Arthur Higelin (born 27 March 1966), better known under his stage name Arthur H (), is a French singer-songwriter and pianist. He is best known in France for his live performances—four of his albums were recorded live.

Life and career

He is the son of the French singer

Jacques Higelin Jacques Joseph Victor Higelin (; 18 October 1940 – 6 April 2018) was a French pop singer who rose to prominence in the early 1970s. Early life Higelin was born on 18 October 1940. His father, Paul, a railway worker and musician of Alsatian de ...

and Nicole Courtois, and half brother of singers

Izïa Izïa Anna Rosine Higelin (; born 24 September 1990), more commonly known by her stage name Izïa, is a French rock singer, guitarist and actress. Her most recent album, ''La Vitesse'', was released in 2022. Early life Izïa was born in Paris ...

Higelin and stage and film actor, theatre director and music video director

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. After traveling in the

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, he studied music in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

before returning to Paris and developing his eclectic but highly personal musical style, drawing on such influences as

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk ( October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the Jazz standard, standard jazz repertoire, includ ...

Serge Gainsbourg Serge Gainsbourg (; born Lucien Ginsburg; 2 April 1928 – 2 March 1991) was a French singer-songwriter, actor, composer, and director. Regarded as one of the most important figures in French pop, he was renowned for often provocative rel ...

the Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols are an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they became culturally influential in popular music. The band initiated the punk movement in the United Ki ...

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

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and the

tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries from a combination of Arge ...

. He first performed in 1988 in clubs in Paris, as leader of a trio with bassist Brad Scott and drummer Paul Jothy. His first album, ''Arthur H'' (1990), combined rhythmic experimentation and ''

bal-musette Bal-musette is a style of French instrumental music and dance that first became popular in Paris in the 1880s. Although it began with bagpipes as the main instrument, this instrument was eventually replaced by the accordion, on which a variety of ...

'' elements with a vocal style which has been compared to

Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on society's underworld and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He began in the American folk music, fo ...

. He toured widely around this time, particularly in France and Japan, adding a fourth band member, Jon Handelsman (saxophone), and produced a second album, ''Bachibouzouk'' (1992). In early 1993, he did a six-week season at the Magic Mirrors, an antique circus big top, which was later put on as a touring show and recorded on the live album ''En chair et en os''. In 1996, he released the album ''Trouble Fête'', following which he performed a season at the Gymnase in Paris. The live album ''Fête Trouble'' (1997) included some tracks from these shows as well as others recorded on tour in Africa. He toured the United States and Canada in 1998. In 2000, he wrote the soundtrack for Michel Couvelard's film, ''Inséparables'', before touring in Asia and Canada. His next album, ''Pour Madame X'' (2000), featured the touring band of Nicolas Repac (guitar), Brad Scott (double bass) and Laurent Robin (drums). In 2001, he took part in the show ''Le Cabaret Imprudent'' with "Le Cirque Cahin-caha". The following year, he released the album ''Piano Solo'', recorded live in a studio and mainly consisting of solo interpretations of earlier songs. This was followed by a band album, ''Négresse Blanche'' (2003), comprising tracks dedicated to the memory of famous women such as Marilyn Kaddish and

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. In 2005, a planned tour of China was cancelled, and he returned to the studio to record the album ''Adieu Tristesse''. This was the most commercially successful of his career, and included several duets, one with his father and another, "Est-ce que tu aimes?", with the musician

-M- Matthieu Chedid (born 21 December 1971) is a French multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter. Chedid began his career as a session musician playing both acoustic and electric guitar. In the late 1990s, he rose to fame as a singer-songwriter ...

(Matthieu Chedid). He subsequently toured widely in France, Lebanon and Canada. In 2006, he published a book, ''Onirique attaque'', containing lyrics, reflections and photographs. He also composed the soundtrack for the film ''L'homme qui rêvait d'un enfant'', directed by

Delphine Gleize Delphine Gleize (born 5 May 1973) is a French film director and screenwriter. She has directed ten films since 1998. Her film '' Carnages'' was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival The 55th Cannes Film Fest ...

. The soundtrack was performed by an ensemble of children from a local music school. The album ''Show Time'', issued late in 2006, was recorded live on tour and includes duets with

Matthieu Chedid Matthieu Chedid (born 21 December 1971) is a French multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter. Chedid began his career as a session musician playing both acoustic and electric guitar. In the late 1990s, he rose to fame as a singer-songwriter ...

, Pauline Croze,

Lhasa de Sela Lhasa de Sela (September 27, 1972 – January 1, 2010), also known by the mononym Lhasa, was an American-Canadian singer-songwriter who was raised in Mexico and the United States and divided her adult life between Canada and France. Her first a ...

and

. In June 2008 he released the album ''L'Homme du Monde'', which won the award of Pop/Rock Album of the Year 2009 at La Victoire de la Musique. His 2010 double CD, ''Mystic Rumba'', contained 24 songs from his repertoire performed solo at the piano, the result in part of a snow storm which cut the power in his studio during recording. The next album, ''Baba Love'', was released in October 2011. In 2012, he collaborated with Nicolas Repac on the album ''L'Or Noir'', comprising musical settings of poems by

Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...

writers. "L'Or Noir" at arthurh.net
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Discography

Albums

Compilation albums

* 2009: ''2 For 1: Arthur H + Trouble-fête'' * 2010: ''2 For 1: Négresse blanche + Adieu tristesse'' * 2011: ''Master Serie'' * 2012: ''Les 50 Plus Belles Chansons'' (3-CD compilation) * 2015: ''2cd originaux: Baba Love / Soleil dedans''

Live albums

Soundtracks

* 1999: ''Inséparables''

Singles

Books published

* 2006: ''Onirique attaque''

Awards

* 1993: Victoires de la Musique (France) – Popular music – best male newcomer (révélation) * 2006: Victoires de la Musique – Music video of the year for ''Est Ce Que Tu Aimes'' * 2009: Victoires de la Musique – Pop/rock album of the year for ''L'Homme du Monde''

References

External links

Official website Biography
(archived) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Arthur H 1966 births French musicians Living people French male singers French people of Belgian descent