by Kelly Wetherille
Japan’s most beloved French singer will again grace our shores this summer. Clementine’s summer a tour will take her from Tokyo to Kyoto, with several stops in between.
Relatively unknown throughout most of the world, Clementine is arguably the most popular French musician in Japan, and was honored for her role in furthering Japan/France relations by former French president Jacques Chirac. She has recorded nearly two dozen albums and sold over 1.5 million records in total. A somewhat regular guest at Aoyama’s Blue Note (where she has performed several times over the years), her mellow and sweet sound lends itself perfectly to a romantic dinner show or a sophisticated alternative to evening cocktails.
Clementine began her career in the late 1980s, recording under Sony France. Her music can be described as a soft, soulful mix of jazz, pop, bossa nova, and her own versions of French classics, such as Ma Chérie Amour, made famous by Stevie Wonder. To commemorate her 20 years as a recording artist, Clementine has released a series of three anniversary mini-albums in the past year: Chocolats et Sweets, Sweet Rendez-vous, and Sweet Illumination, all available from Amazon Japan.
Clementine’s Tokyo stop on her tour will again take her to the Blue Note, where she will play a total of eight shows. She will also make stops in Yokohama and Yokosuka.
For tickets visit www.bluenote.co.jp.
Photos courtesy of Possion Heads.
