Benoît Charest
Encyclopedia
Benoît Charest is a Canadian guitarist
and film score composer
from Quebec
. He is best known for the soundtrack of the animated film Les Triplettes de Belleville
(2003), for which he won a César Award for Best Music Written for a Film
as well as a Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Music
. The song "Belleville Rendez-vous
", in particular, earned him an Academy Award nomination
as well as a Grammy Award nomination
.
s. Ben & Max Studios became quite successful, however in 2001 Morin sold his share in the company back to Charest in order to continue his own personal musical career.
In 2003 Morin also assisted Charest on the soundtrack for Les Triplettes de Belleville
. Morin performed the bass and percussion on the song "Belleville Rendez-vous
" and he also performed the song live, along with Charest and his then wife, vocalist Béatrice Bonifassi
, at the 76th Academy Awards
ceremony — Morin played percussion on a bicycle during the live performance.
Charest composed the score for the 2009 National Film Board of Canada
animated short Runaway, written and directed by Cordell Barker
. More recently, he wrote the music for the feature films Polytechnique, Route 132, A bottle in the Gaza sea and Upside Down
. He is currently working on Martin Villeneuve's much anticipated sci-fi film Mars et Avril, set to be released in 2012.
vocalist Béatrice Bonifassi
after having watched her sing Jimi Hendrix
covers
at a Montreal jazz club. Later that year she moved from France to Montreal to join Charest. The two are no longer together.
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and film score composer
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
from Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. He is best known for the soundtrack of the animated film Les Triplettes de Belleville
Les Triplettes de Belleville
The Triplets of Belleville is a 2003 animated comedy film written and directed by Sylvain Chomet. It was released as Belleville Rendez-vous in the United Kingdom...
(2003), for which he won a César Award for Best Music Written for a Film
César Award for Best Music Written for a Film
This is the list of winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Music Written for a Film . Before 2000, the award was called "César Award for Best Music".-1970s:...
as well as a Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Music
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Music
The Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Music is one of the annual film awards given by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.- 1990s :- 2000s :- 2010s :...
. The song "Belleville Rendez-vous
Belleville Rendez-vous
"Belleville Rendez-vous" is a song from the animated film Les Triplettes de Belleville , with music by Benoît Charest and lyrics by Sylvain Chomet. The song was performed "in character" in the film by Béatrice Bonifassi. The soundtrack album includes two versions of the song, one in French and...
", in particular, earned him an Academy Award nomination
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
as well as a Grammy Award nomination
Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
The Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media has been awarded since 1988 and is awarded to songs written for films, television, video games or other visual media...
.
Soundtrack and film score work
In the late 1990s, Benoît Charest attended a performance in Montreal by DJ Mad Max (a previous alias used by Maxime Morin, who currently performs under the name DJ Champion). After the show, Charest approached Morin with a business proposal; the two men went on to become co-owners of Ben & Max Studios — a company specializing in jingles and soundtrackSoundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
s. Ben & Max Studios became quite successful, however in 2001 Morin sold his share in the company back to Charest in order to continue his own personal musical career.
In 2003 Morin also assisted Charest on the soundtrack for Les Triplettes de Belleville
Les Triplettes de Belleville
The Triplets of Belleville is a 2003 animated comedy film written and directed by Sylvain Chomet. It was released as Belleville Rendez-vous in the United Kingdom...
. Morin performed the bass and percussion on the song "Belleville Rendez-vous
Belleville Rendez-vous
"Belleville Rendez-vous" is a song from the animated film Les Triplettes de Belleville , with music by Benoît Charest and lyrics by Sylvain Chomet. The song was performed "in character" in the film by Béatrice Bonifassi. The soundtrack album includes two versions of the song, one in French and...
" and he also performed the song live, along with Charest and his then wife, vocalist Béatrice Bonifassi
Béatrice Bonifassi
Béatrice "Betty" Bonifassi is a French-born vocalist based out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She has a deep, contralto singing voice, sometimes referred to as "masculine", which has been compared to that of Shirley Bassey. Bonifassi has performed music of many styles in both English and...
, at the 76th Academy Awards
76th Academy Awards
The 76th Academy Awards ceremony honored the best films of 2003 and was broadcast from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California on ABC beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST/8:30 p.m. EST, February 29, 2004 . The show was produced by Joe Roth and was hosted for the eighth time by comedian Billy Crystal.The...
ceremony — Morin played percussion on a bicycle during the live performance.
Charest composed the score for the 2009 National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
animated short Runaway, written and directed by Cordell Barker
Cordell Barker
Cordell Barker is a Canadian animator based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He began animating in his late teens after taking on an apprenticeship at Kenn Perkins Animation. He has worked on commercial campaigns for entities such as Coca-Cola, Bell Canada, Lors, Nike, and the Government of Canada...
. More recently, he wrote the music for the feature films Polytechnique, Route 132, A bottle in the Gaza sea and Upside Down
Upside Down
"Upside Down" is a hit song by Diana Ross released on the Motown label. It was the first single taken from her 1980 album diana and hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 6, 1980. It also hit number one on the Billboard Disco/Dance and R&B charts...
. He is currently working on Martin Villeneuve's much anticipated sci-fi film Mars et Avril, set to be released in 2012.
Selected filmography
- 1992: Montréal rétro
- 1999: Matroni et moi
- 2000: La Vie après l'amour
- 2000: The Secret Adventures of Jules VerneThe Secret Adventures of Jules VerneThe Secret Adventures of Jules Verne is a 22-episode science fiction television series in the steampunk genre that first aired in June 2000 on CBC Television in Canada and in syndication in the United States....
(TV series, 1 episode) - 2003: Les Triplettes de BellevilleLes Triplettes de BellevilleThe Triplets of Belleville is a 2003 animated comedy film written and directed by Sylvain Chomet. It was released as Belleville Rendez-vous in the United Kingdom...
- 2005: 76th Academy Awards76th Academy AwardsThe 76th Academy Awards ceremony honored the best films of 2003 and was broadcast from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California on ABC beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST/8:30 p.m. EST, February 29, 2004 . The show was produced by Joe Roth and was hosted for the eighth time by comedian Billy Crystal.The...
ceremony: "Belleville Rendez-vousBelleville Rendez-vous"Belleville Rendez-vous" is a song from the animated film Les Triplettes de Belleville , with music by Benoît Charest and lyrics by Sylvain Chomet. The song was performed "in character" in the film by Béatrice Bonifassi. The soundtrack album includes two versions of the song, one in French and...
" - 2006: Maxed Out: Hard Times, Easy Credit and the Era of Predatory Lenders (documentary)
- 2007: Ma tante AlineMa tante AlineMa tante Aline is a 2007 Canadian comedy film.- Plot :* Geneviève Saint-Louis is a successful career woman who does nothing but work. One day, her aunt Aline shows up unexpectedly on her doorstep penniless and just one step away from a retirement home...
- 2008: Adam's WallAdam's WallAdam's Wall is a Canadian film released in Montreal on October 17, 2008. The film is directed by Michael Mackenzie, who also co-wrote the film with Dana Schoel and produced by Ziad Touma of Couzin Films and by Olivier Sirois...
- 2009: RunawayRunawayRunaway or Run Away may refer to:* Runaway , a minor who has left home without permission* Bolting * Fugitive slave-Literature:* Runaway , a 2004 collection of short stories by Alice Munro...
(short) - 2009: Polytechnique
- 2010: Route 132
- 2011: A bottle in the Gaza sea
- 2012: Upside DownUpside Down"Upside Down" is a hit song by Diana Ross released on the Motown label. It was the first single taken from her 1980 album diana and hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 6, 1980. It also hit number one on the Billboard Disco/Dance and R&B charts...
(post-production) - 2012: Mars et Avril (post-production)
Personal life
In 1997 Charest met French-bornFrench people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
vocalist Béatrice Bonifassi
Béatrice Bonifassi
Béatrice "Betty" Bonifassi is a French-born vocalist based out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She has a deep, contralto singing voice, sometimes referred to as "masculine", which has been compared to that of Shirley Bassey. Bonifassi has performed music of many styles in both English and...
after having watched her sing Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
covers
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
at a Montreal jazz club. Later that year she moved from France to Montreal to join Charest. The two are no longer together.