Isabelle Boulay
Encyclopedia
Isabelle Boulay is a francophone
Canadian
pop singer
.
song festival without her consent, but she completed a performance there and was regarded as a huge success. The following year she won at the Granby
song festival for her rendition of Jacques Brel
's "Amsterdam". That same year she was invited to take part in the festival Les FrancoFolies de Montréal
.
In 1993 she represented Radio Canada at the "Truffe de Périgueux" festival held in Périgord
, France
. She carried off the prize for Best Singer in the "chanson francophone" (francophone song) category. Following her success in France, she was noticed by songwriter
Luc Plamondon
who was looking for emerging talents to perform in a new production of his rock opera
Starmania
. There, Boulay portrayed the role of Marie-Jeanne.
In 1996, Boulay released her debut album, Fallait pas. Also in 1996, Boulay's vocal portrayal of internationally-successful Quebec singer Alys Robi was featured in a television drama.
Since then, she has had considerable success both in Quebec and in Europe. Her biggest-selling album in France was the 2000 release Parle-moi ("talk to me"). On the 14th of February 2008, she was presented with the medal of the Assemblée Nationale of Quebec by the mayor of her hometown, in recognition of her contribution to the arts.
Francophone
The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
pop singer
Pop Singer
"Pop Singer" is the début single from London-based glam rockers Rachel Stamp. It was released in February, 1996 through WEA. The single was released as a 2 track CD Single and limited edition pink 7" vinyl of 1000 copies...
.
Biography
In 1990, some friends registered her at the Petite-ValléePetite-Vallée, Quebec
Petite-Vallée is a municipality in the Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine region of the province of Quebec in Canada....
song festival without her consent, but she completed a performance there and was regarded as a huge success. The following year she won at the Granby
Granby, Quebec
Granby is a city in southwestern Quebec, located east of Montreal. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 47,637. Granby is the seat of La Haute-Yamaska Regional County Municipality. It is the fifth most populated city in Montérégie after Longueuil, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Brossard and...
song festival for her rendition of Jacques Brel
Jacques Brel
Jacques Brel was a Belgian singer-songwriter who composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following in France initially, and later throughout the world. He was widely considered a master of the modern chanson...
's "Amsterdam". That same year she was invited to take part in the festival Les FrancoFolies de Montréal
Les FrancoFolies de Montréal
Les FrancoFolies de Montréal is a large annual music and performance festival held in Downtown Montreal, Quebec, featuring over 1,000 French-language performers from all over the world, as well as attracting over 500,000 visitors....
.
In 1993 she represented Radio Canada at the "Truffe de Périgueux" festival held in Périgord
Périgord
The Périgord is a former province of France, which corresponds roughly to the current Dordogne département, now forming the northern part of the Aquitaine région. It is divided into four regions, the Périgord Noir , the Périgord Blanc , the Périgord Vert and the Périgord Pourpre...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. She carried off the prize for Best Singer in the "chanson francophone" (francophone song) category. Following her success in France, she was noticed by songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
Luc Plamondon
Luc Plamondon
Luc Plamondon, OC, CQ is a French-Canadian lyricist.-Career:Plamondon has written for many artists, notably the Québécois singers Bruno Pelletier, Diane Dufresne, Robert Charlebois, Céline Dion, Ginette Reno, Fabienne Thibeault, Martine St. Clair, and Garou, as well as the French singers Julien...
who was looking for emerging talents to perform in a new production of his rock opera
Rock opera
A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections in the manner of opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. More recent developments include...
Starmania
Starmania
Starmania is a French/Québécois rock opera written in 1976 with music by Michel Berger and lyrics by Luc Plamondon. Some of its songs have passed into mainstream Francophone pop culture.-Genesis:...
. There, Boulay portrayed the role of Marie-Jeanne.
In 1996, Boulay released her debut album, Fallait pas. Also in 1996, Boulay's vocal portrayal of internationally-successful Quebec singer Alys Robi was featured in a television drama.
Since then, she has had considerable success both in Quebec and in Europe. Her biggest-selling album in France was the 2000 release Parle-moi ("talk to me"). On the 14th of February 2008, she was presented with the medal of the Assemblée Nationale of Quebec by the mayor of her hometown, in recognition of her contribution to the arts.
Personal life
In October 2008, Boulay and her producer Marc-Andre Chicoine, had their first child together, Marcus.Awards and recognition
- 2001: Victoires de la musiqueVictoires de la MusiqueVictoires de la musique , is an annual French award ceremony that recognizes the best musical artists of the year.- Male artist of the year :*1985 : Michel Jonasz*1986 : Jean-Jacques Goldman*1987 : Johnny Hallyday...
: discovery of the year for artist and album (Mieux qu'ici bas) - 2001: Juno AwardsJuno Awards of 2001The Juno Awards of 2001 were held in Hamilton, Ontario Canada during the weekend of 3-4 March 2001.The primary ceremonies were hosted by Rick Mercer at Copps Coliseum on 4 March 2001 and broadcast on CBC Television...
: nomination for Best Female Artist, two nominations for Best Selling Francophone Album (Mieux qu'ici bas and Scènes d'Amour) - 2008: Juno AwardsJuno Awards of 2008The Juno Awards of 2008 were held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on the weekend ending 6 April 2008. These ceremonies honoured music industry achievements in Canada in the latter part of 2006 and in most of 2007....
: nomination for Francophone Album of the YearJuno Award for Francophone Album of the YearThe Juno Award for "Francophone Album of the Year" has been awarded since 1992, as recognition each year for the best Francophone album in Canada.-Best Selling Francophone Album :*1992 - Luc de Larochellière, Sauvez mon âme...
(De retour à la sourceDe retour à la sourceDe retour à la source is francophone Canadian pop singer Isabelle Boulay's fifth studio album. The album released in 2007 and is a return to the singer's country music roots....
)
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Date of release | Sales | Certification (France) | Peak position | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
FR France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... (DD) |
BE Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... (WA) |
SUI Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
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| 1996 | Fallait pas | 1996 | ? | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1998 | États d'amour | March 1998 | 100,000+ | Gold (2002) | 60 | — | — | — |
| 2000 | Mieux qu'ici-bas Mieux qu'ici-bas Mieux qu'ici-bas is francophone Canadian pop singer Isabelle Boulay's third studio album, released in September, 2000. It was led by the hit single "Parle-moi" which was released about the same time... |
September 2000 | 960,500 | Diamond (2002) | 6 | — | 4 | 65 |
| 2004 | Tout un jour Tout un jour Tout un jour is francophone Canadian pop singer Isabelle Boulay's fourth studio album, released in May 2004. It contains a duet with Johnny Hallyday, "Tout au bout de nos peines," which was a top ten hit in France and Belgium... |
May 2004 | 254,000 | 2xGold (2004) | 4 | — | 3 | 11 |
| 2007 | De retour à la source De retour à la source De retour à la source is francophone Canadian pop singer Isabelle Boulay's fifth studio album. The album released in 2007 and is a return to the singer's country music roots.... |
May 2007 | ? | — | 87 | — | 32 | 65 |
| 2008 | Nos Lendemains Nos Lendemains Nos Lendemains is francophone Canadian pop singer Isabelle Boulay's seventh studio album, released in March, 2008. A first single, "Ton Histoire", was available one month later and currently charted... |
March 2008 | ? | — | 7 | 4 | 7 | 22 |
Live albums
| Year | Title | Date of release | Sales | Certification (France) | Peak position | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
FR France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... (DD) |
BE Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... (WA) |
SUI Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
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| 2000 | Scènes d'amour Scènes d'amour Scènes d'amour is francophone Canadian pop singer Isabelle Boulay's first live album, released in the spring of 2000.The album was recorded in 1999 during the "Les FrancoFolies de Montréal" annual summer festival in Montreal, where she appeared on stage and sang with a host of famous guest... |
Spring 2000 | ? | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2002 | Au moment d'être à vous Au moment d'être à vous Au moment d'être à vous is francophone Canadian pop singer Isabelle Boulay's second live album, released in September, 2002. It achieved a great success in Belgium , France and Switzerland, where it reached the top ten... |
September 2002 | 300,000+ | Platinum (2004) | 4 | — | 5 | 8 |
| 2005 | Du Temps pour toi Du Temps pour toi Du temps pour toi is francophone Canadian pop singer Isabelle Boulay's third live album, released on October 14, 2005. It met a rather good success in Belgium and France, where it reached the top twenty.... |
October 2005 | ? | — | 16 | 7 | 7 | 42 |
Singles
| Year | Title | Date of release | Sales | Certification (France) | Peak position | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
FR France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... (DD) |
BE Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... (WA) |
SUI Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
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| 1996 | "J'enrage" | ? | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1998 | "Je t'oublierai, je t'oublierai" | February 2001 | ? | — | 33 | — | — | — | États d'amour |
| "Le Saule" | 1998 | ? | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "La Lune" | 1998 | ? | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "États d'amour" | 1999 | ? | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000 | "Parle-moi" | October 2000 | 468,000+ | Gold (2000) | 2 | — | 1 | — | Mieux qu'ici-bas Mieux qu'ici-bas Mieux qu'ici-bas is francophone Canadian pop singer Isabelle Boulay's third studio album, released in September, 2000. It was led by the hit single "Parle-moi" which was released about the same time... |
| 2001 | "Un Jour ou l'autre" | February 2001 | ? | — | 31 | — | 22 | — | |
| "Quelques pleurs" | 2001 | ? | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Jamais assez loin" | 2001 | ? | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Mieux qu'ici-bas" | 2001 | ? | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002 | "Sans toi" (live) | 2002 | ? | — | — | — | — | — | Au moment d'être à vous Au moment d'être à vous Au moment d'être à vous is francophone Canadian pop singer Isabelle Boulay's second live album, released in September, 2002. It achieved a great success in Belgium , France and Switzerland, where it reached the top ten... |
| 2003 | "Depuis le premier jour" | 2003 | ? | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2004 | "C'est quoi, c'est l'habitude" | 2004 | ? | — | — | — | — | — | Tout un jour Tout un jour Tout un jour is francophone Canadian pop singer Isabelle Boulay's fourth studio album, released in May 2004. It contains a duet with Johnny Hallyday, "Tout au bout de nos peines," which was a top ten hit in France and Belgium... |
| "Tout au bout de nos peines" | December 2004 | 187,000+ | Silver (2004) | 3 | — | 7 | 23 | ||
| 2005 | "Une Autre Vie" | 2005 | ? | — | — | — | — | — | Du temps pour toi |
| 2008 | "Ton Histoire" | April 2008 | ? | — | 14 | 42 | 39 | — | Nos Lendemains |