Armenian vocalist Jacqueline Baghdasaryan and French multi-instrumentalist Louis Thomas, aka hotly-tipped fusioneers Ladaniva, have just issued a video for their latest single, ‘Je Voulais’, in support of their highly-anticipated, self-titled debut album (out September 29).

Peppered with bold, parping Balkan brass, ebullient gang vocals and Baghdasaryan’s alluring exhortations attempting to navigate a dialectical impasse, ‘Je Voulais’ fuses the traditional tenets of Albanian talava music with elements of contemporary French pop and restyled Eastern arabesques, all intermingling for a winning dose of the duo’s hip-wriggling brand of exotic mesmerism.  

Ladaniva’s debut album will be reviewed in the November 2023 issue of Songlines magazine. Never miss an issue of Songlines – subscribe today