Carmen Maria Vega Serves Up Nouveau Gypsy Jazz

Carmen Maria Vega is both the name of this band and its animated lead singer, who imbues their songs and videos with humor and charisma. The band helped fuel the recent resurgence of Jazz Manouche in France.

Carmen is the vocalist and the heart of the band, with her expressive visual and vocal performances on stage and on video. With its Rock edge, the group helped introduce Gypsy Jazz to a whole new generation.

Growing up in Lyon in a family of artists, Vega was exposed her to a variety of music, including Jazz. She began acting at age 7, and attended theater school in Lyon.

Her sound is more inspired by Ella Fitzgerald, from whom she learned to scat than by Edith Piaf, whose music she said she didn’t discover until she was 15. American Jazz greats round out her list of influences, from Nina Simone and Billie Holiday, to Charlie Parker.

In 2005, she met guitarist Max Lavegie, and they began creating their own brand of funny stories set to Gypsy Jazz. (Their hit, “La Menteuse” is one such example.)

The band scored big with their self-titled debut album in 2009. Fans and critics loved their ability to both make traditional Jazz Manouche, and to reinterpret it with a splash Punk. The album’s vibe varies, depending on which character Vega is portraying in the song. At times, she’s explosive. At other times, tender. The album was nominated for the Prix Constantin (the French equivalent of the UK’s Mercury Prize).

The quirky video for “La Menteuse,” was one of my favorites of 2010. If you like the kind of music Zaz makes, then you’ll like Vega’s entire self-titled debut album. Once again, in hamming it up for the camera and the occasional growl, her theatrical background shines through:

Their sophomore album, Du Chaos Naissent Les Etoiles is more diverse than the first. The more personal lyrics are a product of Vega singing not in character anymore, but rather as herself. Music-wise, the album half Jazz Manouche and half Rock. The singles released from it were only from the Rock half, as the band wanted to shake up their sound a bit. Still, you can find some new Gypsy swing for your collection on their latest release.

Here’s the first single “On s’en fout.” You can see Carmen’s acting and comedic skills at work in the video. Her eye-rolls and facial expressions always crack me up.

What do you think of this French singer? Leave a comment below: