Bïa Krieger
Bia Krieger is a contemporary singer/songwriter who composes and sings in several styles (and languages), Afro-Brazil, bossa nova, chanson, pop, MPB, samba. Originally from Brazil, she now resides in Montreal Canada. Bia has released nine CDs, and is also the author of a novel (in French), about the dictatorship years in Brazil, Les Révolutions de Marina. It was published in 2009 in Canada.
Early life
Bia and her parents were forced to flee from the military dictatorship that took power in Brazil in 1964, reigning, with terror, until 1974, and not completely ousted until the amnesty of 1980. Prominent cultural figures such as Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil were also forced into exile. Bïa’s family escaped first to Chile, then left Chile for Peru and finally went to Portugal. Bïa spent the age between three and 12 as an exile, and returned to Rio de Janeiro in 1980 to finish her schooling and start university.
Recording career
While in France in 1995 producer Pierre Barouh offered Bia a contract which resulted in her first album, La mémoire du vent, largely a tribute to Chico Buarque. In 1998 Bïa appeared briefly in a film by Claude Lelouche, Hasards ou coincidence, and performed a song of Chico’s on the soundtrack. Concert tours followed, in Japan, Italy and Quebec. Bïa is particularly popular in Quebec, Canada.
Albums
After La mémoire du vent other studio albums followed, Sources, recorded in Rio in 2000 on which she emerged as a songwriter, and Carmin in 2003 on which all but two tracks were her own compositions.Coeur Vagabond of 2006 reprises the tour de force of her first release by showcasing Brazilian composers (Djavan, Buarque, Veloso) whose songs are sung in French, and French ones (Gainsbourg, Brassens, Keren Ann), performed in Portuguese. These albums resulted in promotional tours, and Bïa travelled further than ever, from western to eastern Europe and then Turkey. Bïa’s sixth CD, Nocturno, was released in 2008. It is an album of her own compositions, sung in Portuguese, with some tracks in Spanish and English. Concert intime (2010) with Yves Desrosiers was a recording made from a series of live performances. Bïa’s 2015 album appropriately titled Navegar continues her voyage, of exploration, of self-discovery, of her musical history. Largely, like Nocturno, a collaboration with Erik West-Millette, with whom she wrote the music, with lyrics by Bïa, as well as songs from Tomas Mendez, Villa-Lobos (“Melodia Sentimentale”), Gianmaria Testa and Lennon and McCartney. Among Bia’s productions are two albums of children’s music, Le Géant de La Forêt (2007, children’s musical) and Pyjama Party (2012) children’s CD/book with illustrations by Caroline Hamel and songs by Bïa.
Discography
Navegar (2015, Biamusik) 1 Navegar (Krieger, West-Millette) 3:21 2 Mon inventaire (Krieger, West-Millette) 3:03 3 Beijo (Krieger, West-Millette) 3:22 4 Ondas (Krieger, West-Millette) 3:46 5 Besame mucho (C.Velasquez, E.Granados) 3:59 6 Cucurrucucu paloma (Tomas Mendez) 4:05 7 Medodia sentimental (H.Villa-Lobos, D.Vasconcellos) 3:50 8 Laranja (Krieger, West-Millette) 4:42 9 Eleanor Rigby (Lennon, McCartney) 4:19 10 Risada (Krieger, West-Millette) 4:19 11 La tua voce (Gianmaria Testa) 3:04 12 Sai (Krieger, West-Millette) 3:37 13 Petit voyou (Krieger, West-Millette) 3:08
Pyjama Party (2012) children’s CD/book with illustrations by Caroline Hamel and songs by Bïa