retro european
rhythm’n’blues
THE WILDEST
R’N’B SHOW
IN TOWN!
Thierry Wakx ©
my music
-
A vibrant homage to the city that shaped her sound, blending classic rhythm 'n' blues with a fierce contemporary voice.
An 11-track masterpiece that serves as a profound tribute to Paris—the city that has welcomed Cecilya and where her artistry has truly matured. Written hand in hand with Rodolphe Dumont, the album captures the raw, golden-age essence of classic rhythm 'n' blues, masterfully fusing blues, rock 'n' roll, boogie-woogie and latin rhythms. While the catchy retro melodies and tailored production transport the listener back to a timeless musical era, Cecilya’s lyrics break new ground, tackling contemporary themes of freedom, internal struggles, immigration, and social reflection. Met with even greater international critical acclaim than its predecessor, this album is a brilliant celebration of roots music.
Cecilya Mestres (Vocals), Rodolphe Dumont (Electric Guitar), Sax Gordon (Tenor & Baritone Saxophones), Olivier Cantrelle (Piano), Abdell B. Bop (Upright Bass), and Denis Agenet (Drums).
ROCK’N’HALL BY DIXIEFROG RECORDS, 2025.
-
"OUI, ON AIME 1955" — Rolling Stone France.
An explosive cocktail of original compositions inspired by the rawest, most electrifying roots of classic rhythm 'n' blues. After lighting up stages across Europe and Latin America, Cecilya teamed up with guitarist Rodolphe Dumont to deliver an album that took the international scene by storm. Crowned as one of the best records of 2023 by Ruta 66, Rock'n'Roll Animal, and Clive Richardson, its massive success earned Cecilya the title of Best International Female Blues Artist 2023 by the UK's celebrated The Blues Lounge Radio Show. A true dream-team production that conquered global airwaves.
Rodolphe Dumont (Guitars), Paul San Martín (Piano), Jorge Otero (Upright Bass), Adrián Carrera (Drums), featuring special guest Sax Gordon (Tenor & Baritone Saxophones).
MESETA RECORDS, 2023.
-
A deeply personal transatlantic journey into the roots of Americana, folk, and country-pop.
Cecilya’s most intimate work to date features 11 original tracks that showcase her versatile songwriting and production skills. Forged during global lockdown, the album explores her transatlantic musical map, blending acoustic textures with heartfelt, personal storytelling. Entirely produced by Cecilya, the record was tracked in France at Studio Black Box by Peter Deimel, mixed at Arbracam by Jean Marc "Maz" Pinaud, and mastered in the heart of country music—Nashville, Tennessee—by Pete Lyman at Infrasonic Sound Studio. A stunning, independent debut that opened the doors to her journey as an author.
Rodolphe Dumont (Electric/Acoustic Guitar, Lap Steel, Banjo), Olivier Cantrelle (Piano, Hammond, Rhodes), Fabien Taverne (Acoustic Guitar), Antoine Pozzo Di Borgo (Bass/Double Bass), and Pascal Mucci (Drums/Percussion). Special guests: Marco Cinelli (Vocals) and Pierre Le Bourgeois (Cello).
INOUÏE DISTRIBUTION, 2021.
Cecilya Mestres. Singer, songwriter and producer from Vilafranca del Penedès (Barcelona, Spain), now based in Paris, France.
Her original music draws on rhythm’n’blues, rock’n’roll and other American roots sounds, with a retro soul and a modern pulse. Her songs have taken her to festivals and stages across Europe, the United States and Latin America. Three albums of her own and one great love: the 1950s.
Graduate in Media & Communication (Spain & UK 2014) · Contestant on The Voice (Spain 2017) · TEDx speaker (Mallorca 2019) · Podcaster behind A Women’s World on ScannerFM (Spain 2021-2022) · Named Best International Blues Female Artist 2023 by The Blues Lounge Radio Show (UK).
Today she fronts Cecilya & the Candy Kings, her retro rhythm’n’blues band with a modern sound.
Welcome to Cecilya’s world!
GLOBAL TRAJECTORY
STAGE EXPLOSIONS
Cecilya has set stages on fire at major Jazz, Blues, and Rock’n’Roll festivals across Spain, France, the United States, Belgium, Portugal, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland:
Gouvy Jazz & Blues Festival (BE) · Benicàssim Blues Festival (ES) · Wine & Blues Festival (PT) · Athena Blues Festival (FR) · Bluezy Blues Festival (NL) · Blues Lawine Festival (DE) · Viva Las Vegas (USA) · Festival de Boogie Woogie de La Neuveville (CH) · Jazz en Nord (FR) · Beautiful Swamp Blues Festival (FR) · Tolosand Blues Festival (ES) · Festival International de Jazz de La Ciotat (FR) · Sanbar Blues Festival (ES) · Nuits Blues de Marnaz (FR) · SAM Blues Festival (FR) · Béthune Rétro (FR) · Disney Rock’n’Roll Festival (FR) · Reus Blues Festival (ES) · American Tours Festival (FR) · Blues Party (FR) · Rockin’ Gijón (ES) · Festival au Fil du Jazz (FR) · Festival Jazz de Mars (FR) · Blues en Mars (FR) · Beaune Blues Boogie Festival (FR) · Jazz à Jonzac (FR) · Noct en Blues (FR) · St. Quentin Blues Festival (FR) …
LEGENDARY CLUBS & VENUES
ACROSS EUROPE: Half Note Jazz Club (GR) · Palma Jazz Lounge (ES) · Blues-Sphère (BE) · Meisenfrei (DE) · La Coquette (ES), Le Caveau de la Huchette (FR) · Jazz Club Étoile (FR) · La Traverse (FR) · Le Gouvy (FR) · Sunset Sunside (FR) · Le Balajo (FR) · Le Zapi’ng (FR) · L’Azile (FR) · Le Triton (FR) …
CECILYA MESTRES. 1992. VILAFRANCA DEL PENEDÈS, BARCELONA
Cecilya always knew her life was destined for music. At just three years old, she began her journey into musical language, singing, and classical piano. At 14, she stepped onto a stage as a solo singer for the first time—and since then, no one has managed to get her off it.
BACKGROUND: AUDIOVISUALS, MUSICAL THEATRE AND VOCAL TECHNIQUE
Never leaving her passion aside, Cecilya graduated with a degree in Audiovisuals from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (Spain) and Wrexham University (UK) in 2014. In parallel, she trained in various musical theatre disciplines (singing, vocal technique, acting, and dance) at the Escola Superior d’Art Dramàtic Eòlia, Vocal Factory, and Aules in Barcelona. From 2007 to 2014, she completed her training with exhaustive work in Estill Voice Training in Barcelona and at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
FROM THE STREETS OF MALLORCA TO GLOBAL STAGES
In 2015, she undertook the journey that would change her direction: moving to Mallorca. There, she discovered her true devotion to blues, rock’n’roll, and the 1950s aesthetic. After starting from scratch singing on the streets, within a few months she was already touring the Balearic scene, making music her profession in hotels, venues, and festivals across Mallorca, Ibiza, Menorca, and Formentera.
Her appearance on the TV show La Voz in 2017 catapulted her international projection. Thanks to this, Argentine guitarist Nacho Ladisa, along with the Escuela de Blues de Buenos Aires and the Asociación Blues en Movimiento, organized a tour for her across Argentina in 2018. In 2019, after touring stages in Austria and Germany once again with Nacho Ladisa and the Vienna Blues Association, Cecilya decided to pack her bags one more time: she moved to Paris to start anew.
Right after stepping foot in Paris, Cecilya founded the 1950s cover band Los Hot Tamales alongside guitarist Francky Gumbo. With this project, she set the stages on fire at legendary venues in the French capital such as Le Caveau de la Huchette, Sunset Sunside, and Le Balajo, in addition to touring rock’n’roll festivals all over the country.
That same intense year of 2019, she temporarily returned to the islands to share her journey at TEDxArxiduc, the very first TEDx event held in Mallorca. There, she participated as both a singer and a speaker with her acclaimed "Survival Manual for Idealists."
THE CREATIVE TANDEM: FROM «Cherry Blossom» TO INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION
In 2020, the global lockdown pushed Cecilya to immerse herself in her own songwriting universe. To bring this repertoire to life, she joined forces with guitarist Rodolphe Dumont, with whom she co-wrote and composed all the tracks for her debut album, «Cherry Blossom» (2021). The album represented a joint journey through the roots genres that have shaped her transatlantic roadmap—folk, americana, and country—and broke into the French market distributed by InOuïe Distribution.
The electric breakthrough arrived in 2023 with the birth of her definitive band: Cecilya & the Candy Kings. Under the wing of the Spanish label Meseta Records, the songwriting tandem of Cecilya and Rodolphe Dumont once again co-wrote the original songs for «Back in 1955», a dazzling LP inspired by the rawest roots of classic rhythm’n’blues. Recorded alongside a dream international lineup that included American saxophonist Sax Gordon and Spanish pianist Paul San Martín, the work conquered the airwaves worldwide, lit up stages across Europe, and earned Cecilya the title of Best International Female Blues Artist 2023 by the celebrated British radio program The Blues Lounge Radio Show, competing alongside global icons like Laura Chávez, Samantha Fish, and Sue Foley.
Her third album release, «Parisian Mambo» (2025), was published under the prestigious French label Rock’n’Hall by Dixiefrog, marking a milestone in her career. The album's title itself is a beautiful statement of identity: a conceptual bridge intertwining Paris—the city that welcomed Cecilya and where her sound has matured—with mambo, a vibrant rhythmic nod connecting back to her Mediterranean light and Spanish roots. With a repertoire of tracks created hand in hand once again by Cecilya and Dumont, the album organically tears down borders, opening doors wide to major festivals all over Europe and the United States.
THE NEXT ROAR: LIVE FROM PARIS (2027)
The engine never stops. Currently, the tandem is already preparing their next major release for 2027: a live album that will also come out under the wing of Dixiefrog. This record will capture the raw energy and wild pulse of a unique concert recorded in Paris, marking a historic moment for the band: the very first time that the legendary American saxophonist Sax Gordon—responsible for all the horn arrangements and recordings throughout her discography—stepped onto the stage to play live with them.
¡Mambo!
Amandine Tunzini ©
CECILYA
DROP ME A LINE!
To all the promoters looking for that raw fifties energy and all the cool cats wanting to share some love: this is your spot. Reach out today and let's make some musical noise together!
SOCIAL MEDIA
BOOKING & JIVE
Hit me up to book a rocking show or just to say hi and talk some trash!
