* En anglais uniquement
Arriving with a winning combo of sass, grit, and rock & roll punch, Belgian blues artist Ghalia Vauthier first made her name in Brussels fronting the R&B-heavy Ghalia & the Naphtalines before her 2017 solo debut, Let the Demons Out (released under the name "Ghalia & Mama's Boys"), helped establish her Stateside. For her 2019 follow-up, Mississippi Blend, she again headed to the U.S. and immersed herself in the regional blues scene around Coldwater, Mississippi, where it was recorded.
Ghalia initially cut her teeth as a street performer, busking around Europe and later throughout the American South, meeting local musicians, learning songs, and writing her own. Back in Brussels she spent some time as the frontwoman for the energetic R&B act, Ghalia & the Naphtalines, then recorded her first original project as Voodoo Casino in 2016. Still, the birthplace of the blues remained a major source of inspiration and it was a trip to New Orleans that connected her with local favorites Johnny Mastro & Mama's Boys. She hit it off with the band and was invited to front Mama's Boys for a period, which led to the recording of her first solo album. Released in 2017, Let the Demons Out features Ghalia's raw, punk-infused songs backed by members of Mama's Boys in a gritty, minimalist setting. Released two years later, her follow-up, Mississippi Blend, was recorded in Coldwater, Mississippi and features an array of local players backing her up.
© Timothy Monger /TiVo