Étienne Daho | |
|---|---|
 Daho at theOlympia, Paris in 2008 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | (1956-01-14)14 January 1956 (age 69) |
| Origin | France |
| Genres | Chanson,French pop,new wave |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Years active | 1980s–present |
| Labels | Virgin,Capitol |
| Website | etiennedaho |
Étienne Daho (/daʊ/;French:[etjɛndao]; born 14 January 1956) is a French singer-songwriter. He has released a number ofsynth-driven and rock-surf influenced pop hit singles since 1981.
Daho was born inOran,French Algeria. He sings in a low, whispery voice somewhat akin toLeonard Cohen orChet Baker and his music established him as a pop cult hero. He citesSerge Gainsbourg,The Velvet Underground,The Beach Boys andSyd Barrett as his musical influences. All his albums have been certified at least gold or platinum, including "Mythomane" in 1981, "La notte, la notte" in 1984, "Pop satori" in 1986, produced with a youngWilliam Orbit, "Pour nos vies martiennes" in 1988 and the double platinum "Paris ailleurs" in 1991, recorded in New York.[1]
A best-selling recording artist in his own right in France, Daho is best known in Britain for his appearance on the number 11Saint Etienne hit single "He's on the Phone", which is an English-language adaptation of his 1984 French-language big hit "Weekend à Rome". He also collaborated with Saint Etienne on theReserection EP, his albumEden, and his single hitLe Premier Jour.
Daho's collaborations and productions both on stage and in the studio with other artists have been extensive. He has worked withBrigitte Fontaine,Arthur Baker,Air,Working Week, '80'snew wave bandsOMD[2] andComateens,Jane Birkin,Marianne Faithfull,Françoise Hardy,Charlotte Gainsbourg,Vanessa Paradis,Dani and more. His music has also been remixed, among others, byAir,Fischerspooner,Amon Tobin andWilliam Orbit.
Daho's 1996 albumEden displayed a diverse array of electronic-oriented songs that included downtempo ballads,drum and bass-influenced tracks, andHi-NRG dance. He duetted withAstrud Gilberto ("Les bords de Seine") and was accompanied byThe Swingle Singers on "Timide intimité". Backing vocals on several songs were provided by Lyn Byrd of theComateens,Sarah Cracknell (who co-wrote "Les passagers"), andElli Medeiros.
Eden was subsequently re-released for the anglophone market with great reviews with the song "A New World", which was an English-language version of "Au Commencement". Daho performed in a sold outInstitute of Contemporary Arts. He also sang at the Marquee in 1989.
After a double platinum greatest hits compilationBest of Singles in 1998, the number oneCorps & armes in 2000 saw Daho eschewing electronics in favour of a more orchestral sound fuelled by traditional instruments: piano, acoustic guitar, horns, directed byWil Malone. One of the tracks included an English-language duet withVanessa Daou ("Make Believe"). It includes also "Le brasier", "La baie" and "Ouverture".
Daho shifted gears once again for his dark and moody 2004 albumRéévolution, which featured a guitar-heavy rock sound. He released the single hit "If" withCharlotte Gainsbourg as well as the Phil Spector influenced "Retour à toi" and "Les liens d'Eros" withMarianne Faithfull, reading her great-uncleLeopold von Sacher-Masoch'sVenus in furs.
In 2005, Daho released a live albumSortir Ce Soir, which featured many of his greatest hits performed in concert.
In 2007, his new album,L'Invitation, which was created with Edith Fambuena, was released to good press reviews. In 2008, a compilation of covers was released, calledTombés pour Daho (after Daho's single,Tombé pour la France). The recording artists include Benjamin Biolay, Doriand, Elli Medeiros, Daniel Darc, and Arnold Turboust. In the same year, on 8 March, Daho received aVictoire de la Musique award in the category Album Pop / Rock of the Year.
Les Chansons de l'innocence retrouvée was released in 2013 and was a critical success in France, being included in several best end-of-year lists, includingLes Inrockuptibles[3] andTélérama.[4]
For record sleeves and music videos, Daho has collaborated withPierre et Gilles,Michel Gondry,Nick Knight,Doug Nichol,Jean-Pierre Jeunet,M/M,Abake,Inez van Lamsweerde andGuy Peellaert among others.
In 2016, Daho was invited by John Cale to sing "I'll Be Your Mirror" at the 50th anniversary celebration ofThe Velvet Underground and Nico at thePhilharmonie de Paris.
(All albums until 2003 under Virgin Records, from 2005 onwards, on Capitol Records )
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