Up and coming: Caro Emerald

Published on Sunday 10 October 2010 19:44

CARO EMERALD:

Who is Caro Emerald?

Ask the Dutch record-buying public, who have just kept her debut album Deleted Scenes From The Cutting Room Floor at Number One for 28 weeks, breaking a record previously held by Michael Jackson's Thriller.

The Dutch record-buying public are unavailable for comment right now. What's the story?

Born Caroline Van der Leeuw and raised on classical music in suburban Amsterdam by her philosopher dad and university secretary mum, Emerald studied jazz at the city's music conservatory and sang with a 44-piece funk orchestra before she was invited by a couple of producers to record a demo vocal for a song intended for a Japanese pop act. Her version of Back It Up became a word-of-mouth hit and led to the making of the record-breaking album.

What's the sound?

In two words, Paloma Faith. As the title suggests, the album is influenced by Hollywood musicals, and is a likeable Jools Holland/Radio 2-friendly cocktail of jazz, swing, mambo and tango shaken up with a bit of 21st-century pop sheen and served with a brightly coloured paper umbrella and glac cherry on top.

What are other folks saying?

"Like their approach to football, city-centre traffic and recreational drugs, this is one more example of how the Dutch seem to know something we don't" – BBC Music

Where can I hear more?

www.myspace.com/caroemerald

• Deleted Scenes From The Cutting Room Floor is released by Dramatico Records on 18 October