Les Nubians – Princesses Nubiennes

Les Nubians – Princesses Nubiennes

Originally released in 1998, Princesses Nubiennes is the acclaimed debut album from French sister duo Les Nubians, Hélène and Célia Faussart. Blending French chanson and pop with neo soul, R&B, jazz, hip hop and African musical influences, the album established the duo's distinctive "Afropean" sound: smooth, sophisticated and deeply connected to both French and African cultural traditions. The album was recorded in England during 1997–98 and became particularly successful internationally following its release.

The album opens with "Demain (Jazz)", immediately introducing Les Nubians' combination of laid-back jazz textures, soulful vocals and French-language songwriting. "Les Portes Du Souvenir", "Sourire" and the title track "Princesse Nubienne" continue that elegant, intimate approach, while the short "Abbeylude" provides a tribute to legendary American jazz and civil-rights singer Abbey Lincoln, whose influence forms part of the album's wider musical heritage.

One of the album's best-known tracks, "Makeda", draws on African imagery and celebrates the heritage and identity represented by the legendary Queen of Sheba. It became an important breakthrough track in the United States, receiving radio play on college and R&B stations and helping the album gain a much wider audience. The album subsequently became one of the more successful French-language releases to make an impact on the American R&B market during the late 1990s.

"Tabou" is another notable highlight, reworking Sade's "The Sweetest Taboo" with French vocals and hip-hop elements. Elsewhere, "Embrasse-Moi" brings a sensual, rhythmically sophisticated R&B feel, while "Sugar Cane" switches between French and English and addresses the history and legacy of African slavery. "Voyager" closes the main body of the album with a theme of travel, connection and international unity before the extended "Désolée" brings the record to its conclusion.

Although Les Nubians were sometimes marketed as a French hip-hop act, Princesses Nubiennes is much broader in scope. Its combination of smooth jazz, soul, R&B, French pop, African influences and hip-hop rhythms places it alongside the work of artists such as Sade, Soul II Soul and Zap Mama, while retaining a musical identity that is unmistakably Les Nubians. Contemporary American radio coverage similarly highlighted the album's mixture of jazz, hip-hop beats and smooth R&B.

For collectors of French soul, neo soul, rare groove, Afro-French music, jazz-influenced R&B and international 1990s pop, Princesses Nubiennes is a particularly distinctive debut. Its sophisticated production, multilingual influences and strong sense of cultural identity make it one of the more interesting French-language R&B albums of the late 1990s.

Tracklist

1. Demain (Jazz) — 3:50
2. Les Portes Du Souvenir — 4:58
3. Abbeylude (Interlude) — 0:28
4. Makeda — 4:53
5. Sourire — 2:36
6. Princesse Nubienne — 5:19
7. Tabou — 4:48
8. Mystic (Interlude) — 0:22
9. Embrasse-Moi — 4:38
10. Sugar Cane — 4:36
11. Bebela — 4:46
12. Si Je T'Avais Écouté — 4:14
13. Hymne Nubien (Interlude) — 1:11
14. Voyager — 4:27
15. Désolée — 8:32