Stella Vander (born Stella Zelcer, also known as Stella; 12 December 1950) is a French singer and musician.

Early years

Born in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...

into a family of Polish immigrants, she began writing music in the early sixties together with her uncle Maurice Chorenslup. Their songs were parodies of the

Yé-yé ''Yé-yé'' () (''yeyé'' in Spanish) was a style of pop music that emerged in Western-Southern Europe in the early 1960s. The French term "''yé-yé''" was derived from the English "yeah! yeah!", popularized by British beat music bands such as ...

style that was popular at the time. Stella's first EP, which included "Pourquoi pas moi", was released in November 1963, when she was twelve. In 1966, "Un air du folklore Auvergnat" ("a folk song from Auvergne", mocking

Sheila Sheila (alternatively spelled Shelagh and Sheelagh) is a common feminine given name, derived from the Irish name ''Síle'', which is believed to be a Gaelic form of the Latin name Caelia, the feminine form of the Roman clan name Caelius, mean ...

's "Le Folklore Américain") increased her fame, followed by protests by the

Auvergnat or (endonym: ) is a northern dialect of Occitan spoken in central and southern France, in particular in the former administrative region of Auvergne. Currently, research shows that there is not really a true Auvergnat dialect but rather a v ...

association—which took the lyrics seriously. Her take on music was "engagingly sarcastic". 1966's ''Beatnicks D'Occasion'' targeted weekend scenesters. Her final record as Stella was released in 1967. "I wasn't even 17 yet, but I just said 'Ok, pfft. Leave it.

Magma

She married

Magma Magma () is the molten or semi-molten natural material from which all igneous rocks are formed. Magma is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and evidence of magmatism has also been discovered on other terrestrial planets and some natura ...

drummer Christian Vander and has appeared on numerous Magma albums. During the band's hiatus, she divorced Christian and married Francis Linon, the band's sound engineer. The couple started Seventh Records to organise Magma's work and to release some of Christian Vander's personal works. Since Magma's reformation in the late 1990s, she has assumed a larger role in the band's studio and performance efforts, and is currently Magma's most enduring and prominent vocalist.

Solo albums

In 1991 she released her first solo album as Stella Vander, ''D'épreuves d'amour'' (Seventh A-VIII). ''Le coeur allant vers'' (Ex-Tension, with Sophia Domancich) appeared in 2004. In 2011 ''Passage du Nord Ouest'' (Seventh AKT XVII 2 CD) was released (recorded in Paris, 29/12/1991). ''Pourquoi pas moi'', a compilation of 40 tracks from the years 1963–1968, was released in 1997 (Magic records 2 CD).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vander, Stella Yé-yé singers 1950 births French people of Polish descent French-language singers Musicians from Paris Living people Magma (band) members Vander, Stella