Étienne Daho (; ; born 14 January 1956) is a French singer. He has released a number of

synth A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...

-driven and rock- surf influenced pop hit singles since 1981.

Career

Daho was born in Oran, French Algeria. He sings in a low, whispery voice somewhat akin to

Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...

or Chet Baker and his music established him as a pop cult hero. He cites Serge Gainsbourg,

The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. The original line-up consisted of singer/guitarist Lou Reed, multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Angus MacLise. MacLise ...

The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by the ...

and Syd 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 young

William Orbit William Mark Wainwright (born 15 December 1956),"William Orbit." ''Contemporary Musicians''. Vol. 30. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2000. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, 7 May 2017. Available onlinvia ''Encyclopedia.com'' known ...

, "Pour nos vies martiennes" in 1988 and the double platinum "Paris ailleurs" in 1991, recorded in New York. A best-selling recording artist in his own right in France, Daho is best known in Britain for his appearance on the number 11 Saint 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 the '' Reserection EP'', his album ''Eden'', and his single hit ''Le Premier Jour''. Daho's collaborations and productions both on stage and in the studio with other artists have been extensive. He has worked with

Brigitte Fontaine Brigitte Fontaine, (born 24 June 1939) is a singer of avant-garde music. She has employed numerous unusual musical styles, melding rock and roll, folk, jazz, electronica, spoken word poetry, and world. She has collaborated with Stereolab, Mic ...

, Arthur Baker,

Air The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing f ...

, Working Week, '80's new wave bands OMD and

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Jane Birkin Jane Mallory Birkin, OBE (born 14 December 1946) is an English-French singer and actress. She attained international fame and notability for her decade-long musical and romantic partnership with Serge Gainsbourg. She also had a prolific career ...

Marianne Faithfull Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull (born 29 December 1946) is an English singer and actress. She achieved popularity in the 1960s with the release of her hit single " As Tears Go By" and became one of the lead female artists during the British I ...

Françoise Hardy Françoise Madeleine Hardy (; born 17 January 1944) is a French former singer and songwriter. Mainly known for singing melancholic sentimental ballads, Hardy has been an important figure in French pop music since her debut, spanning a career o ...

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, Dani and more. His music has also been remixed, among others, by

Fischerspooner Fischerspooner were an electroclash duo and performance troupe formed in 1998 in Chicago after meeting in school. The name is a combination of the founders' last names, Warren Fischer and Casey Spooner. Career Originally a duo formed by clas ...

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and

. Daho's 1996 album ''Eden'' displayed a diverse array of electronic-oriented songs that included downtempo ballads, drum and bass-influenced tracks, and

Hi-NRG Hi-NRG (pronounced "high energy") is a genre of uptempo disco or electronic dance music (EDM) that originated in the United States during the late 1970s and early 1980s. As a music genre, typified by fast tempo, staccato hi-hat rhythms (and the ...

dance. He duetted with

Astrud Gilberto Astrud Gilberto (; born Astrud Evangelina Weinert, March 29, 1940) is a Brazilian samba and bossa nova singer. She gained international attention in the 1960s following her recording of the song "The Girl from Ipanema". Biography Astrud Gilbe ...

("Les bords de Seine") and was accompanied by

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on "Timide intimité". Backing vocals on several songs were provided by Lyn Byrd of the

, Sarah Cracknell (who co-wrote "Les passagers"), and Elli 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 out

Institute of Contemporary Arts The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) is an artistic and cultural centre on The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. Located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps and Admiralty Arch, the ICA c ...

. He also sang at the Marquee in 1989. After a double platinum greatest hits compilation ''Best of Singles'' in 1998, the number one ''Corps & armes'' in 2000 saw Daho eschewing electronics in favour of a more orchestral sound fuelled by traditional instruments: piano, acoustic guitar, horns, directed by

Wil Malone Wil Malone (born 1952, in Hornsey, North London) is a British music producer and arranger, who has worked with artists including Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Todd Rundgren, The Verve, Massive Attack, Depeche Mode and Italian rocker Gianna Nannini ...

. One of the tracks included an English-language duet with Vanessa Daou ("Make Believe"). It includes also "Le brasier", "La baie" and "Ouverture". Daho shifted gears once again for his dark and moody 2004 album ''Réévolution'', which featured a guitar-heavy rock sound. He released the single hit "If" with

as well as the Phil Spector influenced "Retour à toi" and "Les liens d'Eros" with

, reading her great uncle

Leopold von Sacher-Masoch Leopold Ritter von Sacher-Masoch (; 27 January 1836 – 9 March 1895) was an Austrian nobleman, writer and journalist, who gained renown for his romantic stories of Galician life. The term ''masochism'' is derived from his name, invented by h ...

's ''

Venus in furs ''Venus in Furs'' (german: Venus im Pelz, links=no) is a novella by the Austrian author Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, and the best known of his works. The novel was to be part of an epic series that Sacher-Masoch envisioned called '' Legacy of Cai ...

''. In 2005, Daho released a live album ''Sortir 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, called ''Tombés 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 a ''Victoire de la Musique'' award in the category Album Pop / Rock of the Year. His last album, ''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, including ''

Les Inrockuptibles ''Les Inrockuptibles'' () is a French cultural magazine. Started as a monthly magazine in 1986, it became weekly in 1995. Now it is a monthly again, since 2021. In the beginning, rock and roll, rock music was the magazine's primary focus, though ...

'' and ''

Télérama ''Télérama'' is a weekly French cultural and television magazine published in Paris, France. The name is a contraction of its earlier title: ''Télévision-Radio-Cinéma''. Fabienne Pascaud is currently managing editor. Ludovic Desautez is de ...

''. For record sleeves and music videos, Daho has collaborated with Pierre et Gilles,

Michel Gondry Michel Gondry (; born 8 May 1963) is a French filmmaker noted for his inventive visual style and distinctive manipulation of mise en scène. Along with Charlie Kaufman, he won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay as one of the writers ...

, Nick Knight,

Doug Nichol Doug Nichol is an American filmmaker and commercials/ music video director. Biography A graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts, he started his career as a cinematographer working with David Bowie, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen and U2 and ...

, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, M/M,

Abake Åbäke is a transdisciplinary graphic design collective, founded in 2000 by Patrick Lacey (UK), Benjamin Reichen (FR), Kajsa Ståhl (SE) and Maki Suzuki (FR) in London, England, after meeting at the Royal College of Art. Members of Åbäke co-foun ...

Inez van Lamsweerde Inez van Lamsweerde (born 25 September 1963) and Vinoodh Matadin (born 29 September 1961) are a Dutch-American fashion photographer duo, whose work has been featured in fashion magazines and advertising campaigns. They also produce independent art ...

and

Guy Peellaert Guy Peellaert (6 April 1934 – 17 November 2008) was a Belgian artist, painter, illustrator, comic artist and photographer, most famous for the book ''Rock Dreams'', and his album covers for rock artists like David Bowie ('' Diamond Dogs'') and the ...

among others. In 2016, Daho was invited by John Cale to sing "

I'll Be Your Mirror "I'll Be Your Mirror" is a song by the Velvet Underground and Nico. It appeared on their 1967 debut album ''The Velvet Underground & Nico''. It also surfaced as a single a year earlier with "All Tomorrow's Parties" in 1966. Lou Reed wrote the so ...

"" at the 50th anniversary celebration of ''

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'' at the

Philharmonie de Paris The Philharmonie de Paris () ( en, Paris Philharmonic) is a complex of concert halls in Paris, France. The buildings also house exhibition spaces and rehearsal rooms. The main buildings are all located in the Parc de la Villette at the northeaste ...

Translations and covers

* Daho re-recorded the song "Au Commencement" in English as "A New World" for the Anglophone market. * In the '90s, dance mixes by remixers such as

were released of some of Daho's '80s singles, such as "Épaule Tattoo". * Spanish singer

Luz Casal María Luz Casal Paz (; born 11 November 1958) is a Spanish pop singer. She grew up in the municipality of Boimorto, took singing, piano and ballet classes, and moved to Madrid to pursue a career as a musician. She became famous in the early ...

recorded a cover version of "Duel au soleil" in Spanish called "Un Nuevo Dia Brillara". * Saint Etienne's single "He's on the Phone" is heavily based on Daho's "Week-end à Rome". Daho also collaborated with the band on several other songs. * Daho also recorded a cover of "

My Girl Has Gone "My Girl Has Gone" is a 1965 R&B single recorded by The Miracles for Motown's Tamla label. Included on their 1965 album '' Going to a Go-Go'', "My Girl Has Gone" was the follow-up to the group's number 16 ''Billboard'' Hot 100 million-selling hi ...

", a 1965 hit originally written and recorded by

The Miracles The Miracles (also known as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles from 1965 to 1972) were an American vocal group that was the first successful recording act for Berry Gordy's Motown Records, and one of the most important and most influential group ...

. * A fan of Pink Floyd, Daho has recorded versions of "Arnold Layne" and "Cirrus Minor". *

Nouvelle Vague French New Wave (french: La Nouvelle Vague) is a French art film movement that emerged in the late 1950s. The movement was characterized by its rejection of traditional filmmaking conventions in favor of experimentation and a spirit of iconocla ...

recorded a cover version of "Week-end à Rome" with

. *Daho's 1998 single "Le Premier Jour du reste de ta vie" is an adaptation of Sarah Cracknell ( Saint Etienne's lead singer)'s "Ready or Not" from her first solo album '' Lipslide'' (1997).

Discography

Albums

(All albums until 2003 under Virgin Records, from 2005 onwards, on Capitol Records ) *1981: ''Mythomane'' *1984: ''La notte, la notte'' *1985: ''Tombé pour la France'' (mini album) *1986: ''Pop satori'' *1988: ''Pour nos vies martiennes'' *1989: ''Live ED'' *1991: ''Paris ailleurs'' *1993: ''DahOlympia'' *1995: '' Réserection'' (EP with St. Etienne) *1996: ''Eden'' *1998: ''Singles'' *2000: ''Corps & armes'' *2001: ''Daho Live'' *2002: ''Dans la peau de Daho'' (long box) *2003: ''Réévolution'' *2005: ''Sortir ce soir'' (best of live) *2006: ''Pop satori Deluxe'' (boxset) *2007: ''L'invitation'' *2009: ''Daho Pleyel Paris (Live) *2010: ''Le Condamné à mort'' (with Jeanne Moreau) *2013: ''Les chansons de l'innocence retrouvée'' *2014: ''Diskönoir'' *2015: ''L'homme qui marche'' *2017: ''

Blitz Blitz, German for "lightning", may refer to: Military uses *Blitzkrieg, blitz campaign, or blitz, a type of military campaign *The Blitz, the German aerial campaign against Britain in the Second World War *, an Imperial German Navy light cruiser b ...

Videos

* 1986: ''Une Nuit Satori à l'Olympia'' – VHS – Virgin * 1991: ''Paris Ailleurs'' – VHS – Virgin * 1993: ''Daholympia'' – VHS – Virgin * 1998: ''Intégrale des Clips'' – VHS/DVD – Virgin * 2001: ''Daho Live'' – VHS/DVD – Virgin * 2005: ''Sortir Ce Soir'' – DVD – Capitol – Dvd de platine * 2008: ''An Evening with Daho'' – DVD – Capitol * 2009: ''Daho Pleyel Paris'' – DVD – Capitol * 2015: ''Etienne Daho KOKO Theater of London'' –

Arte Arte (; (), sometimes stylized in lowercase or uppercase in its logo) is a European public service channel dedicated to culture. It is made up of three separate companies: the Strasbourg-based European Economic Interest Grouping ARTE, plu ...

References

Book Sources

* Frédérique Veysset, ''Daho dans tous ses états'', Les Humanoïdes associés, 1989 * Eric Chemouny et Pierre Fageolle, ''Étienne Daho'', Presses de la Cité, 2001 * David Sanson, ''Étienne Daho de A à Z'', Express Prelude & Fugue, 2002 * Antoine Giacomoni, ''Daho par Giacomoni, The mirror sessions parties photographies'', Horizons illimités, 2004 * Carole Vernier " Sensibilité et passion" Éd. Rouchon, 2006 * Aurélie Christa, " Du passé compliqué au présent simple", Éd. Thélès, 2007 * Benoît Cachin " Portraits et entretiens" Éd. Tournon, 2007 * Christophe Conte " Une histoire d'Etienne Daho" Éd. Flammarion/ Pop culture, 2008 * Benoît Cachin, ''Dahodisco'', Éd. Gründ, 2013 * Alfred et David Chauvel, ''L'Homme Qui Chante'', Éd. Delcourt 2015

External links

Official Site

Etienne Daho , Listen and Stream Free Music, Albums, New Releases, Photos, Videos
{{DEFAULTSORT:Daho, Etienne 1956 births Living people People from Oran French pop singers French male singers Pieds-Noirs Rennes 2 University alumni