Nathalie Natiembé

Nathalie Natiembé, *Bonbon Zétwal (UK) She is always saying that she is doing maloya. And she is quite right, Nathalie Natiembé. Even if it is almost absent, rhythmically, from her new album, it wraps the whole of her state of mind with a *marooning ambiance. Yes, she is free, Nathalie Natiembé. And a rebel. An energy that earned her the nickname of “little punk of the maloya”. With Bonbon Zétwal, it is a chiselled and channelled energy, sifted through the sieve of the intimacy that she gives us. It does feel like the album of the accomplishment. As if her years of bloody flirting with rock, pop, punk, reggae, finally appreciated the pleasure of peaceful happy marriage with this Reunionese culture- her second skin. The one which lives in her trance of words. The progression had begun with Bumcello, on her album Karma . It takes its full dimension with today’s partners: Yann Costa on keyboards, Cyril Fever Faivre on drums and Boris on Kulenovic on bass. Nathalie Natiembé has found herself, musically speaking, within this mind-blowing world music with 70’s flavours. Rock, Reggae, Maloya or a more jazzy-coloured genre, she assumes all. And she bears everything with a strong vocal range, crazy as well but softened too. This Bonbon Zétwal is soft. Sweet, poetic, touching and sensuous. Slightly tasting like a *margoze : biting into a star is sometimes bitter. For Nathalie Natiembé sings an unvarnished intimacy. Bereavement first. Her parents’ which burdens the first track with an emotion both explosive and discreet. This bonbon zétwal belongs to childhood, this spicy Reunionese cake her mother would give her., bringing back a flood of memories to her. “When life sometimes flows like dark water…” She exorcizes her grief, her demons (X Parano) through massive poetic drives. She generously shares her whole love, at times irrational (Bwalé , Rêve) , she tells us about Vida ( a hybrid fickleness endemic demonstration) of her Reunion, she takes us for a ride through the paths of her teenage years ( Nwar 72+1) and whispers her mournful oration in hypnotic Flakdolo ( puddle) . A “flow of emotions” under licensed heart. • Bonbon zétwal: a creole star-shaped cake • Maronaz: (Marooning) Term given to the runaway slaves, escaping from their masters’ plantations • Margoze: Fruit whose flesh is sweet but the seed is bitter Bonbon Zetwal dans les bacs depuis le 4 novembre ! www.nathalienatiembe.com