Nathalie Joachim brought respite to her Free At Noon

“I want to take you home with me today, is that ok?” asked Nathalie Joachim as soon as she got on stage. Over the course of the next hour, she proceeded to do exactly that – leading the Free At Noon crowd through a journey of self-discovery and love.

Armed with just her flute and backing tracks, Joachim’s vocals took the forefront of her performance. Singing in a mix of English and Haitian Creole, her songs wrapped heartfelt messages in layers of meanings and sounds, leaving space for captivating flute solos.

Starting with “Kenbe m,” a hymn that she used to sing with her grandmother, Joachim moved through songs from her recent album, Ki moun ou ye, an album full of storytelling – an aspect that Joachim brought with her to the stage. Before each song she played, Joachim took the time to open up to the crowd with moving, and often relatable, anecdotes. From sharing fond memories of singing with her grandmother to acknowledging the wounds we all carry, her set placed emphasis on creating a welcoming space for all. “I want to play a game,” she declared about halfway through the set. “When I say I love you, you say you love me more,” and so followed a brief call-and-response with the crowd, filling the room with a bright warmth.

Joachim finished her captivating set with “Ki moun ou ye,” a song that poses the question: “Who are you?” The title track of her latest album, it was the perfect culmination of her show, where she invited us home and showed us who she was.

Nathalie Joachim will continue playing shows in the U.S. and Canada through the fall, find all her dates here.