William Baldé

William Baldé, a French reggae-pop singer and songwriter, scored an enormous summer 2008 success with his first solo single, the chart-topping “Rayon de Soleil.” Born Mohamed Guy William Baldé in Guinea, he launched his recording career as a member of the group Yuba, whose 1996 EMI album Everybody Nyani-Nyani marked his earliest full-length release. Nearly ten years later he delivered his own debut solo album, En Corps Étranger, issued by Warner Music in 2008. Anchored by the summertime favorite “Rayon de Soleil,” which held the top chart position for eight weeks, the album climbed to number three on the French albums chart and yielded further singles such as “Sweet Lady” and “Sur la Route de Dakar.” The breakthrough achieved by “Rayon de Soleil” earned Baldé a 2009 NRJ Music Award nomination in the French Revelation of the Year category.