Anne Sylvestre

Anne Sylvestre
Born (1934-06-20)20 June 1934
Lyon, France
Genres Chanson
Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1957 (1957) ()
Labels
Website annesylvestre.com

Anne Sylvestre (French: [an silvɛstʁ], born Anne-Marie Beugras 20 June 1934) is a French singer and songwriter.

Biography

The daughter of Albert Beugras, she is the sister of writer Marie Chaix.[1] Her father was a politician turned collaborationnist during the Occupation of France.[2] Marie Chaix wrote a book about their father's role during the Occupation, Les Lauriers du lac de Constance (1974).[3] Since 1992, Marie Chaix is Harry Mathews's wife, which makes Anne Sylvestre his sister-in-law.

While studying Literature in Sorbonne University, Anne Sylvestre started singing in cabarets in the fifties and was discovered by Michel Valette.[4] Jean-Claude Pascal recorded her song "Porteuse d'eau" (Waterbearer) under the title "La terre" (The Dirt, 1958).[5] She started recording in 1959, and Georges Brassens wrote a preface for her second album (1962).[6] Since 1962, she also wrote and sang for children (Fabulettes). She wrote a song for Serge Reggiani, "La Maumariée" (The Wrongly-Wed Bride, 1968).[7] She recorded a comical duet with Boby Lapointe, "Depuis l'temps que j'l'attends mon prince charmant" (I've been wainting for my prince charming for ages, 1969).[8]

In 1973, she created her own recording company to release her albums.[4] In 1976, along with Isabelle Aubret, she recorded album Fabulettes et Chansons d'Anne Sylvestre.[9] In 1987, she put on a show with singer Pauline Julien from Quebec (Gémeaux croisées, Crossed Gemini, 1987-1988).[10] With fellow singer Michèle Bernard, she put on a show aimed at children, Lala et le Cirque du vent (Lala and the Wind's Circus, 1992-1996).[2] More recently, she sang on scene with Agnès Bihl in the show Carré de Dames (Four of Queens, 2012).[11]

Her songs encompasses a large range of subjects. Her love songs are often in a nostalgic mode ("Le Pêcheur de perles", The Pearl Fisher, 1967; "La Chambre d'or", Golden Room, 1969). Some of her songs could not be broadcast because of their strong engagement, and others contain profanity, for instance "Les Gens qui doutent" (Doubting People, 1977).[4] Some songs deal with difficult subjects such as poverty ("Porteuse d'eau", Waterbearer, 1961), homelessness ("Pas difficile", Not difficult, 1986), education in a consumer society ("Abel Caïn, mon fils", Abel Cain, my son, 1971), war ("Berceuse de Bagdad", Lullaby from Baghdad, 2003). Numerous songs give a feminist take on women's life: "Non, tu n'as pas de nom" (You have no name, 1973) about abortion,[4] "La Vache engagée" (Engaged Cow, 1975), "Une sorcière comme les autres" (A Witch like any other one, 1975) about maternity,[4] "La Faute à Ève" (Eve's Fault, 1978) about women's rights, "Rose" (1981) about teen pregnancy, or "Juste une femme" (Only a woman, 2013) about sexism.[12] She also supported same-sex marriage ("Gay marions-nous", 2007).[13]

Discography

Year Album Peak positions Certification
FR
[14]
1961 Anne Sylvestre chante…
1962 La femme du vent
1963 Vous aviez, ma belle
1964 T'en souviens-tu la Seine
1965 Lazare et Cécile
1967 Berceuse pour moi
1968 Mousse
1969 Aveu
1969 Fabulettes
1971 Abel, Caïn, mon fils
1973 Les pierres dans mon jardin
1975 Une sorcière comme les autres
1975 L'école
1976 Les Nouvelles Fabulettes
1977 Comment je m'appelle
1977 Chansons pour…
1978 J'ai de bonnes nouvelles
1979 La rue, l'école, le square
1981 Dans la vie en vrai
1985 Écrire pour ne pas mourir
1986 Tant de choses à vous dire
1989 La ballade de Calamity Jane
1994 D'amour et de mots
1997 Chante... au bord de La Fontaine
1998 Les arbres verts
2000 Partage des eaux
2003 Les chemins du vent
2007 Bye mélanco 81
2013 Juste une femme 193

Awards

References

  1. Valérie Lehoux. "Marie Chaix et Anne Sylvestre, deux sœurs et un secret d'enfance". Télérama. 29 July 2008. Accessed on line 11 December 2015.
  2. 1 2 Daniel Pantchenko. Anne Sylvestre: Et elle chante encore?. Fayard. 2012.
  3. See Véronique Montémont, "Retour sur l'histoire d'une collaboration". In Transmission/héritage dans l'écriture contemporaine de soi. Béatrice Jongy, Annette Keilhauer (ed.). Presses Université Blaise Pascal. 2009. P.211-223.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Cécile Prévost-Thomas. "Anne Sylvestre, sorcière, comme les autres…". Travail, genre et sociétés. 2010/1. No 23. Accessed on line 11 December 2015.
  5. Paris, Gérard (2004). Notes to Capitol CD 072435709542 6. Capitol. OCLC 659230043.
  6. Anne Sylvestre. France Inter. Accessed on line 11 December 2015.
  7. Notes to Polydor CD 5328941. Polydor. 2010. OCLC 762643880.
  8. Duo Anne SYLVESTRE Boby LAPOINTE "Depuis l'temps que je l'attends". Institut national de l'audiovisuel. 25 December 1970. Accessed on line 12 December 2015.
  9. Fabulettes Et Chansons D'Anne Sylvestre. Discogs.com. Accessed on line 18 December 2015.
  10. Laurent Luneau and Mehdi Ahoudig. Anne Sylvestre. Témoignage de Pauline Julien. Je Chante Magazine. 18 December 1992. Published on line 10 January 2010. Accessed on line 18 December 2015.
  11. "Carré de dames". Anne Sylvestre official website. Accessed on line 18 December 2015.
  12. Véronique Mortaigne. "Anne Sylvestre, chanteuse entêtée". Le Monde. 16 January 2014. accessed on line 11 December 2015.
  13. François-Xavier Gomez. "Anne Sylvestre, forte en texte". Libération. 12 January 2014. Accessed on line 11 December 2015.
  14. "Anne Sylvestre discography". lescharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  15. Anne Sylvestre N°1, Discogs.com. Accessed on line 11 December 2015.
  16. Anne Sylvestre N°2, Discogs.com. Accessed on line 11 December 2015.
  17. Anne Sylvestre, Académie française. Accessed on line 11 December 2015.
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