Solan: “I grew up in a family where you weren’t allowed to express your anger”

Don’t be fooled by her obvious fragility and fake elf air, accentuated by the black dots she draws under her eyes. On his first EP, MonstrousSolan sings about female power, demands justice for mistreatment and digs into her intimate wounds with mystical undertones to sublimate them better. At 24, the woman who just received the Women in Motion Emerging Talent Award presented by Kering, complicity. Madame Figaro, within the Twin Sisters Festival, is one of the revelations of the year. He will be at La Cigale, Paris on June 19th, Collateral, Arles on July 3rd and 4th, then on tour.

Madame Figaro. – The Twin Sisters Festival emphasizes music and imagery. What do you envision when you create a song?
Solani. – I often have an idea for a video that, most of the time, will never happen. And I am inspired by films and pictures. For the title NarcissusFor example, I thought of Mucha’s Sarah Bernhardt illustrations, theatrical and divine. But also on the board Reaction and Narcissusby Waterhouse.

And your musical inspirations?
Fiona Apple and everyone I listened to when I was a kid: Nina Simone, Barbara, Ella Fitzgerald… Women with troubled pasts. seeing what they learned from it gives hope.

You say that your songwriting has therapeutic qualities. Is it like that when we perform them on stage?
Not necessarily, because you have to revise the difficult things. It wasn’t very pleasant at first, but when I see people singing along with me, it’s an instant relief.

How does it feel to reveal yourself in such an intimate way? ? Especially in singing Small body which addresses the problems of anorexia.
I don’t know anyone who is 100% at peace with their body. we all have some relationship with it, toxic or not. I felt like people could relate to that, even if their problem, like mine, wasn’t weight loss.

How was the song born? Narcissus which addresses the cruelty of the entertainment world.
We have a certain value in life because we are young or considered attractive; especially when we’re on stage. I wish I could get rid of my image, but I’m afraid of growing up, of not being interesting anymore, because I’m less young, less beautiful. I am also very afraid of dying. For all these reasons I had to do this song.

What is your EP called? Monstrous . a monster, etymologically, is one who both repels and fascinates. Is this a good definition for you?
I would like to. I chose this word precisely for this duality. I know what I look like, I know who I am. monstrous, that’s not what people think of me first, and I liked this contrast.

This powerful side that contrasts with your seeming fragility, where does it come from?
I think I am very angry. I grew up in a family where you couldn’t express yourself much. Especially me. I was the eldest daughter, I wasn’t the one who should have the problems, and this frustration could only come out in texts. I also think that we try to protect ourselves when we are little girls, but as we grow up, we learn more and more things, we encounter sexist behavior. I discover stories about my mother and grandmothers. I don’t see how we can not get angry, want to change things and adopt this monstrous side.

Twin Sisters Festival, until 1 a.m^eh July, in Rochefort. monstrous Cinq7/Wagram.