Biography
Cyrille Aimée Daudel was born on August 10, 1984, in Samois-sur-Seine, France, a village near Fontainebleau that hosts the annual Django Reinhardt Festival. She grew up in a multilingual household filled with music, shaped by her French father and Dominican mother's diverse influences—from Afro-Caribbean rhythms like bachata and merengue to the vibrant gypsy jazz traditions of her hometown. As a teenager, she famously climbed out of her bedroom window to sneak into the gypsy encampments during the Django Reinhardt Festival, where she absorbed the spontaneous, nomadic spirit of gypsy musicians and developed a lifelong passion for jazz improvisation. This early exposure to multiple musical traditions—including French chanson, flamenco, country-western, and Michael Jackson—created the eclectic foundation that would define her artistic identity.
Aimée's formal training began at the American School of Modern Music in Paris before she moved to the United States to attend SUNY Purchase on scholarship, drawn by its proximity to Manhattan's jazz scene. During her early years in New York, she honed her craft through nightly performances at prestigious venues including Birdland Jazz Club, Smalls Jazz Club in Greenwich Village, and a Soho restaurant, where she earned a reputation as a fearless improviser and matchless interpreter of song. Her breakthrough came in 2007 when she won the Montreux Jazz Festival vocal competition, using the prize money to record her debut album "Cyrille Aimée & the Surreal Band." This victory launched a remarkable trajectory of accolades, including finalist status in the 2010 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocal Competition and victory at the 2012 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. Her 2014 major label debut "It's A Good Day" on Mack Avenue Records showcased her innovative quintet featuring guitarists Michael Valeanu and Adrien Moignard, while her album "Move On" featuring Stephen Sondheim compositions earned a Grammy nomination. Today, Cyrille Aimée is recognized as one of the most promising jazz singers of her generation, celebrated for her bold improvisational style, magnetic stage presence, and unique ability to blend gypsy jazz, Brazilian bossa nova, Latin grooves, and Caribbean rhythms into a cohesive artistic vision.
Fun Facts
- At age 16, Cyrille famously snuck out of her bedroom window at night to join gypsy musicians around campfires during the Django Reinhardt Festival in her hometown, an experience that profoundly shaped her musical philosophy and passion for spontaneous improvisation.
- She turned down a lucrative contract with Star Academy (the French equivalent of American Idol) because she found the show's contract too restrictive, sparking a scandal in the French media but ultimately allowing her to pursue her artistic vision on her own terms.
- By the time she was 20 years old, Cyrille had already lived on four different continents, reflecting her nomadic spirit and commitment to experiencing diverse musical cultures.
- She performed in front of the notoriously tough audiences at Harlem's Apollo Theater early in her career and 'stole the show,' earning respect from one of jazz's most demanding venues.
Musical Connections
Mentors/Influences
- Spike Wilner - Pianist and co-owner of Smalls Jazz Club who took Aimée under his wing during her early New York years (Weekly performances at Smalls Jazz Club) [2000s]
- Joel Frahm - Saxophonist who mentored Aimée at Smalls Jazz Club in Greenwich Village (Weekly performances at Smalls Jazz Club) [2000s]
- Steven Sondheim - Legendary musical theatre composer who invited Aimée to star in an Encores Special Presentation tribute at New York's City Centre (Move On album featuring Sondheim compositions; Encores Special Presentation (2013)) [2013-2014]
Key Collaborators
- Roy Hargrove - Jazz trumpet legend with whom Aimée performed and recorded early in her career (Various recordings and performances) [2000s]
- Wynton Marsalis - Jazz at Lincoln Centre Orchestra conductor who backed Aimée in the Sondheim tribute at City Centre (Encores Special Presentation at New York's City Centre) [2013]
- Michael Valeanu - French-Italian contemporary jazz guitarist featured in Aimée's quintet (It's A Good Day (2014)) [2014]
- Adrien Moignard - Gypsy-flavored steel string guitarist featured in Aimée's quintet (It's A Good Day (2014)) [2014]
- Diego Figueiredo - Brazilian guitarist with whom Aimée recorded (Various recordings) [2010s]
- Emmett Cohen - Jazz pianist and collaborator (Various performances and recordings) [2010s]
- Jake Sherman - Co-producer of Aimée's album À Fleur de Peau (À Fleur de Peau (Whirlwind Recordings)) [2010s]
- Bernadette Peters - Legendary Broadway performer with whom Aimée starred in the Sondheim tribute (Encores Special Presentation at New York's City Centre) [2013]
Connection Network
Discography
Albums
| Title | Release Date | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Just The Two Of Us | 2010-11-17 | Album |
| Move On: A Sondheim Adventure | 2019-02-22 | Album |
| I'll Be Seeing You | 2021-06-21 | Album |
| Just The Two Of Us | 2010-11-17 | Album |
| It's a Good Day | 2014-08-19 | Album |
| à Fleur de Peau | 2024-03-08 | Album |
| Let's Get Lost | 2016-01-22 | Album |
| Petite Fleur | 2021-09-24 | Album |
| Cyrille Aimée: 4 . 24 (Live) | 2025-06-13 | Album |
| Cyrille Aimée Live | 2018-06-22 | Album |
Top Tracks
- Je Suis Seule Ce Soir (Just The Two Of Us)
- Loving You (Move On: A Sondheim Adventure)
- Samois A Moi (Just The Two Of Us)
- Just The Two Of Us (Just The Two Of Us)
- I'll Be Seeing You (I'll Be Seeing You)
- Je Suis Seule Ce Soir (Just The Two Of Us)
- En el Último Trago (feat. Cyrille Aimée)
- Samois A Moi (Just The Two Of Us)
- Young at Heart (It's a Good Day)
- You Make Me Feel So Young (Hooray For Love)
External Links
References
Heard on WWOZ
Cyrille Aimee has been played 2 times on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.
| Date | Time | Title | Show | Spotify |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 28, 2025 | 22:24 | The Tide Is High | The Rhythm Roomw/ Allan "Alski" Laskey | |
| Nov 28, 2025 | 17:54 | Let's Get Lostfrom Let's Get Lost | Jazz from Jax Breweryw/ Charles Burchell |