Corinne Bailey Rae having a little breakfast in bed

Corinne Bailey Rae and her breakfast

As any seasoned veteran could attest, Fujirock is not only about the rock. Guitar squalls and thumping speakers may dominate the festival’s alpine atmosphere, but the organizers make a concerted effort to mix it up, whether that be via afrofunk, gypsypunk or potty-mouthed pop. With the addition of Corinne Bailey Rae to this year’s lineup, you can add an element of  R&B  to the mix.

This 31-year-old Grammy winner conjures the kind of quiet storm sound you expect to hear at high-end fusion restaurants or commuter-friendly jazz radio, but not at Fujirock contender you say? Well, on a sunny afternoon in Naeba, her sultry soul might be just what an eardrum-rattled crowd needs.

Rae’s star rose rather quickly in the UK, where she went from working as a coat check girl in a Leeds club to having her first album debut at number one on the British charts. It’s easy to see why. Her sound is light, nonabrasive and easy to digest without turning to fluff: sexy without the raunch and smooth without the treacle. There are echoes of Sade’s silky delivery and Erykah Badu’s honeyed vocal pacing, but Rae herself cites artists like Nina Simone and Marvin Gaye as influencing her work.

It’s no mystery how someone like Rae has become a star in the West. Anyone with that voice and the looks of a supermodel rolling out of bed will have no trouble gaining an audience. But how will she go over at Fujirock? I’m guessing that if placed at the right time and venue (Green Stage in the afternoon?) she’ll get just the kind of attention she deserves.

A few performances and a small interview here, here and here.