Gabriel Yacoub
Encyclopedia
Gabriel Yacoub was born in Paris
, of a Lebanese
father and a French
mother. He was a guitarist and singer with the Alan Stivell
group that toured France in 1971. Before he founded Malicorne
, Gabriel and Marie Yacoub recorded Pierre de Grenoble (1973). Indeed this was originally intended to be the name of the group. It included contributions from Dan Ar Braz
. With Malicorne, Gabriel played acoustic
and electric guitar
, mandolin
, epinette de Vosges and banjo
, while Marie played electric dulcimer
, bouzouki
and hurdy-gurdy. They sang most of the lead vocals on the albums. In 1978, while Malicorne were at their peak, Gabriel recorded a solo album called trad.arr, which featured English fiddler
Barry Dransfield
as guest.
After a four-year gap he toured as a duo with Marie. He released Bel which had a string quartet on it and bagpipes
from Jean-Pierre Rasle (who had previously recorded with The Albion Country Band). By the time of Quatre (1994), he had appeared on 15 albums. Bel and Quatre are sometimes considered to be his best solo albums, with beautiful arrangements of his own songs and contributions from harper Alan Stivell.
He finally recorded an album of his songs in English in 2002, The Simple Things We Said. It had a stripped-down sound of voice and guitar.
He has written a book of poetry
and lyrics, called Les choses les plus simples.
Gabriel Yacoub
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, of a Lebanese
Lebanese people
The Lebanese people are a nation and ethnic group of Levantine people originating in what is today the country of Lebanon, including those who had inhabited Mount Lebanon prior to the creation of the modern Lebanese state....
father and a French
French 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...
mother. He was a guitarist and singer with the Alan Stivell
Alan Stivell
Alan Stivell is a Breton musician and singer, recording artist and master of the celtic harp who from the early 1970s revived global interest in the Celtic harp and Celtic music as part of world music.- Background: learning Breton music and culture :Alan was born in the Auvergnat town of Riom...
group that toured France in 1971. Before he founded Malicorne
Malicorne (band)
- The traditional years :Gabriel Yacoub and Marie Yacoub formed Malicorne in 1974, naming it after the French town, Malicorne, famous for its porcelain and faience. Since several of their albums are called simply Malicorne it had become the custom to refer to them by number, even though no number...
, Gabriel and Marie Yacoub recorded Pierre de Grenoble (1973). Indeed this was originally intended to be the name of the group. It included contributions from Dan Ar Braz
Dan Ar Braz
Dan Ar Braz, born Daniel Le Bras , is a French guitarist and the founder of Héritage des Celtes.- The apprenticeship years :...
. With Malicorne, Gabriel played acoustic
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
and electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, epinette de Vosges and banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, while Marie played electric dulcimer
Appalachian dulcimer
The Appalachian dulcimer is a fretted string instrument of the zither family, typically with three or four strings. It is native to the Appalachian region of the United States...
, bouzouki
Bouzouki
The bouzouki , is a musical instrument with Greek origin in the lute family. A mainstay of modern Greek music, the front of the body is flat and is usually heavily inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The instrument is played with a plectrum and has a sharp metallic sound, reminiscent of a mandolin but...
and hurdy-gurdy. They sang most of the lead vocals on the albums. In 1978, while Malicorne were at their peak, Gabriel recorded a solo album called trad.arr, which featured English fiddler
Fiddler
A fiddler is a person who plays a fiddle or violin.Fiddler may also refer to:*Fabrangen Fiddlers, an American musical group founded in 1971*Tupolev Tu-28 "Fiddler", a fighter aircraft*Fiddler , a DC Comics villain...
Barry Dransfield
Barry Dransfield
Barry Dransfield is an English folk singer, fiddler, cellist and guitarist. He has appeared as a session musician on numerous albums by other artists, and has released his own albums as well. Lord of All I Behold was voted Melody Maker folk album of the year...
as guest.
Solo years
In the final year of Malicorne, 1986 Yacoub recorded Elementary Level of Faith. This was highly experimental, with Yacoub's own compositions and electronic effects. Warm emotions are combined with industrial sounds. It is very much a companion-piece to Malicorne's Les Cathedrales de L'Industrie.After a four-year gap he toured as a duo with Marie. He released Bel which had a string quartet on it and bagpipes
Bagpipes
Bagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from...
from Jean-Pierre Rasle (who had previously recorded with The Albion Country Band). By the time of Quatre (1994), he had appeared on 15 albums. Bel and Quatre are sometimes considered to be his best solo albums, with beautiful arrangements of his own songs and contributions from harper Alan Stivell.
He finally recorded an album of his songs in English in 2002, The Simple Things We Said. It had a stripped-down sound of voice and guitar.
He has written a book of poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
and lyrics, called Les choses les plus simples.
Discography
Gabriel and Marie Yacoub- Pierre de Grenoble (1973)
Gabriel Yacoub
- trad.arr (1978)
- Elementary Level of Faith (1986)
- Bel (1990)
- Quatre (1994)
- Babel (1997)
- tri (compilation) (1999)
- Yacoub (2001)
- The Simple Things We Said (2002)
- in concert
- je vois venir (2004)
- de la nature des choses (2008)