Melissa NKonda is out to prove that she’s much more than a reality show castoff. Though most people remember her from Nouvelle Star (French American Idol), she’s since made a splash with a much different sound and image. Now a confident songwriter, she shines with acoustic Pop / Soul and a bilingual and cross-cultural appeal.
With an Afro Folk vibe reminiscent of Ayo, her earworm hit “Nouveaux Horizons” became a contender for Song of the Summer in 2011.
Hailing from Maubege in north France, Mélissa Nkonda (a.k.a. Mélissa Reffas) dabbled in cosmetology and hospitality before turning to a career in music.
She first began singing in public in 2006, largely by accident: When she accompanied a friend who had entered a singing contest, she was urged to get onstage herself, and ended up winning.
It was her mother who signed up the then 17-year-old to audition for season 7 of Nouvelle Star, where she competed against the likes of Camelia Jordana and the eventual winner, Soan, in 2009. She finished 9th.
With her newly discovered passion for performing, she sang in piano bars and small venues before resurfacing (and losing) on the reality show “Vouz Avez du Talent” in 2010.
The turning point came when she connected with Manuel Lefebvre, a friend and musician from Brazil. The pair began writing songs and performing together, with Manuel on ukulele. The ukulele is not typically associated with French music, but when combined with Nkonda’s rootsy voice, it’s enchanting. From this partnership, the song “Nouvelle Horizons” was born.
Melissa and Manuel competed together for a record deal in an online contest called “Je Veux Signer Chez AZ” (“I want to sign with AZ” — the imprint of Universal Music that distributes Amy Winehouse, Florence & the Machine, and Jessie J in France).” This time, the 20 year old was triumphant, performing her eventual hit “Nouveaux Horizons” for the judges on her way to winning and securing a deal to record her debut album.
Nouveaux Horizons
The album Noveaux Horizons is a musical journey through Pop, Soul, Jazz, and Latin and African rhythms.
Nkonda sometimes sings in English and records with English-speaking performers, which has done wonders for her international profile. You’ll find bits of English throughout the album, whether it’s the English chorus, “Go away with me, I just wanna be free” on “Nouveaux Horizons,” or the all-English single “I Dance Alone,” or the bilingual duet “J’ai fait tout ça pour vous” with British Soul sensation VV Brown, or “Africa,” an homage to her Algerian and Cameroonian roots.
If you like the sound of “Nouveaux Horizons,” you’ll like the other ukulele-based songs, “Africa” and “Viens.”
RedOne (the producer behind Lady Gaga) produced the tracks “Mes Aventures” and “I Dance Alone,” and Melissa co-wrote 5 of the songs.
The singer channels a little bit of Zaz on her hit single and the album’s title track, “Nouveaux Horizons” (“new horizons”). The French rapper Soprano appears on the remix, which you can also find on the album.
When Andy Grammer’s 2012 hit “Keep Your Head Up” went international, he recruited Melissa to record a duet version in French. Here’s the result, “Relève la tête.”
If you want a taste of Ayo, the artist I compared Melissa to, check this out.
What do you think of this French singer? Leave a comment below.
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