Cathy Claret

Cathy Claret
Cathy Claret
Cathy Claret
Background information
Born1963 (age 62–63)
Nîmes, France
OriginSeville, Spain
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • composer
  • producer
  • multi-instrumentalist
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • bass
  • flute
  • percussion
Years active1983–present
Labels

Cathy Claret (born 1963 in Nîmes, France) is a French singer-songwriter, composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist based in Spain since the 1980s.[1][2] Her work blends flamenco with pop, chanson, bossa nova and rumba, and Spanish music press has described her as one of the pioneers in the integration of flamenco into pop songwriting.[1][3] Despite a modest commercial profile in Spain, she has developed a long-standing audience in Japan, a contrast that Late Motiv's host Andreu Buenafuente compared to the documentary Searching for Sugar Man.[4][2]

Early life and beginnings

Cathy Claret was born in Nîmes, in the south of France, in 1963.[1][2] According to an interview with El Salto, she worked in the grape harvest in the south of France for several years starting at the age of sixteen, where she came into contact with Gitano families and developed an interest in flamenco through artists such as Camarón de la Isla, Lole y Manuel, Manzanita and Pata Negra.[1] She has stated that the Amador family of Pata Negra became a kind of adoptive family for her.[1]

In 1983 she co-founded the Bel Canto Orchestra with Pascal Comelade, playing piano, vibraphone and flute alongside Víctor Nubla and Eulàlia Barrière.[1]

Career

Virgin France and early singles (1987–1991)

Cathy Claret was signed by Emmanuel de Buretel for Virgin Records in France — the same A&R who later signed Manu Chao and Les Rita Mitsouko.[1] Her debut single, "¿Por qué? ¿Por qué?" (Virgin, 1987), featured "El Color" on the B-side, included contributions from Pata Negra and was produced by Ben Rogan, known for his work with Sade.[1] She has stated in interviews that her initial work at Virgin France included writing songs and recording demo vocals for other singers, having been recruited because her voice resembled that of Jeanette.[4] In 1987 she toured France with Pata Negra.[1]

On 27 June 1987, the French television channel TF1 broadcast a report featuring Claret in Barcelona as part of the programme Mini Mag; the report, in which she performs "Por que porque", is preserved by the Institut national de l'audiovisuel.[5] That August, the French music magazine Top 50 devoted a two-page interview to Claret titled "Allo... Cathy Claret" in its issue No. 76 (17–23 August 1987), alongside artists such as Johnny Hallyday and Whitney Houston.[6] The single also received coverage in the European music trade press Music & Media in 1988.[7]

Her debut studio album, Cathy Claret, was released by the Belgian label Les Disques du Crépuscule in 1990, followed by Soleil y locura (Crépuscule, 1991).[1][8][9] According to LTM Recordings' historical documentation of the Crépuscule catalogue, both albums were reviewed in the international music press of the period, including Paris Match, Les Inrockuptibles, NME (by Paul Lester) and Melody Maker.[9] Les Inrockuptibles also published an in-depth interview with Claret titled "Parisien tête de chien", written by Bates with photography by Renaud Monfourny.[10] Soleil y locura was licensed for Japanese release by Victor JVC and completed in connection with Claret's first Japanese tour that same year.[9] The album included the song "Bolloré" (later re-titled "Bolleré"), which was subsequently recorded by Raimundo Amador and B. B. King and included on King's compilation His Definitive Greatest Hits.[11][9] In 1991 she performed at the Shibuya Club Quattro in Tokyo as part of a showcase of artists from Les Disques du Crépuscule.[12]

2000s

El País covered Claret's return to recording in 2000, describing La chica del viento (Zanfonia, 2000) — co-produced by Cathy Claret and Kiko Veneno — as a new stage after her early-1990s work.[13][1] She subsequently signed with Subterfuge Records, releasing Sussurrando (2003), Sambisarane (2005) — an electronic reinterpretation of her catalogue by Henrik Takkenberg — and Gypsy Flower (2007), which featured collaborations with Finley Quaye, Hook Herrera and Jerónimo Maya.[14][15][11] Gypsy Flower was the subject of a cover story and extended interview in the Spanish music magazine Efe Eme in early 2007.[16] Her performances during this period included concerts at venues such as Casa de América in Madrid.[17]

2010s

In 2011, El País published a positive review of her work,[18] and she toured with Raimundo Amador.[1] She released the single "Chocolat" (Chesapik, 2013) and was profiled by RTVE's Mapa Sonoro in 2014.[19]

In 2015 she released Solita por el mundo under licence to Warner Music, featuring collaborations with Pascal Comelade, Nouvelle Vague, Rossy de Palma and Bebe.[20] In a 2016 interview with 20 minutos, she discussed the album and the Spanish media's portrayal of Romani people.[21]

In 2018 she signed with the Tokyo-based label Respect Record and released Primavera, which received positive reviews in Spanish music press including an 8/10 rating from Mondo Sonoro.[3][1] The album was also reviewed by the Japanese music publication Mikiki, associated with Tower Records Japan.[22] That year she also appeared on Late Motiv, the Movistar+ late-night show hosted by Andreu Buenafuente, where her career was framed as a Spanish parallel to Searching for Sugar Man, the documentary about Sixto Rodriguez.[4][2]

2020s

She released the album Así soy yo through Respect Record in October 2022, recorded between 2019 and 2022 in the La Mina district of Barcelona with producer Che and flamenco guitarist Eugenio Santiago, and featuring guest vocals from Soleá Morente, Lin Cortés and Raimundo Amador.[1][23] A digital single from the project, "Agua Cola Cola, Fregasuelo Verde", was released in December 2022; its lyrics reference Romani neighbourhoods including La Mina, Sant Roc, Can Tunis and Las Tres Mil Viviendas.[24] The album was also covered by Mikiki, which discussed the increased presence of Romani influences in her work.[12] In March 2026 she was interviewed by Víctor Fernández in the Personas Curvas segment of Hoy Empieza Todo on RTVE Radio 3.[25]

Film music

Claret's compositions and performances have also appeared in several films. She contributed the songs "Tango" and "Los picaros tarraneros" to the soundtrack of the French film Sam suffit (1992), directed by Virginie Thévenet. Her composition "Bolleré", in the version by Raimundo Amador and B. B. King, was later included in the soundtrack of the Argentine film Cenizas del paraíso (1997) and in the Spanish documentary Dame veneno (2007). She is also credited with the song "Somos libres" on the soundtrack of the Spanish film Otros días vendrán (2005).[26]

Style and influence

Spanish music press has described her as a "queen of the whispering voice" and the inventor of "pop canastero", and has highlighted her integration of flamenco, rumba, chanson, bossa nova and electronic textures.[3][1][4] El Huffington Post has characterised her trajectory as that of a "mainstream artist in Japan, ignored in Spain".[2] According to the Spanish music programme Los Sonidos del Planeta Azul, her flamenco-fusion style anticipated similar projects in Barcelona by a decade, and she has been cited as an influence by artists including Benjamin Biolay, Nouvelle Vague, Finley Quaye, Sly and Robbie and Kahimi Karie.[27]

Reception in Japan

Cathy Claret has had a sustained audience in Japan, where, according to El Salto, she has had imitators since the 1990s.[1] Japanese coverage of her work has linked her vocal style to artists associated with the Shibuya-kei scene, such as Kahimi Karie and Takako Minekawa, and songs of hers have been covered by Japanese singer Yukako Hayase — whose 1989 album Roses' Tails includes a version of Claret's "IL (ベッドの中では)".[12][28] Mikiki, the editorial site of Tower Records Japan, has discussed the influence of "¿Por qué? ¿Por qué?" on Japanese music later associated with the Shibuya-kei scene.[12] Her recent recording career has been carried out through the Tokyo label Respect Record.[1][3][22]

Discography

Singles

  • "¿Por qué? ¿Por qué?" (Virgin, 1987)[1][5][7]
  • "Chocolat" (Chesapik, 2013)[1]
  • "Agua Cola Cola, Fregasuelo Verde" (Respect Record, 2022)[24]

Studio albums

  • Cathy Claret (Les Disques du Crépuscule, 1990)[1][9]
  • Soleil y locura (Les Disques du Crépuscule, 1991)[1][9]
  • La chica del viento (Zanfonia, 2000)[13]
  • Sussurrando (Subterfuge Records, 2003)[14]
  • Sambisarane (Subterfuge Records, 2005)[15]
  • Gypsy Flower (Subterfuge Records, 2007)[1]
  • Solita por el mundo (Warner Music, 2015)[20]
  • Primavera (Respect Record, 2018)[3][22]
  • Así soy yo (Respect Record, 2022)[23][12]

Compilations

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Gendre, Marcos (16 February 2018). "Cathy Claret, y el flamenco se hizo pop". El Salto (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Gonzálvez, Paula M. (15 March 2018). "Cathy Claret, la cantante 'mainstream' en Japón ignorada en España". El Huffington Post (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Disturbios, Don (5 April 2018). "Cathy Claret – Primavera". Mondo Sonoro (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "La "Searching for Sugar Man" española en Late motiv: "Aquí nadie me quería y en Japón soy nº 1 en ventas"". Vertele (elDiario.es) (in Spanish). 14 March 2018. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  5. 1 2 "Mini mag : émission du 27 juin 1987" (in French). Institut national de l'audiovisuel. 27 June 1987. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  6. ↑ "Allo... Cathy Claret". Top 50 (in French). No. 76. 17–23 August 1987. pp. 28–29.
  7. 1 2 "Cathy Claret" (PDF). Music & Media. 3 September 1988. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  8. 1 2 "Cathy Claret – 1987-1991". Mondo Sonoro (in Spanish). 21 April 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "After Twilight [LTMCD 2562] – Cathy Claret". LTM Recordings. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  10. ↑ Bates. "Parisien tête de chien". Les Inrockuptibles (in French). pp. 82–83.
  11. 1 2 Hidalgo, Luis (24 June 2005). "Cathy Claret aplica por primera vez electrónica a su flamenco". El País (in Spanish). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 "キャシー・クラレ（Cathy Claret）のロマ性があふれだしたポップフラメンコ作『これがわたし』" [Cathy Claret's pop-flamenco album "Así soy yo" overflowing with Romani sensibility] (in Japanese). Mikiki / Tower Records Japan. 19 October 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  13. 1 2 "Historia de Cathy la canastera". El País (in Spanish). 12 September 2000. ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  14. 1 2 Silió, Elisa (10 June 2003). "Cathy Claret combina 'bossa nova' y rumbas susurradas en su nuevo álbum". El País (in Spanish). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  15. 1 2 Del Amo, Carlos (18 May 2005). "Cathy Claret revisa su música junto a Takkenberg en 'Sambisarane'". El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  16. ↑ Turtós, Jordi (January–February 2007). "Cathy Claret: Con el viento a favor". Efe Eme (in Spanish). No. 85. pp. 14–19. ISSN 1139-6008.
  17. ↑ Iñiguez, Fernando (25 September 2004). "La Casa de América inicia una apuesta por la música en directo". El País (in Spanish). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  18. ↑ Puchades, Juan (5 February 2011). "Crítica – Cathy Claret". El País (in Spanish). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  19. ↑ "Mapa Sonoro – Cathy Claret" (in Spanish). RTVE. 16 March 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  20. 1 2 "Cathy Claret regresa con 'Solita por el mundo'". Efe Eme (in Spanish). 23 September 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  21. ↑ Moreno, Diego M. (24 February 2016). "Cathy Claret: "Los medios tienen una visión mala de los gitanos"". 20 minutos (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  22. 1 2 3 "キャシー・クラレ『プリマベーラ』 自分なりのポップスを追求してきた彼女のブレない明るさ" [Cathy Claret "Primavera": Her unwavering brightness in pursuit of her own kind of pop] (in Japanese). Mikiki / Tower Records Japan. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  23. 1 2 "Cathy Claret – Así soy yo". Respect Record. 18 October 2022. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  24. 1 2 "キャシー・クラレ「水とコーラとフレガスエロの洗剤」" [Cathy Claret "Agua Cola Cola, Fregasuelo Verde"] (in Japanese). Respect Record. 14 December 2022. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  25. ↑ Fernández, Víctor (25 March 2026). "Hoy Empieza Todo – Personas Curvas: Cathy Claret" (in Spanish). RTVE. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  26. ↑ "Otros días vendrán – Banda sonora" (in Spanish). eCartelera. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  27. ↑ "Cathy Claret, la voz naif de la caravana". Los Sonidos del Planeta Azul (in Spanish). 19 October 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  28. ↑ Olivas, Diego (20 October 2017). "Yukako Hayase: 薔薇のしっぽ Roses' Tails (1989)". FOND/SOUND. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
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