Les Nubians

If you were searching for something fresh and risk-taking from urban contemporary in 1998, a good place to look was les Nubians' debut album, Princesses Nubiennes. You won't find any assembly-line drivel on this CD; taking a jazzy, British-influenced approach to R&B/pop, the French sisters draw on influences ranging from Sade, Soul II Soul, and hip-hop to African pop and come up with something original and distinctive. British R&B is a big influence on les Nubians' sleek, classy grooves, but unlike Sade and Soul II Soul, they sing mostly in French. In fact, one of the disc's highlights is "Tabou," a French-language interpretation of Sade's "Sweetest Taboo." Of course, there was the question of the language barrier -- how receptive would English-speaking R&B fans be to French lyrics? But whether or not you understand French, it's obvious that the duo sings with a lot of feeling on hypnotic offerings like "Sourire," "Si Je T'Avais Écouté," and "Les Portes du Souvenir." Princesses Nubiennes is a stunning debut that fans of alternative R&B should make a point of obtaining. [The Japanese edition featured bonus tracks.] ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide