Country: New Caledonia
Since meeting over twenty years ago, Canehmez Marianne and Hnawejë have been harmonizing and writing serene, beatific tropical tunes that are perfectly fitting for their home of French territory New Caledonia. Forming under the name I Nu (meaning “Coconut Tree”), the group’s music starts off a foundation of reggae, before incorporating a number of other influences, from blues to Bossa Nova.
Their music is exactly what you would want to hear when visiting a gorgeous island like the one they’re from. Songs like “I Nu” are pure sunshine heat, palm trees swaying and warm ocean breezes. Lightly picked acoustic guitars and the duo’s warm harmonizing could bring peace to a raging tempest. “Jining” finds the duo singing and harmonizing in French, but the melody is a serene island lullaby.
Later songs like “May Be” bring in horns and deeper, more emotional vocal play, while “Billie Holiday” pays tribute to the late singer with a jazzy, Bossa nova-influenced melody over a sparse reggae rhythm. The group could play a luau as easily as a blues lounge and fit in perfectly.
Discover some of I Nu‘s beautiful tunes in our World Watch Playlist!
The Indy Review 