About
Biography
French Version
Née en France, à Villeneuve sur lot, de père mélanésien : le célèbre sculpteur Emmanuel WATT* qui y exerçait son service militaire à cette époque, et de mère d’origine italienne : Lucie Ménini, pianiste, Vanuella Watt baigne dès son plus jeune âge dans un univers artistique. Vanuella n’a que 6 mois quand ses parents reviennent dans le Pacifique. La famille s’installe d’abord au Vanuatu, puis en Nouvelle-Calédonie.
La chanteuse se produit dès l’âge de 10 ans et son talent s’accroît au fil des années. Elle sillonne le Pacifique, va jusqu’en Californie et restera plusieurs années en France où elle réalisera son premier album : “Revoir mes îles” et se produira pendant plusieurs années au Don Camilo.
Cette belle métisse possède tous les timbres, toutes les voix, et fascine le public de part sa personnalité chaleureuse et naturelle. A chacune des chansons qu’elle interprète avec justesse, style, profondeur, et beaucoup de cœur, Vanuella vous transperce l’âme le temps d’un concert.
Elle fait partie irrévocablement des chanteuses à coffre qui ont une âme, un carisme et un magnétisme mystérieux hors du commun.
En 1997, A Nouméa, elle fait l’ouverture de l’association : “Le divan des Divas”. La sublime interprète s’acharne au travail, ne cesse d’exceller dans son art. On l’appelle à tour de rôle “l’Edith Piaf du Pacifique”, ” l’Aigle noir à la voix d’ange”, la “Diva du Pacifique” etc.
Elle chante dès lors dans divers groupes et est repérée à maintes reprises par des producteurs français qui iront jusqu’à l’inviter au MIDEM de CANNES. Ainsi en 2000, elle représentera pour la première fois La Nouvelle-Calédonie au festival mondial de la musique.
Son timbre de voix, comme son regard, est ensorceleur et envoûtera un producteur français, rencontré au Midem de Cannes. Ce dernier lui proposera de produire son 1er album qui sera vendu en Nouvelle-Calédonie. “Soleil, soleil”, titre phare de l’album sera écouté et apprécié de tous les calédoniens. Ce qui permettra à la chanteuse d’accéder à une célébrité hors pair dans la région Pacifique sud.
Au-delà des mers et des océans,Vanuella est la promotion de la chanson francophone dans le Pacifique. C’est l’amour du monde, le métissage des cultures. la chanteuse adopte tous les styles et interprète les plus grands titres de variété, jazz, salsa, zouk etc… Avec virtuosité.
L’histoire de la musique est incontournable, Vanuella en exprime le passé, le présent et le futur, par une simple chanson.
Aujourd’hui, Vanuella tourne beaucoup dans son pays, et est très appréciée de tout le public calédonien. Partout où elle se produit, l’artiste sait rassembler tous les publics. Sa musique est métissée, mélangée, comme l’est le pays, dit-elle. Vanuella incarne aujourd’hui l’image moderne de la musique calédonienne.
English Version
Born in Villeneuve-sur-Lot, France, daughter of a Melanesian father – the famous sculptor Emmanuel Watt and a French Italian mother– pianist Lucie Ménini, Vanuella Watt was immersed from her very earliest days in an artistic environment. Vanuella was just six months old when her parents returned to the Pacific. The family initially settled in Vanuatu before moving to New Caledonia.
The singer started performing at the age of 10 and her talent continued to grow throughout the years. She travelled across the Pacific, even going as far as California, and also spent several years in France where she cut her first album: Revoir mes îles (Back to my islands) and performed for several years at the Don Camilo.
This beautiful Métis has a voice that spans all timbres and ranges, and fascinates audiences with her warm and natural personality. With each of the songs she sings to perfection with inimitable style, depth and feeling, Vanuella reaches deep into your soul for the duration of her concerts.
She is undeniably one of those powerful singers who have that mysterious soul, charisma and magnetism rarely equalled. In 1997, in Noumea, she sang at the association’s opening: “Le divan des Divas”. This sublime singer is committed to her work and continues to excel as she reaches new heights in her art. She has been called the “Edith Piaf of the Pacific”, the “Black eagle with the voice of an angel”, the “Pacific Diva”, to name just these.
She now sings with a variety of groups and has often been spotted by French producers who have even invited her to sing at the MIDEM in CANNES. For example, in 2000, she represented New Caledonia for the first time at the World Music Festival.
The bewitching timbre of her voice and presence captivated a French producer she met at MIDEM in Cannes. He offered to produce her first album that was sold in New Caledonia. “Soleil, soleil” (Sun, sun), the album’s leading track was listened to and enjoyed by New Caledonians. As a result, Vanuella has achieved unrivalled fame across the entire South Pacific.
Across the seas and oceans, Vanuella is the voice of the French song in the Pacific. With her love of the world and cross-cultural mixes, she moves easily between all styles and effortlessly sings all the greats from the worlds of pop, jazz, salsa, zouk, and so on.
The history of music is within us all: Vanuella expresses its past, present and future in just one song. Today, Vanuella performs a lot in her own country, and is a great favourite with New Caledonian audiences. Wherever she sings, this great artist unites her audience as one. Her music is a blend of many origins and sources, as are the people of this country, she says. Today, Vanuella personifies the modern image of New Caledonian music.
Discography & Tours
Albums:
- Revoir mes îles (2001)
- Coeur Grenadine (2011)
- Les recettes (2012)
- Real Princess (2013, with Mada Voice)
- Oceania: a hymn for the Pacific (June 2014, Produced by Mangrove, arranged by Igelese Ete)
Pacific Tours:
- Fiji (2012)
- Vanuatu (2012, 2014, 2015)
- Canberra (2013)
- Sydney (2013)
- New Zealand (June 2014)
Artist Statement
“The best book you can read is that of your own life.
My life is made of simple things, but so unique. My father is a sculptor, my mother is a pianist. My father is black, my mother is white. My father is a Capricorn, born in Vanuatu, in the Tropic of Capricorn. My mother is a Cancer, born in the Tropic of Cancer. What a coincidence! The perfect balance!
They are so different, they are North and South. Growing up in this artistic and multicultural universe gave me a special vision of the world. In my world everything blends together – music, wood, nature, colours and legends, and books.
It is often said that mixed-race people have no country. I say that I have at least 2. My roots, my beliefs are many. Is this a strength or a weakness? I think it’s mostly a question of balance.
New Caledonia is like me. It is mixed, blended, shared. It is great. It inspires me in my soul to make my music. I want to sing it, praise it, as long as possible.”
— Vanuella Watt
About Emmanuel Watt
See “Portrait” of Emmanuel Watt from the Alliance Française website in Vanuatu: http://www.alliancefr.vu/fr/sculpture/141-watt-emmanuel
Born 01-01 1947 in Port-Vila, Vanuatu. Specializes in wood, mother-of-pearl and black coral sculptures.
After traveling through Europe for several years doing odd jobs (as a companion of the Tour de France), Emmanuel Watt returned to Vanuatu in 1974. Upon his arrival, he rediscovered the riches of his country. His travels abroad allowed him to see with new eyes the environment he knew during his youth and he became aware of the richness and infinite source of inspiration that are the forms created by nature. He quickly got to work and created his first works which he exhibited as early as 1976. In the 1990s, he participated individually or collectively with the Nawita association in numerous international exchanges with France, Australia, China and New Caledonia.
He is the first contemporary Melanesian artist.
His Inspiration
Travel functioned as the incubator, the multiplier of experience that allowed him to finally find his “trigger”. Today, he wants his works to participate in the general awareness around environmental protection. The role of an artist for him being to make the public understand things that people don’t necessarily see. His artistic practice makes it possible to give value back to things that no longer have any and is also intended as a tribute to nature which is always creative.
His Vision of Vanuatu and Melanesian Art
“For Emmanuel Watt, artistic practice in Vanuatu helps protect a strong cultural heritage. Thus the”copyright” is an ancestral customary law on which Vanuatu artists still rely today. Artistic practice makes it possible to talk about the past with today’s words and is proof of the vitality and strength of custom in Melanesian societies. For him, the creation of several artists’ associations has strongly contributed to the recognition of contemporary art in Vanuatu. Vanuatu art has become a heritage capable of representing Vanuatu throughout the world. Thus, contemporary Oceanian artists, drawing inspiration from the cultural richness of their countries, were able to give continuity to traditional art by becoming vehicles of the Oceanian soul for tomorrow.”
Famous Works:
- (1980) - Famous work that bears the same name as his daughter
- “Fleur de la francophonie” - Exhibited at the Francophonie Days 2011
- Nawita
