“When I’m on stage and I start singing, I get into this place where time doesn’t exist. It’s like a kind of meditation but really dynamic. I lose all self-consciousness, am impulsive and completely in tune with the audience and the frequencies of the music. It’s transcendent.” Charlotte Adigéry is talking about the ethereal, psychedelic performances that make the gigs of this Belgian Caribbean talent such a must-see. They’ve also garnered her fans including Neneh Cherry, who Adigéry supported on the music icon’s most recent tour. “I do this Slits cover and it turns out that Neneh was on the recording of that song,” says Adigéry. “She saw me play in Tasmania and stayed for the whole show. When we played that song, she was in the front row dancing and cheering, which was mind blowing.” Born and still based in Ghent — a uniquely from each angle, Adigéry reveals look in the eyes of the women in the salon: pretty Flemish town that couldn’t really different sides of herself depending on the ‘I’m going to be beautiful in an hour — yes!’ be described as multicultural — to a moniker she chooses. “Charlotte Adigéry And it’s such a nice way to treat yourself.” Guadeloupean father and a Martiniquan is a little more polished, without being Meanwhile as WWWater, she takes a mother, Adigéry stands out. “It’s fun. plastic. WWWater is rawer with a punk very relatable swipe at social media on her It’s like a village, but sometimes I miss vibe, it goes to the bare essentials — I want song ‘Screen’. “It’s a daily struggle; it’s an diversity and the freedom from having it to be nasty and filthy.” intrusion. It’s not that I think that people to defend or define who I am as a black As the former, her second EP, Zandoli, are being rude or needy — not at all. It’s just woman. It’s exhausting to be walking is danceable, poppy and electronic — a the fact of being constantly available on so around, feeling people staring,” she co-production with fellow Ghent natives many different channels.” And, of course, confides. Adigéry writes music in English, and label bosses Soulwax. Lead single with her success, the level of contact French and sometimes Creole, and re- ‘High Lights’ is a joyous middle finger at with fans and potential collaborators has leases both under her own name and her people who try to shame her for her love of increased. “I appreciate the human feeling alias, WWWater. This multiplicity means wearing all manner of colourful, synthetic behind it, and I would love it if people knew her music is defiantly genre fluid. “I love wigs. Because, rather than being a kind of that I’m super grateful — but let’s all stop, all types of music, but what I am mainly mask — much like her musical personas — please. Let’s all love each other when we inspired by is stubbornness — artists who they reveal alternative aspects of this multi- see each other.” are fearless and create with freedom,” she faceted star. “For black women, wearing says. “I see myself as a sponge. I soak it wigs is part of our culture. It’s a way to CHARLOTTE wears VIVIENNE WESTWOOD vintage corset, trousers, own hat. all in, strip it back and make it minimal, raw celebrate yourself, it’s like, who am I going ZARA Styling SARANNE WOODCROFT. Hair LAURAINE BAILEY. and my own.” Like a diamond that sparkles to be next?,” she reflects. “You can see the Make-up MIN SANDHU at CAROL HAYES MANAGEMENT.
UPFRONT
25
