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Mitsou Annie Marie Gélinas
--> (born September 1, 1970, in
Loretteville Loretteville () is a List of former municipalities in Quebec, former city in central Quebec, Canada. It was amalgamated into Quebec City on January 1, 2002. It is located within the borough of La Haute-Saint-Charles, and also contains the upmark ...
, Quebec) is a Canadian pop singer, businesswoman, television and radio host, and actress. She is credited as Mitsou Gélinas when acting, but records simply as Mitsou (the French spelling of ''Mitsu'', which means honey in Japanese).


Biography

Born in
Loretteville Loretteville () is a List of former municipalities in Quebec, former city in central Quebec, Canada. It was amalgamated into Quebec City on January 1, 2002. It is located within the borough of La Haute-Saint-Charles, and also contains the upmark ...
, Quebec, Mitsou is the granddaughter of
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, ...
actor and playwright Gratien Gélinas. She got involved in acting and modelling as a child notably in the French-Canadian soap opera ''
Terre humaine ''Terre humaine'' (Human Earth) is a French-Canadian soap opera TV series written by Mia Riddez which originally aired on Radio-Canada from September 18, 1978 to June 4, 1984, totalling 229 episodes. Plot The show takes place in rural Quebec an ...
'', but also began to pursue singing in her teenage years. In 1988, she signed with Canadian independent Isba Records and released her first single, " Bye Bye Mon Cowboy" (composed and produced by Jean-Pierre Isaac), which became a pop hit across Canada, an extremely rare feat for a
francophone The Francophonie or Francophone world is the whole body of people and organisations around the world who use the French language regularly for private or public purposes. The term was coined by Onésime Reclus in 1880 and became important a ...
song, in 1989. Later that year, she followed with her debut, multicultural-themed album, ''El Mundo'' which also spawned the singles "La Corrida" and "Les Chinois". In 1990, she released her follow-up album, ''Terre des hommes''. Ivan Doroschuk of Men Without Hats wrote the title track, in addition to her first English-language song "A Funny Place (The World Is)". The first single, "Mademoiselle Anne", comes as a surprise, as Mitsou appears as a man in the video. In 1991, the second single, "Dis-moi, dis-moi", put Mitsou back in the spotlight with a controversial video that showed her and several male and female models nude in a shower room. T The video, which was released only a few months after
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
's "
Justify My Love "Justify My Love" is a song released as a single by American singer Madonna. It does not appear on any of her studio albums, but is included on her first greatest hits album, ''The Immaculate Collection'' (1990). The song was written by Lenny ...
", was banned from regular rotation by
MuchMusic Much is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel owned by BCE Inc. through its Bell Media subsidiary that airs programming aimed at teenagers and young adults. It is headquartered at 299 Queen Street West in what was o ...
as the Madonna video had been – technically, the video was not fully banned from the network, as the programming committee ruled that the late-night program ''
City Limits City limits or city boundaries refer to the defined boundary (real estate), boundary or border of a city. The area within the city limit can be called the city proper. Town limit/boundary and village limit/boundary apply to towns and villages. ...
'' was allowed to play it, but as a mainstream pop song incompatible with the show's
alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
format, the program refused to do so. Notably, the video for "Dis-moi, dis-moi" was not banned on Much's French-language sister station MusiquePlus, but in fact was placed in heavy rotation; Mitsou's manager Pierre Gendron attributed the difference to English Canada being more prudish than French Canada. Having banned two high-profile pop videos within a few months of each other, MuchMusic created a new occasional late-night series, '' Too Much 4 Much'', on which they would play banned videos along with forum and panel discussions on the controversies these videos raised."MuchMusic to play two racy videos only once". ''
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'', April 26, 1991.
Due to the controversy, Mitsou's single was played across Canada even though the lyrics (which Mitsou co-wrote) were exclusively in French. Her 1992 follow-up EP, ''Heading West'', was a collection of past hits and new material in English and French. Despite a title track co-written by
Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper ( ; born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Known for her distinctive image, featuring a variety of hair colors and eccentric clothing, and for her powerful four-octave vocal range;Jerome, ...
, and the radio and video play given the dance-driven single "Deep Kiss", it failed to generate a substantial pop hit. In 1993, she followed it up with her first full-English album ''Tempted''. Although the lead single was written by
RuPaul RuPaul Andre Charles (born November 17, 1960) is an American drag queen, television host, singer, producer, writer, and actor. He produces, hosts, and judges the reality competition series ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' and has received List of awards ...
("Everybody Say Love"), the album again failed to give her a significant hit. The video for "Everybody Say Love" featured nudity (as well as homosexuality) but failed to stir any media attention. Subsequently, she returned to recording primarily French-language material for her 1994 album ''Ya Ya'' (with the track " Ya Ya", a Lee Dorsey cover) which included cover versions of songs popular in Quebec in the '60s and '70s, such as the title track and " Comme j'ai toujours envie d'aimer" (a Marc Hamilton cover). She also released a Christmas album entitled ''Noel'' in 1995 that included some Quebec holiday classics. After a hiatus, her next album, ''Mitsou (Éponyme)'' (1999), featured hip-hop-influenced beats and a street-oriented rock sound. She also co-wrote and co-produced all the tracks. A club-oriented EP ''Vibe'' followed in 2002. It features remixes of previous material such as "Bye Bye Mon Cowboy" (which was re-recorded and released as a single) and "Money Penny".


Other achievements

Mitsou acted in a number of Quebec films, most recently in
Denys Arcand Georges-Henri Denys Arcand (; born June 25, 1941) is a Canadian filmmaker. During his four decades career, he became one of the most internationally-recognized director from Quebec, earning widespread acclaim and numerous accolades for his "inten ...
's
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
-winning '' Les invasions barbares''. She was top billed in 1992's ''
Coyote The coyote (''Canis latrans''), also known as the American jackal, prairie wolf, or brush wolf, is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the Wolf, gray wolf, and slightly smaller than the c ...
'', which was a major release in Quebec (released during her popularity as a singer, she was billed as simply Mitsou for this release). She wrote the song "Le Toucher" for the film '' The Bone Collector''. In 2000, Mitsou joined ''C't’encore drôle'', the morning show on Énergie 94.3 FM in Montreal. She was an instant hit, as evidenced by the show's high ratings and enormous popularity with 18- to 34-year-olds who have made it the number one morning show for 10 years straight. By June 15, 2012, Mitsou left the morning show of the station after 12 years. On August 20, 2012, Gélinas revealed that she signed on to join the rival CFGL-FM as the drive home co-host but won't begin her duties until November. Since 2001, she has been the editor of a Quebec fashion magazine for young women, ''Clin d'Œil''. In 2005, she hosted the show '' Au Courant'' on CBC Newsworld, an English-language program that focuses on "what's hot and happening in French Canada." In 2006, the show was nominated for a
Gemini Award The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's English-language television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in t ...
in the Best Talk Series category. In February 2009, it was announced that Mitsou would become the "beauty ambassador" for Lise Watier, a Canadian-based cosmetics and skincare product line, and would subsequently appear in the company's advertising campaigns. In 2009, she hosted ''Comment va ta famille?'', a documentary series that portrays the state of the family in Quebec in 2008–09, and television magazine ''La liste'', produced by Marie-France Bazzo for ARTV. She also joined the cast of ''
The Child Prodigy ''The Child Prodigy'' () is a Canadian drama film, directed by Luc Dionne and released in 2010. A biographical drama about classical pianist André Mathieu, the film stars Guillaume Lebon as Mathieu in childhood and Patrick Drolet as Mathieu in ...
(L'Enfant prodige)'', a movie about pianist
André Mathieu André Mathieu (18 February 1929 – 2 June 1968) was a Canadian pianist and composer. Life Mathieu was born René André Rodolphe Mathieu on 18 February 1929 in Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in the parish of Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur ...
, in which she played Vivianne Jobin, one of Mathieu's mistresses. In fall 2009, she began serving as a presenter for the TV program ''Kampaï! À votre santé'', a show on healthy cooking and dining, alongside chef Stefano Faita, for
Radio-Canada Radio-Canada may refer to: * CBC/Radio-Canada, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation *Ici Radio-Canada Télé, the CBC's main French-language television network *Ici Radio-Canada Première Ici Radio-Canada Première (formerly Première Chaîne) i ...
. In August 2010, Mitsou married her partner of 15 years, Iohann Martin, in a "surprise wedding" that he had organized without her knowledge for her 40th birthday. They are the parents of two daughters. They split apart in 2020 but remain business partners. Mitsou will begin releasing new singles via her website as the inspiration strikes her. The first of these is a collaboration between Mitsou and Creature entitle "On vole", and was released in 2011. In 2017, she hosted
Canada Day Canada Day, formerly known as Dominion Day, is the national day of Canada. A Public holidays in Canada, federal statutory holiday, it celebrates the anniversary of Canadian Confederation which occurred on July 1, 1867, with the passing of the B ...
in Ottawa with actress
Sandra Oh Sandra Miju Oh (born July 20, 1971) is a Canadian and American actress. She is known for her starring roles as Rita Wu in ''Arliss (TV series), Arliss'' (1996–2002), Cristina Yang in ''Grey's Anatomy'' (2005–14), and Eve Polastri in ''Kill ...
, attended by Justin Trudeau,
Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...
and Camilla Parker Bowles, as well as
Bono Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by the nickname Bono ( ), is an Irish singer-songwriter and activist. He is a founding member, the lead vocalist, and primary lyricist of the rock band U2. Bono is known for his impassioned voca ...
and
The Edge David Howell Evans (born 8 August 1961), better known as the Edge or simply Edge,McCormick (2006), pp. 21, 23–24 is a British-Irish musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead guitarist, keyboardist, and backing vocalist o ...
. In 2019, she hosts the documentary series ''Mitsou et Léa'', with Léa Clermont-Dion, broadcast on TVA until 2021. This bold, contemporary documentary series spotlights unique women. In each episode, they meet unique women and present two realities of the same theme. In 2021 she appeared as a guest judge in a second season episode of '' Canada's Drag Race''. Her 1993 single "Everybody Say Love", originally written by
RuPaul RuPaul Andre Charles (born November 17, 1960) is an American drag queen, television host, singer, producer, writer, and actor. He produces, hosts, and judges the reality competition series ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' and has received List of awards ...
, was used as the Lip Sync for Your Life number.Kevin Ritchie
"Canada’s Drag Race: Adriana is happy to play the villain"
'' Now'', December 4, 2021.
In 2022, Mitsou co-wrote with her sisters, Abeille and Noémie, the book ''Bien-être inspiré - Trouver l'harmonie Corps, Coeur, Esprit''. A year later, she returned to her first love, collaborating with singer Laurence Nerbonne. The country-rap song
Cowgirl
' is a nod to her mega-success ''Bye bye mon cowboy'' and a hymn to girl power. Also in 2023,
Pierre Lapointe Pierre Lapointe (born 23 May 1981) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. His work largely follows the tradition of French chanson, though he is influenced by modern pop music. Defining himself as a "popular singer", he has built an egocentric person ...
invited her to take part in his ''Chansons hivernales'' tour of Christmas shows across Quebec, alongside other guest artists. The following year, she launched the first issue of ''Mitsou Cuisine'', published by Éditions Pratico-Pratiques, featuring gourmet, well-balanced recipes. In autumn 2024, a second issue appeared, this time devoted to soups. In June 2024, she took part in the Saint-Jean-Baptiste show on the Plains of Abraham. In March 2025, the docu-reality series
Trois sœurs et un chalet
' begins airing on Canal Vie and Crave, in which Mitsou and her sisters renovate the chalet bequeathed to them by their father Alain.


Business

In 1997, she co-founde
Dazmo Musique
with Andrew Lapierre and Iohann Martin. This SME specializes in the creation, realization and production of soundtracks for commercials, films and television programs. They then created Vidéo Assist and Vidéo M.T.L., which becam
Grandé Studios
in 2016. The company specializes in film and TV studio service and rental, camera and lighting rental, and post-production services. The popular program ''En direct de l'univers'' is filmed in the Gratien-Gélinas studios. In 2022, Mitsou and her partner acquire th
Ray-On
music services company. Since the turn of the millennium, Mitsou has had an online presence, starting with a site with a name that reflects the times, CyberMitsou.com, which later became Mitsou.com. In 2010 she launched her current bilingual website
Mitsou Magazine
which publishes articles on topics ranging from fashion and decor to beauty, cooking, wellness and culture. She is also present on social networks.


Discography


Albums

* ''El Mundo'' (Isba) 1988 (Platinum) * ''Terre des Hommes'' (Isba) 1990 (Gold) * ''Heading West'' (Isba) 1992 * ''Mitsou'' (Hollywood Records) 1992 (U.S. compilation) * ''Tempted'' (TOX) 1993 * ''Ya Ya'' (TOX) 1994 * ''Noël'' (TOX) 1995 * ''La Collection'' (Unidisc) 1997 (compilation) * ''Mitsou'' (Dazmo) 1999 * ''Vibe EP'' (Dazmo) 2002


Singles

* "Bye Bye mon Cowboy" (Isba) (1988) Canada No. 63 / Québec No. 1 (6 weeks) * "Les Chinois" (Isba) (1989) Québec No. 2 * "La Corrida" (Isba) (1989) * "Mademoiselle Anne" (Isba) (1990) * "Dis-moi, dis-moi" (Isba) (1991) Canada No. 63 * "Lettre à un Cowboy" (Isba) (1991) Québec No. 1 * "A Funny Place (The World Is)" (Isba) (1991) * "Deep Kiss" (Isba) (1992) * " Heading West" (Isba) (1992) * "Everybody Say Love" (1993) * "Le Yaya" (1994) * " Comme j'ai toujours envie d'aimer" (1994) * "Ouvre-moi" (1999) * "Si tu m'aimes encore" (1999) * "Les Ronces" (1999) * "La Vie Sera" (1999) * "A Toi (You and I)" (2002) * "Bye Bye Mon Cowboy (vibe mix)" (2002) * "Mon Roi" (2002) * "On vole" (2011) * "Cowgirl" (2023)


See also

* List of Quebec musicians * Music of Quebec *
Culture of Quebec The culture of Quebec emerged over the last few hundred years, resulting predominantly from the shared history of the French-speaking North American majority in Quebec. Québécois culture, as a whole, constitutes all distinctive traits – spiri ...


References


External links


Official site
*
Fan site

Genealogy : Mitsou
{{Authority control 1970 births Actresses from Quebec City Canadian dance musicians Canadian film actresses French-language singers of Canada Living people Musicians from Quebec City Canadian women pop singers 20th-century Canadian women singers 21st-century Canadian women singers