Lianne La Havas

Born in London in 1989 and raised in the south of the British capital, between Tooting and Streatham, Lianne La Havas develops a writing style where soul, contemporary R&B, folk and hints of jazz cross paths. Of Greek descent on her father’s side and Jamaican on her mother’s side, she begins by singing in a choir, writes very young, then enters the professional circuit at the end of the 2000s, notably as a backing vocalist for Paloma Faith. After a first EP, Lost & Found in 2011, Lianne La Havas releases Is Your Love Big Enough? in 2012, an album that establishes a sober format focused on the voice, guitar and supple arrangements. The following years show an expansion of her palette: Blood in 2015 relies more on rhythms and on a reflection connected to her family origins, while Lianne La Havas in 2020 further refines her approach, with a more stripped-down sound, very clear melodic lines and a performance that plays as much on restraint as on soul inflections. Over the years, Lianne La Havas has also multiplied collaborations, among others with Prince, Alt-J, Aqualung and Rudimental, while performing on international stages and festivals as well as large-scale tours, notably alongside Bon Iver and then Coldplay.