She may have been born to a French father and a Dominican mother, but Cyrille Aimée has a Gypsy in her soul. There is a delightful restlessness about the pixieish, 30-year-old vocalist, a constant yearning for new horizons.
Seven albums into an itinerant recording career, Aimée saw her profile raised this past summer when It’s a Good Day, originally released in Japan in 2013, was licensed for the U.S. market through the Mack Avenue label. The album represents, in several ways, the culmination of her musical journey thus far, blending her passion for Gypsy jazz and her love of Brazilian music with her deep appreciation of the Great American Songbook. At the same time, it furthers her songwriting skill and cleverly celebrates her ardor for the guitar. Each of the album’s 13 tracks features the interweaving of three distinct players: Aimée’s countryman Michael Valeanu on electric guitar; another Frenchman, Gypsy-influenced Adrien Moignard, on steel-string; and Brazil’s Guilherme Monteiro on nylon-string. It’s a Good Day also reflects Aimée’s predilection for upbeat sentiments. “I’m really into lyrics that are positive,” she tells me. “When I first realized I wanted to be a musician, it was because I saw how music can affect people in a positive way, and I’m still not able to write a sad song. I like uplifting messages.”
