Music has always been written into CAIA’s destiny. Half-Haitian, half-Swiss, he grew up in Geneva listening to Prince and Sade on vinyl records, and now, as an up-and-coming artist, borrowed from his island roots to create a soulful, pop sound. With the debut of his new single, CAIA, a model, DJ, singer and songwriter, prepares to explore his musical inclinations further, all while balancing his other creative pursuits.
The upbeat “Doin’ to Me” is the first release from his EP, which CAIA plans to drop early next year. “I am super happy, as we’re still just in the infant phase of releasing this record,” he says over the phone from Hawaii. The monochromatic video was directed by photographer and CAIA’s longtime friend François Rousseau, who is best known for his nude calendars of the Dieux du Stade rugby team. It was Rousseau who took one of CAIA’s first modelling pictures.
Officially Laurent Caillat, CAIA’s transition from modelling to singing came naturally. “I have always performed, danced and sung,” he says. “There’s no real time when it became something that I really want to pursue, but it gradually established itself as something that was going to be a part of me forever.”
CAIA always knew that he wanted to return to his birthplace, New York, to study music, even when he was a member of the Swiss gymnastics team in his youth. “I went from being an athlete to being a performing artist and studying the three genres of singing, acting and dancing,” says CAIA.
As for next steps, he has several remixes coming up and plans to drop some collaborations with other artists by the end of this year. “You can’t wait for the inspiration or the moment or the day,” he says. “My time as an elite athlete really taught me that you can’t skip a day, and you have to put in work every day. You don’t want the luxury to wait for a good day.” caiamusic.wixsite.com/music, @caiamusic
Photography by: Kenny Chen
