Her songs are astonishing, short, almost bare, barely arranged or instrumented. Songs that recall the lush Broadway musicals but are performed like minimalist, zen-like chamber folk. Their grace hangs by a thread, relying mainly on ALA.NI’s vocal performance.

If her music is mysterious, its origins are clear. ALA.NI is from London, with parents from Grenada. She began her career as a ballet dancer, then worked as a backing vocalist alongside Mary J. Blige and Blur before becoming a fashion designer. Eventually, she followed in the footsteps of her great-uncle Leslie Hutchinson, known as Hutch, an international music hall star of the 1930s, and started writing her own songs.

Her debut album, You And I – Spring, released in 2016, began to unveil more about this unique singer. Then came Acca in 2019, a record with minimalist orchestrations that further highlighted her vocal technique and musicality, if that was ever in doubt.

It is beautiful, powerful, and poetic. Her third album is set to be released soon after she spent three years between Barbados, Jamaica, and Brazil, infusing her inspiration with a touch of bossa nova and Caribbean music.