Despite growing up in a fairly bohemian household, Emilie took her studies seriously and completed a degree in contemporary music. As a teenager, her musical tastes evolved to include pop and house. The budding young musician soon broadened her horizons even further, however, attending the Conservatoire et l'Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique (IRCAM), the French experimental music institute directed by composer Pierre Boulez up until 1992.

Drawing on these experiences and her multiple musical influences, Emilie began to think seriously about the idea of launching a professional singing career. In 2003, aged 23, she recorded a debut eponymous album which won rave reviews from the critics who hailed her as France’s answer to Iceland’s alternative pop princess Björk. (It turned out these comparisons were not entirely gratuitous, as Markus Dravs, one of Björk’s loyal collaborators, was actually involved in the final mix of Emilie’s album). Emilie’s pure, crystal – and, at times, almost childlike – vocals absolutely shone on this debut album which featured twelve perfectly-honed compositions. Not surprisingly, the album went on to triumph at the “Victoires de la Musique” ceremony winning the award for Best Electronic Album of the Year. On her debut album, Emilie switched easily from French to English and even dared to record a cover of a Velvet Underground classic with Tim Keegan (lead singer with the group Departure Lounge, formerly renowned as vocalist for Kid Loco). "Femme Fatale" was perhaps an appropriate choice for pop’s young temptress. Other highlights of the album included an interesting adaptation of The Stooges’ "I Wanna Be Your Dog", "Flowers" (chosen as the first single release) and the superb "Graines d'étoiles" featuring Perry Blake.

Emilie’s electro-pop masterpiece, tinged with a streak of sentimentalism, won the previous unknown media coverage far beyond her wildest dreams.  What’s more, she was able to take full credit for her debut album, having largely written, composed and produced it herself. The album, originally released on 3 February 2003, proved such a hit that it was reissued a few months later (on 23 December) with four special bonus tracks including an English version of "Desert." Besides catapulting her to media attention, Emilie’s first album also impressed those in the film world and she was invited to compose the soundtrack for "La Marche de l'empereur" (Luc Jacquet’s documentary about Emperor penguins). The film proved to be a huge box-office hit worldwide and Emilie’s soundtrack went on general release in France on 10 January 2005. The young singer, who had grown up steeped in the Mediterranean sun, managed to transpose her imagination to the polar ice caps – doubtless, her admiration for Björk helped here! The fifteen highly atmospheric songs on the soundtrack, all performed in English, fitted Jacquet’s film like a glove. In February 2006, Emilie went on to triumph at the “Victoires de la Musique” ceremony once again, winning the award for Best Original Film/Television Soundtrack of the Year. "La Marche de l'empereur" proved to be a particularly big hit in the States and director Luc Jacquet even won an Oscar for best documentary. Unfortunately for Emilie, the film soundtrack was re-recorded for the American market and ended up featuring vocals by Alex Wurman instead. 

Meanwhile, Emilie was already busy preparing material for a second album. The young southerner had already honed her vocal skills on the live circuit with a number of concerts including an impressive performance at the Eurockéennes festival in Belfort in 2005 and another at Le Grand Rex, in Paris, where she appeared on stage with La Synfonietta orchestra, and percussion and keyboard-players from the Lyon orchestra.

She had also left her home in Montpellier to base herself in the French capital and had had a small home studio made to order there. When the time for her second album came, she was thus able to settle down to work in the peace and quiet of her own home, crafting her new melodies morning, noon and night. As the title "Végétal" suggests, Emilie’s second album was based on a botanical theme, the opening track, "Alicia", introducing a bizarre hybrid protagonist who was half flower, half woman. The 50-minute album, featuring thirteen tracks, meandered through intricate herbaceous borders with songs such as "Fleur de saison", "Opium", "Dame de Lotus", "Rose hybride de The" and "En cendres." Emilie’s vocals were much in the same vein as on her debut album, but "Végétal" found her introducing new instruments such as flutes, percussion and cellos into her arrangements. A number of experienced musicians such as Simon Edwards (who has played bass with the likes of Talk Talk, Beth Gibbons, and Alain Bashung) also contributed to the album and, once again, Markus Dravs helped out on the final mix. Switching between French and English (e.g. "Le Vieil Amant", "Swimming", "In The Lake") as easily as she had on her first album, Emilie served up a superbly coherent second opus which established her as a major new talent to be reckoned with.

Coinciding with the commemorations organised for the 150th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in France in 1998, Malavoi returned to the forefront of the music scene with "Marronage." This album was followed by "Flech Kann" in 1999.
In 2000, the French copyright association Sacem attributed its prestigious Grand Prix for traditional music to the group. And later that same year Malavoi's former lead singer, Ralph Thamar, rejoined the group for a limited series of concerts.

Putting their songwriting and studio work on hold for a while, the Malavoi musicians continued to hook up together on a regular basis to perform in public. And in 2005 a live album, entitled "Live au Club Med World", hit record stores. Meanwhile "Les Instrumentaux", a compilation of instrumental versions of Malavoi hits, joined the ever-increasing stack of Malavoi compilations available. A few months later, in March 2007, Malavoi hooked up with Ralph Thamar again for two special shows in Guadeloupe.

Malavoi lost another of its original founding members when violinist Jean-Paul Soïme died on 9 August 2007.
 
August 2007