Wa’s Karibfutursound.

Fasadé is a stunning debut rich in personal and honest compositions that connect the dots between regions and histories, all while honouring those who came before—brought to life by a group of outstanding musicians.

Celia Wa's debut Fasadé was released on 28/02 via Heavenly Sweetness
You can listen to and purchase your copy HERE