Gilles Zolty is a
Canadian
Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
musician, singer, songwriter and producer.
He has released three solo albums.
Career
Zolty grew up in
Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
,
Quebec
Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
, and was first part of the rock band Johnny Got His Gun. Travels to Europe were influential in his developing style. The Zolty Cracker song "L'Immigrant" is semi-autobiographical, based on his experiences living in a village in southern France as well as his childhood in Quebec.
A cassette of his early work was released as ''Zolty''.
He moved out west to
Vancouver
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
,
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
in the late 1980s. Not long after his arrival he started singing for Freedom Press. From 1989 to 1997 Zolty along with bandmates Annie Wilkinson and Wayne Adams played in
Zolty Cracker, a band formed around the presentation of his songs. Three albums were produced in that time as well as tours across Canada, down the west and east coasts of the United States and over to Europe. Not long after Zolty Cracker's last gig Gilles started on his second solo venture. Called ''Horny Astronaut'', it was finished in 2000.
Zolty has had a number of other music related pursuits. He is one of the founders of
Music Waste
Music Waste is an annual music, art, and comedy festival held in Vancouver
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous ...
, an annual festival in Vancouver established in 1994, supporting and promoting independent bands.
While living in
Saskatoon
Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...
,
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...
, Zolty continued to support young artists.
In 2007 he and Aleyna May Morin co-produced a compilation album of young aboriginal hip hop artists, ''Burden of Truth''.
He has studied film scoring at
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music () is a Private university, private music college in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern Music of the United ...
and continues to work as a composer and sound designer having worked on more than 60 Theatre productions to date.
Zolty released an eponymous solo album in 2010 on the record label Boutique Empire.
Gilles moved back to his home town of Montreal June 2023.
Zolty Cracker released an EP named "Bodies Apart" in November 2023.
Discography
* ''Zolty'' (1987)
* ''Zolty Cracker'' (Zolty Cracker – 1990)
* ''Go Please Stay'' (Zolty Cracker – 1993)
* ''Flush'' (Zolty Cracker – 1995)
* ''Horny Astronaut'' (Zolty – 2000)
* ''Gilles Zolty'' (Gilles Zolty - 2010)
* ''Bodies Apart EP'' (Zolty Cracker - 2023)
See also
*
Music of Canada
The music of Canada reflects the diverse influences that have History of Canada, shaped the country. Indigenous Peoples, the Irish-Canadians, Irish, British, and the French have all made unique contributions to the musical Culture of Canada, herit ...
*
Canadian rock
Rock music of Canada is a wide and diverse part of the general music of Canada, beginning with American and British style rock and roll in the mid-20th century. Since then Canada has had a considerable impact on the development of the modern po ...
*
List of Canadian musicians
A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, bu ...
References
External links
Gilles Zoltyat
CBC Radio 3
CBC Radio 3 is a Canadian digital radio station operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, which plays a relatively freeform mix of indie rock, indie pop, alternative hip hop, folk, country and electronic music.
The service, which la ...
*
* Gilles Zolty Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/5bjOTE26QAhba8f6P4oCqN?si=hXw7c8f7S0S2ZBEkspP2Qw
* Gilles Zolty YouTube channel https://youtube.com/@gzolty?feature=shared
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zolty, Gilles
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
Musicians from Montreal
Musicians from Vancouver
Canadian indie rock musicians