Description
Elisa & Julie is a female vocal duo from New Caledonia formed by sisters Elisa and Julie Carawiane. Associated with the Maré music scene, also known as Nengone, they perform Kaneka music and sing songs in Nengone and French. Their career is closely linked to that of OK! Ryos and their brother Édouard Wamejo.
Elisa and Julie began to make a name for themselves as backing vocalists. According to Caledonia, they sang alongside several artists and groups from Maré as early as 1994, including Edelo, OK! Ryos, and Bagna. Their best-documented collaboration remains with OK! Ryos, where they accompanied their brother, Édouard Wamejo, both on stage and in the studio. This experience allowed them to develop their vocal synergy before recording a project under their own names.
In 2003, Elisa & Julie released the album Ciroi on Mangrove Productions, a title presented by the label as meaning "life." The album contains nine songs: Pani edje di, Waruma, Uane inu, Gulan, Ciroi, Mon enfant, À chacun de nous, Unité, and Ci laenatane. The credits attribute the lyrics and compositions to Elisa and Julie Carawiane, with different credits given to each track.
The album primarily addresses life, feelings, love, peace, and unity. Elisa also presents it as a record intended to encourage women to stand up for their choices and freely pursue their artistic activities. This orientation gives Ciroi a unique place within a kaneka scene that was still largely dominated by male bands.
Édouard Wamejo contributed to the recording on guitars, bass, keyboards, and backing vocals. Other credited musicians include Bruno Ciaccafava, Yorky Tufale, Gustave Wayenece, Bruno Josué, John Chaliot, and François Wahnuhnu. Vanessa Quaï and Karina Kalo also appear on the track "Pani edje di." Recording, mixing, and mastering are attributed to Philippe Buston.
The track "Pani edje di" was released as an official music video by Mangrove Productions. It also appears on the video compilation *Pacific Video Hits Vol. 2*. Several years after the album's release, Elisa and Julie reunited for the first edition of the "Le kaneka au féminin" concert, held at the Mont-Dore cultural center in July 2021 and broadcast by Caledonia. This performance represents the most clearly documented recent public record of their collaboration.
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