Paris-based vocalist Gabi Hartmann – who is set to be one of the stars of the Grand Opening concert at jazzahead! 2025 – emerged two years ago with her eponymous debut album which was acclaimed for its inventive breadth and its delicate way of weaving links between multiple musical influences and the inner landscapes that inhabit each of us.
Hartmann now presents ‘La Femme aux yeux de sel’ – the woman with salt eyes – ( March 2025), a work of remarkable maturity, “a journey through countries, eras and styles,” telling the story of the journey of Salinda, a woman from an imaginary island whose salty tears drive her to travel in search of her origins.
This second album is both wide-ranging in its aspirations and deeply intimate in its tone. She says of herself and her new work: “I believe that my strength lies precisely in not limiting myself, in exploring without fear.”
‘La Femme aux yeux de sel’ is also characterised by the richness of its artistic collaborations: with saxophonist Laurent Bardainne, Paris indie band The Oracle Sisters, flautist Naissam Jalal and songwriter Jesse Harris – he wrote “Don’t Know Why” for Norah Jones.
UK Jazz News: ‘La Femme aux yeux de sel’ comes to life through the character of Salinda. What inspired you to create her, and also such a vivid universe around her?
Gabi Hartmann: It all started with my niece, who is four years old. She is my very first niece. Seeing her immersed in children’s books, in a universe that is both playful and deeply symbolic made me want to tell a story like a fairy tale. With a beginning, a middle and an end. Salinda is a bit like the common thread, the one that runs through the pieces, that gives meaning to everything that is said. Each song has its own story, but together they form a narrative of initiation.
UKJN: The album is structured in chapters, and there is a wide range of emotional experience, both in the narration and in the musical styles. How did you reconcile all this as you wrote and composed?UK
GH: What guided me were all the people I met over the years. Each collaboration took me somewhere else, to other sounds and other energies. I believe that my strength lies precisely in not limiting myself, in exploring without fear. I wrote this album over several years, and it reflects this diversity of experiences and styles. I accepted that not everything would be homogeneous, but that each song would be sincere.
UKJN: When asked which artists have shaped your world, you often mention three female figures: Mercedes Sosa, Julie London, Miriam Makeba. What touched you about them?
GH: They are three very different women, but they have a form of intensity and freedom in common. I love Julie London’s deep, husky voice, Miriam Makeba’s militant strength, and Mercedes Sosa’s raw emotion. They have nourished me, not only in terms of music, but also in terms of how to be a woman in this profession.
UKJN: The track Le lever du soleil (sunrise) is a collaboration with the flautist Naïssam Jalal. How did you come to work with her?
It was a bit of a happy accident. I saw her in concert, and I was overwhelmed. Naïssam is very committed, particularly to democracy in Syria, and her playing touched me deeply. Later, I saw her again at parties where she was playing with musician friends. I wanted a female soloist on the album, and she seemed the obvious choice for this track.
UKJN: The track Take a Swing at the Moon stands out in particular on this album: your voice seems darker and deeper on it. What’s the story behind it?
GH: It’s a very special song for me. It’s inspired by old-fashioned vocal jazz, by singers like Julie London and Billie Holiday, whom I listened to a lot. My voice is different in it, more mature, perhaps because it reflects a stage in the story where the character is going through disillusionment. It’s a pivotal moment on the album. Besides, I’ve always taken singing lessons – jazz, opera – with different teachers, and these explorations have allowed me to transform myself vocally.
UKJN: Would you say that this album erases boundaries, both temporal and stylistic?
GH: Yes, absolutely. La fille aux yeux de sel is an inner journey, but also a journey through countries, eras and styles. There is something of a revival, a return to my roots, without nostalgia but with the desire to summon up what has been through me in recent years. Each piece is a world in itself, and together they form an aural tale.
UKJN: Of all the tracks, is there one that you are particularly fond of?
GH: I love all my songs, but ‘Tout mon secret’ touches me a lot. It’s in French, more pop, and it’s perhaps the one I worked on the most, the one I pushed the furthest, both in terms of writing and arrangement.
UKJN: You also mentioned your desire to feminise your work environment on this album. Can you tell us about it?
GH: Yes, it was important for me to get out of a very masculine world. As a singer, we are often surrounded by men, whether in the technical, production or directing departments. This time, I made a real effort: I worked with a cellist, a stage manager, Inès Desorgae, and even during sessions in New York, I tried to collaborate with female musicians. It’s not an attitude, it’s a sincere desire to rebalance things.
UKJN: Who designed the album cover?
GH: The cover was designed by a photographer and an art director from the Joannet agency. I love their work, especially what they did for The Oracle Sisters. I wanted something poetic but not too coded. And then I did a duet with Julia (one of the Oracle Sisters), so there was also an artistic continuity. I’m somewhere between jazz, folk and world music, I can’t be categorised in a single genre, and I wanted the cover to reflect that
