Blanche Bailly

Cameroonian vocalist Blanche Bailly serves up smoky contemporary R&B infused with both Latin rhythms and touches of dancehall. After releasing her debut single, "Kam We Stay," in 2016, Bailly grew to be regarded as one of Africa's strongest R&B vocalists, turning up the pop appeal on subsequent tracks like 2020's "Mes Respects." Blanche Bailly was born Tatah Larinatte Bailly in Kumba, Cameroon in 1995. When she was 12, her family moved to France and it was there she decided to pursue her musical dreams. It was a slow road at first, and Bailly eventually relocated to London to try to find more opportunities for exposure. At first, she released music under the moniker Swagger Queen, but her 2016 single "Kam We Stay" was released in 2016 under her new stage name, Blanche Bailly. The song was a success and she followed it the next year with the single "Mimbayeur," a slinky and minimal tune featuring a cameo from rapper Minks. This song established Bailly as a star in Central Africa, and set the stage for more tracks to reach her growing fan base. Songs like 2018's "Ndolo" led to tours of France, Geneva, and other parts of Europe. In 2020, her track "Mes Respects" turned away from the driving rhythms and danceability of her earlier work in favor of a more subdued pop approach. ~ Fred Thomas