Daniel Lavoie

Daniel Lavoie

Concert in Moscow, Russia, October 19, 2013
Background information
Birth name Gérald Lavoie
Born March 17, 1949
Dunrea, Manitoba, Canada
Genres French pop, Chanson, Folk, Rock, Jazz, Country, Musical
Occupation(s) Singer–songwriter, composer, musician, actor, producer, poet, radio host
Instruments Vocals, piano, guitar
Years active 1970–present
Associated acts Garou, Patrick Fiori, Notre-Dame de Paris
Website www.daniellavoie.ca

Daniel Lavoie (born Gérald Lavoie; March 17, 1949 ; French pronunciation: ​[danjɛl lavwa]) is a Canadian singer–songwriter, actor, producer, poet, and radio host, known for his song "Ils s'aiment" and the role of Frollo in musical Notre-Dame de Paris. He releases albums and performs on stage in Canada and France[1][2] and tours in Eastern and Central Europe.[3]

Early life

Daniel Lavoie was born in Dunrea, Manitoba on March 17, 1949. He is bilingual in English and French, since his family was part of a small French-speaking community in the predominantly anglophone Province. He is the eldest of six children. His father was a shopkeeper and his mother a housewife. Daniel took piano lessons with nuns as a little boy and continued his musical education in French-language Jesuit boarding school, Collège de St-Boniface, in St. Boniface, Manitoba.[4]

Career

Music

In 1967, Daniel Lavoie won the CBC's competition for singer-songwriters "Jeunesse Oblige".[5] Soon after that he began touring Quebec's music clubs with groups (Spectre, then Dieu de l'amour vous aime). In 1973 Daniel Lavoie recorded his first single, "Marie connue", and in 1974, his second, "S'endormir pour une rose". His first album A court terme (1975) had moderate success. One of the songs from this albums, "J'ai quitté mon île" became especially popular in France and also in Portugal and Brazil.[6] In 2009 "J'ai quitté mon île" was selected by CBC Radio listeners among the top 49 Canadian songs in all genres that best defined the country's image for Barack Obama, to be presented to him on an iPod for his inauguration.[7] The second album, Berceuse pour un Lion (1977) was well received in Quebec and contained several hits ("Dans le temps des animaux", "La Vérité sur la vérité", "Berceuse pour un lion"),[5] but it was the third album, Nirvana bleu (1979) that brought Daniel Lavoie true recognition in Quebec.[8] He toured all over Quebec and also performed in France (Théâtre Montparnasse in Paris in 1980). His popularity as a live performer was growing. In 1980 he received his first Félix Award for the best male singer of the year. Many more were to follow.[9]

In 1981, Daniel Lavoie released his first English-language album Cravings as well as his fourth French-language album Aigre doux.[8]

The year 1984 was a turning point in Daniel Lavoie's career[10] with the release of his album Tension Attention (European title Ils s'aiment). One of the songs from this album, "Ils s'aiment" became especially popular[9] and its single sold 2 million copies.[11] It has been translated into several languages and covered by dozens of performers, among them Ana Belen ("Ellos se aman", in Spanish), Richard Cocciante (in Italian and Spanish), Diane Dufresne (in French), Paulo Gonzo ("Ridiculous Love", in English), Ramses Shaffy ("Regenboog", in Dutch). "Ils s'aiment" and "Tension Attention" brough Daniel Lavoie multiple awards both in Quebec[12][13] and in France.[14][15] The same year Daniel created his solo concert show Hôtel des rêves which he presented both in Quebec and in Europe.[14]

Lavoie's next album, Vue sur la mer (1987) was another success.[16] The release was followed by 5 nights engagement at the Olympia theatre in Paris, and later a 21-date tour throughout Europe. More awards followed,[10] and the spring of 1988 for three months Lavoie performed his show Hôtel des rêves at the Théâtre Outremont in Montreal. The 1990 album Long Courrier (European title Chanson de la Terre) included "Qui sait", "Le pape du rap", and "Jours de plaine". A study conducted in the early 1990-s placed Lavoie among most highly respected by their peers French-Canadian singer-songwriters.[17]

In 1992 Lavoie participated in Catherine Lara's symphonic rock-musical Sand et les Romantiques,[18] performing the part of Eugène Delacroix.[11] The same year he released another English-language album, Here in the heart. He also appeared in an episode of the American soap opera General Hospital as himself performing his own song "Weak for Love".[19][20] Lavoie's next and final English-language album Woman to Man appeared in 1994.

In 1995 Lavoie released a new album Ici (European title Où la route mène) which introduced new hits such as "Où la route mène", "Je pensais pas", and "Je suis use rivière". Two albums for children followed: Le Bébé Dragon (1996) and Le Bébé Dragon vol. 2 (1997).[10] Live album of Lavoie's best hits along with never-before performed pieces, Live au Divan Vert (European title Le meilleur de Daniel Lavoie) was recorded in 1997.[9]

In 1998 Lavoie was cast as priest Frollo in Richard Cocciante and Luc Plamondon's new musical Notre-Dame de Paris, which was based on the eponymous novel by Victor Hugo. The musical became very successful ("Notre-Dame De Paris" won world's best-selling artist/group for 1998 at the World Music Awards on May 5, 1999)[21] Albums were sold by the millions (certified triple-platinum by CRIA for sales of more than 300,000 copies[22]), and for seven months[6] Daniel sang the part of Frollo in front of sold-out crowds of the Palais des Congrès in Paris. After that he also participated in the show's tour in France, as well as the Quebec production and the English version in London, in 2000.[23] The song "Belle", which he performed with Garou and Patrick Fiori became enormously popular (in 1998 3 million copies of this song were sold in Europe, where it was no. 1 for 30 weeks.[24])

In 2002 Lavoie was cast in another musical in Paris, this time Le Petit Prince by Richard Cocciante and Elisabeth Anais, based on Antoine de St-Exupéry's book.[25] He performed the part of the Pilot until April 2003.[26]

The new album Comédies humaines was released in 2004 (some hits include "Violoncelle" and "Bénies Soient Les Femmes"). A tour in France and Quebec followed. The same year Lavoie released an album for children, accompanied by a storybook illustrated by Oksana Kemarskaya Roulé Boulé: Je suis une boule qui roule. In 2011 this work was selected along with several other books for use as elementary school teaching texts in Quebec and republished with a teaching aide within a series L'école de La Montagne secrète.[27]

In February 2005 Lavoie participated in a stage revival of Nelligan, an opera by André Gagnon based on the works and biography of Émile Nelligan, Quebec's late 19th-century poet. The show, in which Lavoie sang the part of the Old Nelligan was recorded in a live album.[28]

The album Docteur Tendress appeared in 2007. It included songs like "Docteur Tendress", "La voilà notre armée" (to the lyrics by Allain Leprest).

In 2008 Lavoie accepted an invitation to participate in a project that united music with the poetry of Gaston Miron, Quebec's 20th-century poet : the album Douze homme rapaillés, a collection of musical settings of Miron's poems by Gilles Bélanger and performed by Quebec's singers-songwriters.[29] The second volume of this work came out in 2010 (Douze homme rapaillés – volume 2). The rare stage performances of Douze homme rapaillés won both critical and popular acclaim.[30] The third installment of the project, the disc La symphonie rapaillée presenting a selection of the songs from the previous two albums, this time accompanied by an orchestra, was released in April 2014.[31]

Since December 2010 Lavoie participated in the concert version of Notre-Dame de Paris which reunited the original cast.[32] These shows were presented in Kiev, Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Paris[33] and Beirut.[34]

In 2011 Lavoie released J'écoute la radio, an album of newly arranged hits plus a new song (J'écoute la radio). A new concert show took Lavoie on a tour that lasted for almost 2 years (until Spring 2013) all over Quebec, as well as in France, Russia and Ukraine.[35]

On March 25, 2014 the French production company Le Chant du Monde (a Harmonia mundi label) released a new disc, Daniel Lavoie: La Licorne captive – Un projet musical de Laurent Guardo. This musical project exploring classical myths and legends features Daniel Lavoie as a vocalist performing songs written for him by a modern Canadian composer-songwriter Laurent Guardo. He is accompanied by an ensemble of early music and ethnic instruments. Guardo and Lavoie also collaborated as producers of this album.[1] In October 2014 Lavoie and Guardo presented the songs from that album on stage in L'Européen theater (Paris).[36]

On July 1, 2014 Daniel Lavoie participated in the official Canada Day on Parliament Hill in Ottawa evening show as one of its featured performers, representing his native Manitoba.[37]

Collaborations

In addition to writing his own songs, throughout his career Daniel Lavoie has been writing music for other performers, such as Celine Dion, Maurane, Florent Pagny, Jean Guidoni, Allain Leprest, Nolwenn Leroy, Bruno Pelletier, Natasha St-Pier, Luce Dufault, Lara Fabian, Roch Voisine et al. He also produced albums for Marie-Jo Thério, Louise Forestier and the Hart-Rouge Band.[38]

Daniel Lavoie often collaborates with his colleagues, by recording duos or solo tracks for their albums. Some examples of such collaboration are albums "Chez Leprest, vol. 1"[39] (2007), "Leprest symphonique"[40] (2011), Dominica Merola's "Appassionata" (2010), Liona Boyd's "The return... To Canada with love…"[41] (2013), book+disc set "Chats de Paris" by Gérard Beauchamp (2009), followed by "Chats de Montréal" (2011), Valérie Carpentier's "L'été des orages"[42] (2013) et al. Daniel also produces musical albums by other performers. One of such collaborations is the album Vivre debout by one of Quebec's most prominent singer-songwriters Gilles Vigneault, released in April 2014.[43]

Film and television work

Daniel Lavoie appeared in several films, although he never considered acting in film an important part of his career.[44]

He acted in a 1991 Canadian film by Jean Pierre Lefebvre, Le fabuleux voyage de l'ange, for which he also wrote the musical score.[45]

In 2002 Lavoie appeared in a Canadian TV film directed by Claude Fournier The book of Eve, alongside Claire Bloom.[46] In 2004 Daniel Lavoie starred as Quebec's singer-songwriter Félix Leclerc in the mini-series Félix Leclerc, directed by Fournier for Canadian and French television.[47] In addition Lavoie has recorded his own musical tribute to Leclerc, an album Moi, mon Félix (2005).[48]

In 2012 Lavoie appeared in a cameo role in a French TV mini-series Antigone 34, created by Brice Homs and Alexis Nolent.[49]

In addition to acting in films, Daniel has also written songs and music scores for a number of films.[50]

Poetry

In 2011 Daniel Lavoie published a book of poems and poetic essays, Finutilité (Saint-Boniface : Les Éditions des Plaines)[51] In 2014 a Russian translation of the book was published in Russia under the title Пустонечность (Saint-Petersburg : Polifarm, 2014).[52]

In the Spring of 2013 Lavoie became the official representative of the Maison de la Poésie de Montréal Spring fundraising campaign.[53]

Daniel's second book of poetry, Particulités was published in 2015.[54]

Radio

For three years (from June 2010 through June 2013) Daniel Lavoie was hosting his own radio show, Lavoie libre, on the Espace Musique channel of Radio Canada.[55] The show featured music in a variety of styles and of many ethnic origins as well as poetry by Francophone poets, mostly from North America, read on the air by the host himself.[56]

Awards

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Singles

Songs written/produced and albums produced for other artists

– Luce Dufault. Canada( 1996). Music to the song "Laissez-nous la chance".
– Des milliards de choses. Canada. (1998). Music to the songs "Des milliards de choses", "Chanson pour Anna", "Je m'appelle solitude", "T'aurais jamais du", "No deeper love".
-Au delà des mots. Canada (2001). Music to the songs "Mon Roi de France", "Remember Corsica", "Sergueï est au piano".
-Bleu Canada(2004). Music to the song "Toutes les villes du monde".
– Pure. France (1998). Lyrics to the song "Urgent Désir".
– Nue. France (2001). Music to the song "Je suis mon Coeur".
– Une fille très scène. Canada. (1998). Music to the song "Tu es parti".
– Quand l'humain danse. Canada (2003). Music to the song "Sans demander".
– D'autres rives. Canada. (1998) Music to the songs "Le bon gars et le salaud", "Restera et Restera".
– Un monde à l'envers. Canada (2002). Music to the songs "Je crois pourtant", "Ma jalousie", "Madeleine".
– Microphonium. Canada (2009). Music to the songs: «J`ai Menti»,«J`en veux».

Filmography

Acting

Composing

Musical theater

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Harmonia mundi distribution
  2. ↑ Daniel Lavoie & Laurent Guardo in Paris
  3. ↑ Daniel Lavoie revisite son répertoire
  4. ↑ Lavoie – Biography – RFI Music
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Daniel Lavoie". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. 2014. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Annie Joan Gagnon. "Daniel Lavoie". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  7. ↑ "Oscar Peterson, Rush top list of Canadian songs for Obama". Montreal Gazette: A3. January 20, 2009.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Lavoie – Biography". RFI Music. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Daniel Lavoie (The Canadian Encyclopedia)
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Lavoie – Biography – RFI Music
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Daniel Lavoie". Daniellavoie.ca. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  12. ↑ Gala de l'ADISQ – 1984 Nommés et gagnants
  13. ↑ Gala de l'ADISQ – 1985 Nommés et gagnants
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 14.6 14.7 14.8 The Canadian Encyclopedia
  15. ↑ 1985 1ère Cérémonie des Victoires de la Musique
  16. ↑ Grenier, Line (1990). "Radio Broadcasting in Canada: The Case of 'Transformat' Music". Popular music 9 (2): 221–233. doi:10.1017/s0261143000003925.
  17. ↑ Ollivier, Michèle (2006). "Snobs and quétaines: Prestige and Boundaries in Popular Music in Quebec". Popular Music 25 (1): 97–116. doi:10.1017/s0261143005000723. Retrieved May 23, 2013.p. 108, 115: "Artists whose prestige scores exhibit low standard deviations (below 1.5), and therefore the highest degree of consensus, are either highly respected and mostly male songwriters in quadrant I or low-prestige interpreters in quadrant IV. The former include songwriters Beau Dommage, Claude Dubois, Daniel Lavoie, Felix Leclerc, Gilles Vignault, Laurence Jalbert, Luc de Larochelliere, Marie Philippe, Michel Rivard, Offenbach, Paul Piche, Richard Seguin, and Robert Charlebois."
  18. ↑ "Sand et les Romantiques". Frmusique.ru. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  19. ↑ Daniel Lavoie – RFi Musique
  20. ↑ General Hospital: Daniel Lavoie (1994) on YouTube
  21. ↑ Tesseyre, Cecile; Dezzani, Mark. Billboard – The International Newsweekly of Music, Video and Home Entertainment 111.26 (June 26, 1999): 8, 75.
  22. ↑ Powell, Betsy (1999). "There's no place like home". Billboard 111 (3): 50.
  23. ↑ "Notre-Dame De Paris". Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, 2007 – 2013. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
  24. ↑ Tesseyre, Cecile; Dezzani, Mark (June 26, 1999). "Hit 'Notre-Dame' Takes To Road". Billboard 111 (26): 8.
  25. ↑ "Richard Cocciante". RFI Musique. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  26. ↑ Le Petit Prince – Casino de Paris
  27. ↑ "L'école de La Montagne secrète | lamontagnesecrete.com". Thesecretmountain.com. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  28. ↑ "Nelligan : Je me souviens – Musique –". Voir.ca. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  29. ↑ "Douze hommes rapaillés: Miron en chanson | Alexandre Vigneault | Disques". Lapresse.ca. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  30. ↑ Douze hommes rapaillés – Nouvelles – Spectra musique
  31. ↑ Spectra Musique. "12 hommes rapaillés chantent Gaston Miron". Douzehommes.com. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  32. ↑ "Concert | Les plus grandes chansons de Notre-Dame de Paris en concert avec sur scène 70 musiciens et 40 choristes". Nd-leconcert.com. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  33. ↑ ""Notre-Dame de Paris" renaît enfin !" (in French). Paris Match. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  34. ↑ Notre Dame de Paris Concert – Beirut.com
  35. ↑ "Daniel Lavoie – Nouvelles". Spectra Musique. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  36. ↑ Daniel Lavoie & Laurent Guardo – La licorne captive (Teatreonline.com)
  37. ↑ Canada Day on Parliament Hill
  38. ↑ Leblanc, Harry (May 24, 1997). "Hart-Rouge seeks welcoming 'Home'; Canadian act bows 7th set on its own label". Billboard 109 (21): 52.
  39. ↑ Chez Leprest, vol. 1 (Charts in France)
  40. ↑ Leprest Symphonique (Charts in France)
  41. ↑ Liona Boyd
  42. ↑ Musique : L'été des orages de Valérie Carpentier
  43. ↑ Gilles Vigneault lance Vivre debout
  44. ↑ "Интервью Даниэля Лавуа. Слова и музыка". Lavoie.ru. September 25, 2004. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  45. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101847/
  46. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337890/
  47. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452213/
  48. ↑ Lavoie – Biography – RFI Music
  49. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2310393/
  50. ↑ Daniel Lavoie: Internet Movie Database
  51. ↑ brigitte (November 4, 2011). "Finutilité | Les Éditions des Plaines". Plaines.ca. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  52. ↑ В июне 2014 года в Санкт-Петербурге вышла книга "Пустонечность" – сборник стихов Finutilité на русском языке
  53. ↑ "Daniel Lavoie appuie la 5e campagne de financement de la Maison de la Poésie". Maisondelapoesie.qc.ca. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  54. ↑ salondulivreparis.com : Daniel Lavoie
  55. ↑ "Nouvelle saison pour Lavoie libre". http://ici.radio-canada.ca. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
  56. ↑ "La Rentrée De La Radio À Radio-Canada 2012–2013 !". info-culture.biz. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
  57. ↑ 3ème Cérémonie des Victoires de la Musique
  58. ↑ Gala de l'ADISQ – 1987
  59. ↑ Ordre de la Pléiade (honneur)
  60. ↑ Gala de l'ADISQ – 1990
  61. ↑ 61.0 61.1 61.2 61.3 61.4 61.5 SOCAN Awards – Daniel Lavoie
  62. ↑ Prix Miroir 1992
  63. ↑ Liste des membres de l’Ordre des francophones d’Amérique
  64. ↑ Gala de l'ADISQ – 1997
  65. ↑ Victoires de la musique 1999
  66. ↑ 1999 World Music Awards
  67. ↑ Broadcast Hall of Fame Inductees
  68. ↑
  69. ↑ Gala de l'ADISQ – 2010
  70. ↑ Gala de l'ADISQ – 2011
  71. ↑ Gala de l'ADISQ – 2012
  72. ↑ Gala de l'ADISQ – 2014
  73. ↑ Morcos, Gamila (1998). Dictionnaire des artistes et des auteurs francophones de l'Ouest canadien. Sainte-Foy, Québec: Presses de l'Université Laval. p. 139. ISBN 2763775667.

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