| Camille | |
|---|---|
Camille performing live in Melbourne, Australia 2009 |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Camille Dalmais |
| Born | 10 March 1978 |
| Origin | Paris, France |
| Genres | Chanson |
| Occupations | Singer, songwriter, actress |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Labels | Virgin Records, EMI |
| Associated acts | Nouvelle Vague, MaJiKer |
| Website | http://www.camille-music.com |
Camille Dalmais, better known as Camille (born in 1978 in Paris, France), is a French singer, songwriter and occasional actress.
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Camille was born and raised in Paris, France. As a teenager she studied ballet and developed an interest in bossa nova music and American stage musicals.[1] She attended the prestigious Lycée International de Saint Germain-en-Laye where she obtained her baccalaureate in literature. Thanks to her mother being an English teacher, she grew up learning to speak English fluently. She performed her first original song "Un Homme Déserté" at the age of sixteen while attending a wedding.[1] In the early 2000s, while performing at jazz clubs in Paris, Camille made her acting début in the film Les Morsures de l'Aube (by Antoine de Caunes; with Asia Argento and Guillaume Canet). She also contributed to the song "La Vie la Nuit" in its soundtrack.[1]
She attended Paris Institute of Political Studies "Sciences Po" just before beginning her music career.[2]
In early 2002, Camille signed a recording contract with Virgin Records. She released her first studio album Le Sac des Filles. In 2004, she began working with Marc Collin and his band Nouvelle Vague, which incorporates new wave and bossa nova music.[1] She contributed vocals to the songs "Too Drunk to Fuck", "In a Manner of Speaking", "The Guns of Brixton", and "Making Plans for Nigel" on their first album.[3]
In 2005 she released the album Le Fil, which was produced in collaboration with English producer MaJiKer. This album incorporated an avant-garde concept – a string, or thread ("le fil"), which was a drone that persisted throughout the entire course of the album. All of the songs in this album are based on the exploration of the voice, with only a double bass or double bass and keyboard as accompanying instruments. Le fil quickly became a gold album. The Song "Pâle Septembre" seems to be a reference to the attacks on the World Trade Center of 11 September 2001. The lines "Mais qui est cet homme qui tombe de la tour? Mais qui est cet homme qui tombe des cieux? Mais qui est cet homme qui tombe amoureux?" (But who is this man falling from the tower? But who is this man falling from the skies? But who is this man falling in love?) suggest guilt accompanying love in a time of mourning. The song "Ta Douleur" was voted 26th in Australia's Triple J Hottest 100, 2006.
In June 2007 Camille performed Benjamin Britten's A Ceremony of Carols and a new a cappella work God is sound (The 12 World Prayers) at L'église Saint-Eustache, Paris.
Camille's song "1, 2, 3" from Le Sac des Filles was used in the television ad for Cacharel's Promesse perfume starring Laetitia Casta and Matthew Avedon. Her song "Waves" was used in Perrier's "Melting" television ad.
Also in 2007, she contributed to the soundtrack of Pixar's Ratatouille in the song entitled "Le Festin". This style of music, which may be termed "typical Parigot street singing", is also found in the movie Porco Rosso in the song "Le Temps des Cerises". Additionally, she provides the European French dub voice of Collette in Ratatouille.
A new album entitled Music Hole was released on 7 April 2008, again produced in collaboration with MaJiKer. Music Hole was recorded and mixed by Valgeir Sigurdsson. The first single from the album entitled "Gospel With No Lord" was released for online download on 11 February 2008, along with another new song from the album entitled "Money Note".[4][5]
Her song, "Ta douleur" was featured in the American television program Saturday Night Live. The original sketch aired in October 2010 titled "Les jeunes de Paris" hosted by actress Emma Stone. In March 2011, singer Miley Cyrus showcased this song in a similar sketch. The skit which seemed inspired by Jean-Luc Godard's Band of Outsiders was entirely in French and involved a dance off to the song.
She contributed to the track "Putain putain" on Nouvelle Vague's 2010 album Couleurs Sur Paris for whom she had previously done work for on their first album. Recently she appeared on Jérôme Van Den Hole's self-titled album on the track, "Debout".
According to her Facebook, her new album titled Ilo Veyou will be released October 3, 2011.[6]
On November 18, 2010 she gave birth to a son named Marius, whose father is musician and percussionist Clément Ducol.[7] She is an atheist.[8]
| Year | Album details | Peak Chart Positions | Certification | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR | BEL (Wa) |
CH | AUS | |||
| 2002 | Le Sac des Filles | 90 | – | – | – | |
| 2005 | Le Fil
|
4 | 22 | 48 | 27 | |
| 2006 | Live au Trianon
|
22 | 47 | 62 | – | |
| 2008 | Music Hole
|
5 | 7 | 25 | ||
| 2011 | Ilo Veyou | 3 | – | 24 | – | |
| Year | Song | Album/Single | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | "In A Manner Of Speaking" | Nouvelle Vague | |
| 2004 | "Guns Of Brixton" | Nouvelle Vague | |
| 2004 | "Too Drunk To Fuck" | Nouvelle Vague | |
| 2004 | "Making Plans For Nigel" | Nouvelle Vague | |
| 2005 | "Dumb VF" | Le Pop En Duo | |
| 2005 | "Someone Like You" | Fast Track (Vocal Mix) | |
| 2005 | "Si J'Avais Su" | Hold-up | |
| 2007 | "Le Festin" | Ratatouille | Soundtrack |
| 2009 | "Alliance" | Around Robert Wyatt | |
| 2009 | "The Pink Piano" | Body-Piano-Machine | |
| 2009 | "Metropolitain" | Metropolitain | |
| 2010 | "Pretty Face" | Here Lies Love | |
| 2010 | "Putain, Putain" | Couleurs Sur Paris | |
| 2011 | "Nicole" | The Singers | also featuring Les Petroleuses |
| 2011 | "Debout" | Jérôme Van Den Hole |