So goes the multicultural definition of the New York-based French singer, bandleader, songwriter and poet Pascalito who has been praised by Time Out New York for his ''handsome voice" and "smooth-rolling band'' and by Jazz Times for being ''at once a fine pop-jazz stylist and a superb storyteller".
Born Pascal Sabattier, in Paris, to a musical family of Mediterranean Jewish ancestry, Pascalito grew up listening to a stylistically eclectic mix of singers from Charles Aznavour, Claude Nougaro, Henri Salvador to Chet Baker, Mark Murphy, Carlos Gardel, Dalida and Caetano Veloso. His grandfather was a ladino cantor in North Africa, his mother Liane Sab is a sultry jazz chanteuse and his late uncle Paul Meyer Ohayon was a well-respected singer, songwriter and dancer of the Paris tango musette scene.
Inspired both by his roots and his global influences, Pascalito's music is a sensuous fusion of bossa nova, tango, jazz, flamenco, middle eastern flavors and pop, billed by the artist and the press as ‘’world chanson’’, ‘’nouvelle bossa’’, ‘’melting pop” or like his punnily titled new album "Neostalgia".
Prior to becoming a singer, Pascalito was already performing as a passionate dancer blending as diverse styles as modern jazz, ballet, hip hop, samba and arabo flamenco. The dance is still a key element in his music and stage routine.
A true renaissance man he has also formely achieved athletic accomplishments competing for the French national waterski junior team and in parallel to his artistic endeavors has led to this day an international career in finance working as a risk analyst for major investment banks in Paris, London and New York where he permanently relocated to a dozen years ago while still in his twenties.
''Le Blues d'Orphée'' (Orpheus Blues), Pascalito's debut album, produced between Paris and New York, was released in 2007. In a recent column published about the artist Jazz Times magazine referred to the album as ''an ideal showcase for his light, right voice". Less than two years after its release, selections from "Le Blues d'Orphée" were licensed to and featured in two major cable TV shows ‘’Burn Notice” (USA) and “Damages” (FX), see video section.
For his new album "Neostalgia" co-produced with Swiss arranger Thomas Foyer and mastered by Grammy Award-winning engineer Alan Silverman, Pascalito gathered a versatile cast of international musicians whose roots extend from Rio to Tokyo. "Neostalgia'' already received a raving review in the prestigious Jazz Times magazine as critic Christopher Loudon praised the inventive album for its ''musical melting pot'' and ''luxuriant tapestry" (see press link for complete review and discography for music samples).
Pascalito and his international band have become a colorful new addition to the New York jazz and world music scene, performing at such renowned venues as Le Poisson Rouge (LPR), the Metropolitan Room and the Kitano where they had a promising debut with two sold out shows in November.
Pascalito recently started a new collaboration with Brazilian pianist and arranger Luiz Simas and is currently studying with vocal jazz legend Jay Clayton.
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