Almost four years ago, we told you the story of a Bordeaux surgeon who sang to her patients before operating on them. Aïcha N'Doye had just gone viral with a video in which she sang an Alicia Keys song in the operating theatre to soothe an anxious patient. Since then, that voice has come a long way. With her partner in song Abigaël Débit, an emergency doctor, she forms the duo Les Soignantes, and they have just released their second album, Les Soignantes chantent Noël. A gentle, generous and useful record. All the more reason to give them a helping hand.
From the operating theatre to the stage
Aïcha N'Doye is a surgeon specialising in gynaecology and breast cancer, and she works in Bordeaux, at the Bordeaux Nord clinic. For her, singing has never been a diva's whim: it is another way of caring. When anxiety rises, just before the anaesthetic, a calm voice can do more than a long speech. Her patients were the first to understand that.
In January 2023, the video went viral. Les Soignantes was born soon after, a group of women from the world of care who sing. They became known to the wider public on La France a un incroyable talent, the French version of Got Talent on M6, where they reached the final in 2023. Then came a first album, Les Voix du Cœur, which sold more than 10,000 copies, and a sold-out concert at the Alhambra in Paris in spring 2024. Not bad for doctors who keep working their shifts between rehearsals.
A Christmas album unlike the others
The idea was born in December 2025, after a showcase for Maisons du Monde, a home store chain committed to supporting women affected by cancer. A few Christmas songs, a joyful evening, and the urge to make a real record on the theme. Not yet another album full of sleigh bells: a Christmas that speaks of families, children and the love we give each other, but also of the carers who spend Christmas Eve far from their loved ones, on duty at the hospital.
The record mixes original songs with a few revisited classics. For the sound, the duo teamed up with Colin Russeil, who has worked with Radio Elvis, Gaëtan Roussel and Vanessa Paradis, and Pierre Lavandon, who has worked with Kyo and Lou Doillon. The result is polished pop in which both voices keep a warm, soulful colour. Released at the end of September, the first single, Les gens qu'on aime, sets the tone: this is a long way from a plastic Christmas.
Why we support them
First, because it is a Bordeaux story we love to tell: a woman who operates by day and sings by night, without giving up either. Second, because their music has a purpose. As with the first album, part of the profits goes to the Fondation de France to make hospital care more humane: spaces where carers can catch their breath, and places for patients and their loved ones to meet and talk. Buying this record is a little like offering a break to the people who look after us.
And let's admit it: between the bad news and the gift lists, a Christmas album sung by two big-hearted doctors is exactly the kind of comfort we need this year.
How to give them a helping hand
- Listen to and buy the album Les Soignantes chantent Noël, released on 30 October 2026, on CD or on streaming platforms. Under the tree, it is a gift that does good twice.
- Go and see them live at the Alhambra in Paris on Friday 18 and Saturday 19 December 2026. If you are heading to Paris for the holidays, here is your chance.
- Share their single Les gens qu'on aime with your friends: for an independent duo, every share counts.
- Follow them on Instagram and TikTok, so you miss neither the behind-the-scenes nor a possible Bordeaux date.
Aïcha, if you are reading this: we are waiting for the hometown concert.
Les Soignantes chantent Noël
Duo: Aïcha N'Doye, surgeon in Bordeaux, and Abigaël Débit, emergency doctor
Release: 30 October 2026, on CD and streaming
Single: Les gens qu'on aime
Concerts: Alhambra, 21 rue Yves-Toudic, Paris 10th, Friday 18 and Saturday 19 December 2026
Part of the profits goes to the Fondation de France to make hospital care more humane
