instrument that runs from whisper to steel, imperfect and beautiful at once. Meeting her
after a set in one of the usual St Germain clubs, I'm not sure if I want to console her, or run
from her at the same time. I like her east-coast French.
Her roots? Kelda grew up in New Jersey, in the States, leaving to train as a classical singer
in the elite Manhattan School of Music in New York City at the age of 16, studying with
Bernstein's muse Adele Addison. " My passion was to find the richness and subtlety of the
lesser-known modernist pieces," she laughs, "but then I kept exploring." Years passed, and
after finishing a concert one night, she found herself at Smalls, just to listen. A laugh: "if I
had any idea where it would lead me..." She learned again, concentrating on the art of Nina
Simone, Carmen McRae, Peggy Lee, Stevie Wonder...she sang in the circuits of NYC, taking
a short detour to sings a few dates in Paris. Listening to an anonymous street singer that
made her breath catch, she took a bet and decided to return.
For the next part, she pauses and I get why she has lived enough to sing a ballad. She tells
me how, a year later, in 2004, she moved to Paris, formed her quintet, and stayed.
Endless gigs and a brand new CD later, I see a rare artist. She's a unique creature, the girl
who people call Knight, and her rare mix is as intoxicating as the finest cocktail you could
ever drink.
--J.R, 20/10/05
