Gabi Hartmann Creates Healing Soundscapes on La Femme Album

Gabi Hartmann never intended for her music to serve as medicine, but the French singer-songwriter's latest album La Femme Aux Yeux De Sel (Le Long Voyage) has become an unexpected balm for listeners navigating personal turmoil. The Paris native's gentle vocals and pan-global arrangements offer refuge in a world that often feels overwhelming, something she discovered firsthand during a recent interview conducted from a Parisian café.

The album tells the story of Salinda, a fictional character whose eyes are made of salt and who travels the world seeking a cure for her condition. Each tear she sheds costs her more of her sight, creating a poignant metaphor for emotional vulnerability. Hartmann draws inspiration from '60s exotica and the cinematic works of Marguerite Duras, crafting what she calls a "protected sonic fantasy world" that allows her to explore multiple cultural identities through music.

Her collaboration with producer Jesse Harris, known for his work with Norah Jones and Maya Hawke, brought jazz standard sensibilities to the project. Recording sessions took place in both Brazil and Paris, with contributions from Syrian flutist Naïssam Jalal and French saxophonist Laurent Bardainne. The album's international scope reflects Hartmann's upbringing in a household that regularly hosted refugees and international visitors, thanks to her mother's work with Doctors Without Borders.

Singing in English, French, and Spanish across the album's tracks, Hartmann refuses to be confined to a single musical identity. Her ethnomusicology background, which included fieldwork across Brazil, South Africa, Mozambique, and Guinea, informs her approach to blending traditional folk elements with contemporary production. The result is music that transcends geographical boundaries while maintaining the warm, organic sound quality she associates with vintage recordings from the '60s and '70s.