法式慵懒

先听这首《La minute de silence》，选自Elie Semoun 2003年的专辑《Chansons》，女声部分由Lisa Ekdahl担当。歌曲充满了法式的慵懒，和巴西的风味有一点不同。

那么好听的歌，当然要考古一下作曲者是何方神圣。原来是Salvadore Poe。我知道他为Henri Salvador和Lisa Ekdahl写过《All I really want is love》，也是一首非常好听的对唱歌曲，收录在Henri Salvador的经典唱片里。当然后者没有那么浓重的Bossa Nova风格。看来他的作品风格还是很多样的。还有一首可推荐的歌曲也是他为Lisa Ekdahl写的，名字叫《Deep inside your dreams》。

什么是Bossa Nova? Bossa Nova是50年代末在巴西流行起来的一种音乐形式。最初流行于生活在里约热内卢海边Copacabana和Ipanema区内的中产阶级学生和音乐家之中。Bossa Nova的本意是“新的节奏”。1958年，由João Gilberto演唱，Antonio Carlos Jobim和Vinicius de Moraes作曲的唱片《Chega de Saudade》发行之后，Bossa Nova一时风靡全国。想了解更多，请阅读Wikipedia的简介。

Salvadore Poe撰写的Elie Semoun的小传
Although it is the debut album, a French artist, Elie doesn’t need to be introduced to the French public. Recently, while we (Lisa Ekdahl and myself) were in Paris with him for the recording of one of the songs of the album, we stopped in a bakery and I could notice immediately how people recognize Elie in a snap and consider him with great affection.
People love Elie.
With his One Man Show, he easely fills a venue like the famous Parisian « Olympia » eleven nights in a row. What people do not realize yet, is that Elie also loves music, good music.
And it turns out that he sings it with a beautiful, soft and suave voice reminding oneself of the famous Chet Baker.

Elie loves the music of Bill Evans, Tony Bennet, Frank Sinatra as well as the Jazz School of the Sixties. He also listens to Brazilians such as Joao Gilberto, Gilberto Gill and Vincius Morales but also to the good old Funky music by artists like Stevie Wonder.

When I asked him to tell me what had inspired him to start singing and do an album, his answer was : « There are 3 recent albums which inspired me : Karen Ann, Henry Salvador and Lisa Ekdahl sings Salvador Poe.
It’s after having listened to those albums, and above all, after having met Henry Salvador in studio where he told me, in an enormous burst of laughter which characterizes him, that I had a nice voice, there it went... I then started to write the lyrics… »

Elie wrote all the lyrics and contacted some composers in order to put his words in music. « I loved working with all these people for my album because I enjoy working with people who are quick! And when I write the words, I see pictures and they see music for me… »

I composed two songs for Elie « Vous » and « La Minute de Silence ». On the latter, Lisa Ekhdal joined Elie and the result is rather magical.

This album is the union of classical writing with modern production and orchestration

Recently, Elie performed five times at « L’Olympia ». He and his band played five songs of the album and opened for Laurent Voulzy (famous French artist) at each five representation.

This is a new path (besides quite unexpected) that Elie Semoun is taking. The fans of his sketches might be diverted and even dubitative at the beginning. But when they will have taken the time to listen to the album, they will realize how good he is.