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Nicola Sirkis | |
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 Sirkis at the 2014Vieilles Charrues Festival | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Nicolas Henri Didier Sirchis (1959-06-22)22 June 1959 (age 66) |
| Origin | Antony,Paris Region, France |
| Genres | New wave,Alternative rock,pop rock |
| Occupations | Singer-Songwriter, Musician |
| Instruments | Vocals, Guitar |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Labels | Sony BMG Jive/Epic[1] |
| Website | indo.fr |
Nicolas Henri Didier Sirchis (French pronunciation:[nikɔlaɑ̃ʁididjesiʁkis]; born 22 June 1959), better known by his stage nameNicola Sirkis, is a French musician, primarily known for his work as thefrontman and singer of the French rock bandIndochine. He is the only remaining member of the original line-up of the band which he formed in 1981 with a friend,Dominique Nicolas, soon to be joined by his twin brotherStéphane and Dimitri Bodianski.[2]
The band has been active for 38 years, and Nicola Sirkis saw critical and wide appeal and success in 2002 with the release ofParadize. The group received further critical acclaim with their album13. Upon its release in 2017, the album topped the charts in France, Belgium and Switzerland,[3] and they are hailed as the top rock group in France.[4]
In 1992, Nicola Sirkis released a solo-album,Dans la Lune, covering a few of his favourite songs, in French or English.
Nicola Sirkis is also the author of the collection of short stories "Les Mauvaises Nouvelles", published in 1998.[5] And "Les petites notes du Meteor Tour".[6]
In 2023, Sirkis was a guest celebrity judge in the episode of theSeason 2 titledA Lé-Gen-Daire Return of the French language reality television seriesDrag Race France broadcast onFrance.tv Slash.[7]
Nicola Sirkis has two brothers, his fraternal twinStéphane (22 June 1959 – 27 February 1999) and elder brotherChristophe (born 6 April 1957). Stéphane joined Indochine in 1982, playing synthesizers and guitar, and remained with the band until his death from hepatitis C after years of struggling with drug addiction. Their elder brother wroteStarmustang, published in 2009, recounting his point of view and blaming Nicola for Stéphane's death.[8] Nicola does have a close relationship with Stéphane's daughter Lou (born 8 August 1990) who has founded her own band Toybloïd. She sometimes joins Indochine on stage, most recently with her cousin Théa to celebrate Nicola's 60th birthday on 22 June 2019.[9][10]
Nicola married twice in the 1990s, first to graphic designerMarion Bataille who designed Indochine's album covers from 1982 to 1989 and second, in 1995, to actressMarie Guillard. They divorced in 1998.[11][citation needed]
In 1996 he met Gwenaëlle Bouchet (known as Gwen Blast), the bassist for the bandMadinkà. They married in 2003 and eventually separated and divorced in 2009. They have a daughter, Théa (born 25 October 2001).[12] His daughter is the inspiration for several of Indochine's songs:Bye Bye Valentine,Memoria,2033 andMao Boy.[13][14] Written before Théa's birth,Mao Boy is a song celebrating the impending joys and fears of becoming a parent. The last stanza begins with, "You are my life, the rest of my life, so be it. You taught me how to save my life" referring to his grief after his brother's death, and now finding joy in the birth of this new life.[15]
Nicola also has two sons, Alice-Tom (born October 2008) and, with his latest girlfriend, Jules (born January 2016).[16]
(For discography withIndochine, refer to discography section on that page)
| Year | Album | Peak positions | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| SWE [17] | |||
| 2014 | "Hexagone" | 198 | La Bande à Renaud |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
