French singer
Nicoletta
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![Nicoletta in 2013](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/Nicoletta_Deauville_2013.jpg/220px-Nicoletta_Deauville_2013.jpg) Nicoletta in 2013
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Birth name
| Nicole Fernande Grisoni
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Also known as
| Nicoletta Grisoni
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Born
| (
1944-04-11
)
11 April 1944
(age 80)
Thonon-les-Bains
, France
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Genres
| Pop,
soul
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Occupation(s)
| Singer
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Instrument(s)
| Vocals
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Years active
| 1961 – present
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Website
| www
.nicolettasiteofficiel
.fr
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Musical artist
Nicoletta Grisoni
, longer name
Nicole Fernande Grisoni-Chappuis
, better known by her mononym
Nicoletta
(born 11 April 1944 in
Vongy
, now merged into
Thonon-les-Bains
, Haute-Savoie, France) is a French pop singer. Becoming very popular on French radio and television, where she had a number of hits in the 1960s and the 1970s, she was considered as part of what is known as the French
ye-ye
generation heavily influenced by American music, particularly Rhythm and blues, Rock and roll and Beat music. She is mostly known for her version of "
Mamy Blue
".
Career
[
edit
]
Nicoletta Grisoni was reportedly born of a mentally retarded woman who got pregnant as a result of rape. She reportedly chose the song "Mamy Blue" as a tribute to her mother. The original of the song was that of Spanish band
Los Pop-Tops
and had been subject of many interpretations.
She began her music as a member of her local church choir. She worked for a while in a laundry and at a medical clinic in addition to DJ-ing in the beginning 1960s developing contacts. Encouraged by French songwriter
Leo Missir
, she was signed to
Barclay
. Her initial hits included "L'Homme a la moto" (an earlier
Edith Piaf
song), "Pour oublier qu'on s'est aime" (from
Nino Ferrer
, and "Encore un jour sans toi" (co-written by
Guy Marchand
and
Leo Missir
).
1967 saw the release of "La Musique" (adaptation from
Ann Gregory
), and "Il est mort le soleil", written by
Pierre Delanoe
and music by Hubert Giraud. The song was adapted and interpreted later on by
Ray Charles
under the title "The Sun Died", also covered by
Tom Jones
. As activist, she campaigned against play-back music insisting to sing live in her appearances on television. She also supported the French general strike in
May 1968
, singing in its support.
In 1971, she recorded a French version of "
Mamy Blue
", a gospel song composed by
Hubert Giraud
with massive success. It was a hit in many countries outside France as well. In 1973, she founded her own record label, "Rapa Nui", for producing and launching new talents. The same year she released "
Fio Maravilla
", another big hit for her. The origin was a Brazilian hit from
Jorge Ben Jor
about soccer player
Fio Maravilha
, adapted to French by lyricist
Boris Bergman
. In 1976, her French version of
The Battle Hymn of the Republic
, titled "Glory Alleluia" with new French lyrics and arrangement by
Andre Pascal
, became a Christmas hit.
After a hiatus because of her marriage and bearing a child, she returned to music in 1983 with "Idees noires", as a duo with
Bernard Lavilliers
. In 1987, she took part in the opera
Grandeur et decadence de la ville de Mahagonny
(a French version of
Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny
by
Kurt Weill
and
Bertolt Brecht
), playing the role of Jenny in the opera. The same year, she also took role of Esmeralda in the musical comedy
Quasimodo
based on
Victor Hugo
's
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
composed by
William Sheller
.
In the beginning of the 1990s, she suffered great financial problems despite releasing quality interpretations with collaborations from William Sheller,
Richard Cocciante
, Pierre Delanoe and taking part in galas.
In 2006, Nicoletta released a jazz album
Le Rendez-vous
on
Universal Classics
label containing her interpretations of classics including "
Summertime
", "
Georgia on My Mind
", "
Bei mir bist du schon
" and some original materials written by
Bernard Lavilliers
, Patrick Eudeline and
Manu Chao
. Nicoletta enjoyed critical acclaim and following remaining an integral part of French music culture. She became an officer of
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
in 2010 in recognition of her musical output.
[1]
In 2011, she collaborated with
Didier Morville
known as
Joeystarr
, the former vocalist of
Supreme NTM
in a new revamped rap version of her hit "Mamy Blue" named "Mamy" with altogether new lyrics. "Mamy" heavily samples on the track, mainly that of Nicoletta' s 1971 interpretation. The track appeared on the rapper's album titled
Egomaniac
and in September 2012, she gave a concert accompanied by 400 choir members from
Saint Gervais
, near
Bordeaux
.
Personal life
[
edit
]
In 1978, she married Patrick Chappuis, a Swiss jeweler and had a son Alexandre the following year. The couple divorced in 1985, after 7 years of marriage. In the beginning of the 1990s, she suffered great financial problems. In 1992, she lost her grandmother and became interested in religion for a while. She recorded religious materials and a notable collaboration with a gospel choir from the
Antilles
. She also gave charity concerts in support of Third World developing countries.
[
citation needed
]
Discography
[
edit
]
Albums
[
edit
]
- 1967:
Il est mort le soleil
- 1969:
Olympia
- 1970:
Ma vie c'est un manege
- 1971:
Visage
- 1973:
Nicoletta 73
- 1973:
Viens te balader au creux de mes chansons
- 1975:
Sur les bords de la tendresse
- 1976:
L'amour violet
- 1978:
Palace
- 1980:
Naturel... ma belle!
- 1982:
Qu'est-ce qui m'arrive?
- 1987:
Vivre aujourd'hui
- 1995:
J'attends, j'apprends
- 1996:
The Gospel Voices
- 1998:
Connivences
- 2006:
Le rendez-vous
Singles
[
edit
]
![[icon]](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg/20px-Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg.png) | This section
needs expansion
with: official singles. You can help by
adding to it
.
(
March 2013
)
|
- 1967: "La musique"
- 1967: "Il est mort le soleil"
- 1969: "Ma vie c’est un manege"
- 1971: "
Mammy Blue
"
- 1973: "Fio Maravilla"
- 1974: "Glory Alleluia"
- 1975: "A quoi sert de vivre libre?"
Bibliography
[
edit
]
- 45 Tours et puis s'en va
- La Maison d'en face
(ed. Florent Massot) (an autobiography)
References
[
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]
External links
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]
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International
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National
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Artists
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