| -M- | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Matthieu Chedid |
| Also known as | -M- |
| Born | 21 December 1971 Boulogne-Billancourt, France |
| Genres | Chanson Rock Funk |
| Occupations | French singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | bass guitar guitar keyboards drums kazoo vocals |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Labels | Barclay |
| Website | mistermystere.com |
Matthieu Chedid (also known as -M-) (born 21 December 1971, in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine) is a French rock singer-songwriter and guitar player.
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Matthieu Chedid is the son of French singer Louis Chedid, and the grandson of the Egyptian-born French writer and poetess of Lebanese descent Andrée Chedid who has written lyrics for him. His sister is the music video and concert director Émilie Chedid.
Chedid, a talented multi-instrumentalist, took an interest in music early on. In 1978, at the age of six, Chedid lent his voice to the chorus of his father's hit song T'as beau pas être beau alongside older sister, Émilie. During his teenage years and early twenties, Chedid formed a few short-lasting groups such as Mat Mat (Checkmate Checkmate), Les bébés fous (The crazy babies) and Les poissons rouges (The "red fish," a French phrase equivalent to the English "goldfish") with Mathieu Boogaerts and with the sons of Laurent Voulzy and Alain Souchon, Julien Voulzy and Pierre Souchon. He has collaborated with a number of artists, both on stage and in the recording studio. Early into his solo career, Chedid was the opening act for Texas concerts. He has recorded with NTM, Sinclair, Billy Ze Kick, and more recently with Brigitte Fontaine, Sean Lennon, and Vanessa Paradis.
Chedid performs and records under the stage name -M-. Chedid created -M- as means of overcoming his shyness on stage and also as a way of distancing his work from that of his father and grandmother. The pseudonym comes from Chedid's first initial but also refers to the similar sounding French word aime, meaning love. The character -M- is a superhero, noted for having a playful nature, and recognized for his flamboyant costumes (primarily monochrome suits with slim trousers and long jackets with upward pointed collars) and hair styled into the shape of an M.
Most American audiences probably got their first exposure to -M- through his recording of the song "Belleville Rendez-vous" for the soundtrack of the 2003 Sylvain Chomet animated film The Triplets of Belleville in both French and English. The song, with lyrics by Chomet and music by Benoit Charest, was nominated for a 2003 Academy Award. The music video for "Belleville Rendez-vous" uses both a live-action depiction of - M - and an animated depiction incorporated into footage from the film.
Rumors circulated before the release of his 2009 studio album, "Mister Mystère", that Chedid had decided to drop the character -M- to record and perform under his given name;[1] The album, however, was released under the name -M- but included photographs of the singer without the wild costumes and hair associated with the -M- character. The music video for the first single, "Le roi des ombres", showed Chedid burning a tiny effigy of his alterego.
In 2000, -M- won two Victoires de la musique awards
In 2005, he won four Victoires de la musique awards
In 2006, he won one Victoires de la musique award (and a César Award)
In 2011, he won one Victoires de la musique award
| Preceded by Alain Bashung |
Victoires de la Musique Male artist of the year 2000 |
Succeeded by Henri Salvador |
| Preceded by Calogero |
Victoires de la Musique Male group or artist of the year 2005 |
Succeeded by Raphaël |