Gilles Zolty
Encyclopedia
Gilles Zolty is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter and producer. He grew up in Montreal
, Quebec
, and was first part of the rock band Johnny Got His Gun. Travels to Europe were influential in his developing style, and the Zolty Cracker song "L'Immigrant" is semi-autobigraphical, based on his experiences living in a village in southern France, as well as his childhood in Quebec. A cassette of his early work was released as Zolty.
He moved out west to Vancouver
, British Columbia
in the late 1980s. Not long after his arrival he started singing for Freedom Press. From 1989 to 1997 Zolty along with band mates Annie Wilkinson and Wayne Adams played in Zolty Cracker
, a band formed around the presentation of his songs. Three albums were produced in that time as well as tours across Canada, down the west and east coasts of the United States and over to Europe. Not long after Zolty Cracker's last gig Gilles started on his second solo venture. Called Horny Astronaut, it was finished in 2000.
Zolty is one of the founders of Music Waste
, an annual festival in Vancouver established in 1994, supporting and promoting independent bands. Currently living in Saskatoon
, Saskatchewan
, Zolty continues to help young artists. In 2007 he produced a compilation album of young aboriginal hip hop artists, Burden of Truth. He has studied film scoring at Berklee College of Music
and continues film work in Saskatchewan.
Zoly released an eponymous solo album in 2010 on the record label Boutique Empire.
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, 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....
, and was first part of the rock band Johnny Got His Gun. Travels to Europe were influential in his developing style, and the Zolty Cracker song "L'Immigrant" is semi-autobigraphical, based on his experiences living in a village in southern France, as well as his childhood in Quebec. A cassette of his early work was released as Zolty.
He moved out west to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
in the late 1980s. Not long after his arrival he started singing for Freedom Press. From 1989 to 1997 Zolty along with band mates Annie Wilkinson and Wayne Adams played in Zolty Cracker
Zolty Cracker
Zolty Cracker, was a Canadian band formed in 1989 based out of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The band members were Gilles Zolty , Annie Wilkinson and Wayne Adams .-History:Zolty Cracker toured Canada, the United States and Europe from 1989 to 1997, playing what has been described by The...
, a band formed around the presentation of his songs. Three albums were produced in that time as well as tours across Canada, down the west and east coasts of the United States and over to Europe. Not long after Zolty Cracker's last gig Gilles started on his second solo venture. Called Horny Astronaut, it was finished in 2000.
Zolty is one of the founders of Music Waste
Music Waste
Music Waste is an annual music, art, and comedy festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia. It began in 1994 as a protest against the entry fees of the corporate-sponsored New Music West festival...
, an annual festival in Vancouver established in 1994, supporting and promoting independent bands. Currently living in Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Zolty continues to help young artists. In 2007 he produced a compilation album of young aboriginal hip hop artists, Burden of Truth. He has studied film scoring at Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
and continues film work in Saskatchewan.
Zoly released an eponymous solo album in 2010 on the record label Boutique Empire.
Discography
- Zolty (1987)
- Zolty Cracker (Zolty Cracker – 1990)
- Go Please Stay (Zolty Cracker – 1993)
- Flush (Zolty Cracker – 1995)
- Horny Astronaut (Zolty – 2000)
See also
- Music of CanadaMusic of CanadaThe music of Canada has influences that have shaped the country. Aboriginals, the British, and the French have all made unique contributions to the musical heritage of Canada. The music has subsequently been heavily influenced by American culture because of its proximity and migration between...
- Canadian rockCanadian rockCanadian rock describes a wide and diverse variety of music produced by Canadians, beginning with American style rock 'n' roll in the mid-20th century. Since then Canada has had a considerable impact on the development of the modern popular music called rock...
- List of Canadian musicians
External links
- Gilles Zolty at CBC Radio 3CBC Radio 3CBC Radio 3 is a radio station that consists of two parts devoted to Canadian arts and music: a radio service which is available on Sirius Satellite Radio and streaming audio, and several daily and weekly podcasts from the CBC Radio 3 website...