Mélanie De Biasio

Melanie De Biasio

Melanie De Biasio performing at the European Border Breakers Awards Show, Stadsschouwburg Groningen, Netherlands, 2015
Background information
Born (1978-07-12) July 12, 1978
Charleroi, Belgium
Genres Jazz
Occupation(s) Singer
Labels Igloo, PIAS
Website www.melaniedebiasio.com

Mélanie De Biasio (born 12 July 1978, Charleroi, Belgium) is a Belgian jazz singer.

Biography

Born to a Belgian mother and an Italian father, Mélanie De Biasio learnt ballet from the age of three, and started playing the Western concert flute at eight. At the age of 12, she joined the Ensemble de l'Harmonie de Charleroi with whom she toured Canada for a month. During her adolescence, she further improved her voice and diction.

Being a fan of groups like Nirvana, she sang and composed in English in a rock band at age 15.[1] She played in several groups before totally setting her mind to jazz with the trio Harmadik Fül. With them, she learnt to improvise while discovering the many facets of music. After three years of singing studies at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, she was awarded a first prize with a distinction degree. After that, she toured in Russia, in which she gained further professional experience. This is when Steve Houben (Belgian jazz musician and saxophone professor at the Conservatory) asked her to appear in concert with him, allowing her to play in numerous festivals and other large music events in Belgium.

De Biasio has sung and played the flute with noted Belgian jazz musicians such as Pascal Mohy, Michel Herr, Jan de Haas and Philippe Aerts, and was nominated for a Django d'Or award in 2006, in the "Young Talent" category.[2]

One year later, she released her first album, A Stomach Is Burning, for the Igloo label. It was favorably received by the critics and won the "Best Jazz Album" award at Les Octaves de la Musique.[3][4]

In 2011, De Biasio worked with prisoners in a collective creative process using voice, movement, breath and rhythm to awaken the creative spirit, in collaboration with Avanti ASBL that led to a critically acclaimed performance in the prison.

Two years later, she collaborated with grammy award-winning saxophonist Charles Neville and performed "Paradise Isn't Enough" in the United States.

Her second album, No Deal, released in 2013 on PIAS, was described as a simple and sensual work.[5][6] In 2014, she became the second Belgian artist to play on Later... with Jools Holland, after Zap Mama almost 20 years earlier.[7] She supported the Eels on their European tour. The album was remixed and released worldwide by PIAS UK in 2015. That same year, De Biasio headlined the famous Montreux Jazz Tokyo Festival.[8]

Her EP Blackened Cities was released in May 2016 and was again well received by numerous reviews.[9][10]

Discography

Year Album Peak positions
BEL
(Fl)
[11]		 BEL
(Wa)
[12]		 FR
[13]
2007 A Stomach Is Burning 144 113  –
2013 No Deal 14 5 55
2016 Blackened Cities (EP) 5 10 108
[14]
Year Single Peak positions
BEL
(Fl)
[15]		 BEL
(Wa)
[16]		 FR
[17]
2013 "The Flow" 59 27  –

References

  1. ↑ "Mélanie De Biasio, la jazzeuse carolo qui affole le nord du pays" (in French). Focus Vif. 2014. Retrieved 18 June 2014.
  2. ↑ "Mélanie De Biasio". Igloo Records. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  3. ↑ Prouvost, Jacques (3 September 2007). "A Stomach Is Burning" (in French). Citizenjazz. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  4. ↑ http://lesoctavesdelamusique.be/les-laureats/les-laureats-2007/
  5. ↑ "Mélanie de Biasio" (in French). France Inter. 2014. Retrieved 18 June 2014.
  6. ↑ "Mélanie de Biasio, un album de vertige pur" (in French). Les Inrocks. 13 December 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  7. ↑ "Melanie De Biasio eerste Belgische artiest in 20 jaar bij Jools Holland" (in Dutch). Focus Knack. 8 October 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  8. ↑ http://www.montreuxjazz.com/montreux-jazz-festival-returns-tokyo
  9. ↑ http://www.lesinrocks.com/2016/05/13/musique/exclu-melanie-de-biasio-partage-bande-villes-brunes-11827100/
  10. ↑ http://thequietus.com/articles/20333-melanie-de-biasio-blackened-cities-album-review
  11. ↑ "Mélanie De Biasio discography". ultratop.be/nl/. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  12. ↑ "Mélanie De Biasio". ultratop.be/fr/. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  13. ↑ "Mélanie De Biasio". lescharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  14. ↑ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums - SNEP". Snepmusique.com. Retrieved 2016-06-28.
  15. ↑ "Mélanie De Biasio discography". ultratop.be/nl/. Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  16. ↑ "Mélanie De Biasio". ultratop.be/fr/. Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  17. ↑ "Mélanie De Biasio". lescharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
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