Monique Serf
Encyclopedia
Monique Andrée Serf known as Barbara (Barbara Brodi in her debut), was a popular French
female
singer. She took her stage name from her Russian grandmother, Varvara Brodsky.
, France
, into a Jewish family, was ten years old when she had to go into hiding during the German
occupation of France in World War II
. After the war ended, a neighborhood professor
of music
heard Monique sing and took an interest in helping her develop her talents. She was given vocal lessons and taught to play the piano
and eventually she enrolled at the Ecole Supérieure de Musique. However, money was a problem and she gave up her musical studies to sing at "La Fontaine des Quatre Saisons," a then popular cabaret
in Paris.
A sensitive girl, she was deeply scarred by the war and her family's plight. Her inner feelings of emptiness experienced at this stage in her showed in her appearance and in her songs, particularly "Mon Enfance". It is reported by Barbara in her interrupted (assembled from notes found in her house at Precy-sur-Marne) autobiography, "Il Etait un Piano Noir", that her father sexually abused her when she was ten. He would later leave the family never to return. Barbara went to his burial in Nantes
, which originated one of her most popular songs ("Nantes"), immortalizing that time in her life.
, Juliette Gréco
and Germaine Montéro. However, her career evolved slowly and she struggled constantly to eke out a living. In October 1953, she married Claude John Luc Sluys, a Belgian law student but they separated in 1956. Later in life, she wrote about her relationships with men in a song saying: "They walk proudly, my men/ I in the front/ them just behind."
Returning to Paris, she would meet Jacques Brel
and become a lifelong friend, singing many of his songs. Later, she met Georges Brassens
whose songs she would eventually begin to use in her act and to record her first album. In the 1950s, she obtained singing engagements at some of the smaller clubs and began building a fan base, particularly with the young students from the Latin Quarter
. In 1957 she went back to Brussels to make her first record single but it was not until 1961 that she got a real break when she was engaged to perform at the famous Bobino Music-Hall
in Montparnasse
. Dressed in a long black robe, she gave a haunting performance but the tough Parisian critics were not kind, saying she lacked naturalness and was stiff and formal in her presentation. She continued to perform at small clubs and two years later at the Théâtre des Capucines
, she captured the imagination of the audience and critics alike with an astonishingly powerful performance with new material she had penned herself. From that point on, her career blossomed and she signed a major recording contract in 1964 with Philips Records
.
and Pierre MacOrlan, she nonetheless developed her own style and the writing of her own songs transformed her image into that of a unique singer-songwriter. Her intensely poetic lyrics, her dramatic on-stage performances, and the depth of emotion in her voice, all garnered her a huge following that lasted for more than thirty years. In the 1960s she wrote her landmark song, "Ma plus belle histoire d'amour c'est vous" (My most beautiful love story is you), and others for which she remains famous such as "L'aigle noir", "Nantes", "La solitude", "Göttingen" and "Une petite cantate." These five songs plus "Dis, quand reviendras-tu?" have been translated by Belgian-German singer/songwriter Didier Caesar alias Dieter Kaiser into German language, the closest possible to the original texts, in rimes and singable according to the original melody. The song Göttingen is said to have contributed more to German-French reconciliation than any speech of a politician. On the 40-years-jubilee of the Elysée agreement ex-chancellor Schröder quoted from this text in his official speech in the Château de Versailles.
and all the important venues in France, becoming one of her country's most beloved stars. In 1965, she released the album "Barbara chante Barbara" that became an enormous critical and financial success, winning the Grand Prix du Disque
of the Charles Cros Academy. At the award ceremony, an emotional Monique Serf ripped her award into several parts, giving a piece to each of her technicians as a sign of her gratitude. Having achieved fame, Monique Serf began using her money and celebrity to do charitable work in aid of impoverished children.
for which she wrote the theme song, "Moi, je me balance". Two years later she starred in L'Oiseau rare directed by Jean-Claude Brialy
. Her final film role came in 1977 in Je suis né à Venise directed by the dancer and choreographer Maurice Béjart
.
as well as embarking on a tour of Japan
, Canada
, Belgium
, Israel
, the Netherlands
and Switzerland
. Through the 1980s, she continued to tour and to write songs, her album "Seule" was one of France's top grossing releases of 1981. The next year she was awarded the prestigious Grand Prix du Disque
in recognition of her contribution to French culture. She developed a close working relationship with rising film star, Gérard Depardieu
and his wife Élisabeth, collaborating on songs for film and records. In 1982 she went to New York City
to perform on piano at the Metropolitan Opera
with Mikhail Baryshnikov
in a song and dance ballet presentation. She co-wrote the music for the stage play "Lily Passion" with Luc Plamondon
in which she co-starred with Gérard Depardieu. This told the story of David, a killer, who murders someone each time he hears her sing. An extremely dramatic piece, she achieves her goal at the end by having him stab her so that she can die in his arms. Barbara said that she chose the name David in honour of her friend, the biographer David Bret
.
In the latter part of the 1980s she became active in the fight against AIDS
. In 1988 the government of France awarded her the Legion of Honor. Health problems impeded her performing and she began to devote time to the writing of her memoirs. However, she recorded another very successful album in 1996—this sold over a million copies in just twelve hours—before respiratory problems took her life in Neuilly-sur-Seine
(a suburb of Paris), on November 24, 1997. She was interred near other members of her family in the Cimetière de Bagneux
in Montrouge
, just south of Paris.
Considered an icon, Barbara's image has appeared on a French postage stamp. A number of books have been written about her life.
, Benjamin Biolay
, Coralie Clement
and Emilie Simon
are often cited as exponents of the updated style.
One of the few English-speaking artists to cover her work is Marc Almond
, whose version of "Amours Incestueuses" ("Incestuous Loves") was released on his 1996 album titled "Absinthe".
The Anglo-French biographer David Bret
, a close friend of Barbara, wrote at her behest "Les Hommes Bafoués", a song about AIDS prejudice. Bret also adapted three of her songs, "Ma Plus Belle Histoire D'Amour", "La Solitude", and "Precy Jardin" into English for Barbara. These were taped in 1992, but so far have never been released.
Well-known contemporary English speaking artists such as New York based Martha Wainwright
(who recently reprised Barbara's song 'Dis, Quand Reviendras Tu?', Regina Spektor
(showing French influence in songs such as 'Apres Moi' and 'Ne Me Quitte Pas') and London-based singer-songwriter Ana Silvera
with her intensely poetic lyrics and classical piano style nod to the legacy of chanson artists such as Barbara.
Popstar Mika
sang Barbara's 'La Solitude' during a number of his concerts in France and Belgium during his 2010 World tour.
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...
female
Female
Female is the sex of an organism, or a part of an organism, which produces non-mobile ova .- Defining characteristics :The ova are defined as the larger gametes in a heterogamous reproduction system, while the smaller, usually motile gamete, the spermatozoon, is produced by the male...
singer. She took her stage name from her Russian grandmother, Varvara Brodsky.
Childhood
Monique Serf, born in ParisParis
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...
, 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...
, into a Jewish family, was ten years old when she had to go into hiding during the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
occupation of France in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After the war ended, a neighborhood professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
heard Monique sing and took an interest in helping her develop her talents. She was given vocal lessons and taught to play the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and eventually she enrolled at the Ecole Supérieure de Musique. However, money was a problem and she gave up her musical studies to sing at "La Fontaine des Quatre Saisons," a then popular cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
in Paris.
A sensitive girl, she was deeply scarred by the war and her family's plight. Her inner feelings of emptiness experienced at this stage in her showed in her appearance and in her songs, particularly "Mon Enfance". It is reported by Barbara in her interrupted (assembled from notes found in her house at Precy-sur-Marne) autobiography, "Il Etait un Piano Noir", that her father sexually abused her when she was ten. He would later leave the family never to return. Barbara went to his burial in Nantes
Nantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
, which originated one of her most popular songs ("Nantes"), immortalizing that time in her life.
Musical development
A tall person, Serf dressed in black, accentuating her raven hair, as she sang melancholic songs of lost love. From 1950 to 1952, after running away following her father's desertion of her family, she lived in Brussels, Belgium where she became part of an active artistic community. Her painter and writer friends took over an old house, converting it into workshops and a concert hall with a piano where Monique performed the songs of Édith PiafÉdith Piaf
Édith Piaf , born Édith Giovanna Gassion, was a French singer and cultural icon who became widely regarded as France's greatest popular singer. Her singing reflected her life, with her specialty being ballads...
, Juliette Gréco
Juliette Gréco
Juliette Gréco, — also Michelle – is a French actress and popular chanson singer.-Early life and family:Juliette Gréco was born in Montpellier to a Corsican father and a mother who became active in the Résistance, in the Hérault département of southern France. She was raised by her maternal...
and Germaine Montéro. However, her career evolved slowly and she struggled constantly to eke out a living. In October 1953, she married Claude John Luc Sluys, a Belgian law student but they separated in 1956. Later in life, she wrote about her relationships with men in a song saying: "They walk proudly, my men/ I in the front/ them just behind."
Returning to Paris, she would meet 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...
and become a lifelong friend, singing many of his songs. Later, she met Georges Brassens
Georges Brassens
Georges Brassens , 22 October 1921 – 29 October 1981), was a French singer-songwriter and poet.Brassens was born in Sète, a town in southern France near Montpellier...
whose songs she would eventually begin to use in her act and to record her first album. In the 1950s, she obtained singing engagements at some of the smaller clubs and began building a fan base, particularly with the young students from the Latin Quarter
Latin Quarter
Latin Quarter is a part of the 5th arrondissement in Paris.Latin Quarter may also refer to:* Latin Quarter , a British pop/rock band* Latin Quarter , a 1945 British film*Latin Quarter, Aarhus, part of Midtbyen, Aarhus C, Denmark...
. In 1957 she went back to Brussels to make her first record single but it was not until 1961 that she got a real break when she was engaged to perform at the famous Bobino Music-Hall
Bobino
Bobino at 20 rue de la Gaîté, in the Montparnasse area of Paris , France, is a music hall theatre that has seen most of the biggest names of 20th century French music perform there....
in Montparnasse
Montparnasse
Montparnasse is an area of Paris, France, on the left bank of the river Seine, centred at the crossroads of the Boulevard du Montparnasse and the Rue de Rennes, between the Rue de Rennes and boulevard Raspail...
. Dressed in a long black robe, she gave a haunting performance but the tough Parisian critics were not kind, saying she lacked naturalness and was stiff and formal in her presentation. She continued to perform at small clubs and two years later at the Théâtre des Capucines
Théâtre des Capucines
The Théâtre des Capucines was a former theatre on the boulevard des Capucines in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris. It was built in 1889 by architect Édouard-Jean Niermans and then taken over by two brothers, Émile Isola and Vincent Isola, in 1892 to become the Théâtre Isola...
, she captured the imagination of the audience and critics alike with an astonishingly powerful performance with new material she had penned herself. From that point on, her career blossomed and she signed a major recording contract in 1964 with Philips Records
Philips Records
Philips Records is a record label that was founded by Dutch electronics company Philips. It was started by "Philips Phonographische Industrie" in 1950. Recordings were made with popular artists of various nationalities and also with classical artists from Germany, France and Holland. Philips also...
.
Musical influences
Although influenced by songwriters MireilleMireille Hartuch
Mireille Hartuch was a French singer, composer, and actress. She was generally known by the stage name "Mireille"....
and Pierre MacOrlan, she nonetheless developed her own style and the writing of her own songs transformed her image into that of a unique singer-songwriter. Her intensely poetic lyrics, her dramatic on-stage performances, and the depth of emotion in her voice, all garnered her a huge following that lasted for more than thirty years. In the 1960s she wrote her landmark song, "Ma plus belle histoire d'amour c'est vous" (My most beautiful love story is you), and others for which she remains famous such as "L'aigle noir", "Nantes", "La solitude", "Göttingen" and "Une petite cantate." These five songs plus "Dis, quand reviendras-tu?" have been translated by Belgian-German singer/songwriter Didier Caesar alias Dieter Kaiser into German language, the closest possible to the original texts, in rimes and singable according to the original melody. The song Göttingen is said to have contributed more to German-French reconciliation than any speech of a politician. On the 40-years-jubilee of the Elysée agreement ex-chancellor Schröder quoted from this text in his official speech in the Château de Versailles.
Middle years
She made a triumphant return to Bobino in 1964 and returned to sold out audiences several more times. She performed at the Paris OlympiaParis Olympia
The Olympia is a music hall in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. Located at No. 28, Boulevard des Capucines, its closest métro/RER stations are Madeleine, Opéra, Havre – Caumartin and Auber....
and all the important venues in France, becoming one of her country's most beloved stars. In 1965, she released the album "Barbara chante Barbara" that became an enormous critical and financial success, winning the Grand Prix du Disque
L'Académie Charles Cros
The Académie Charles-Cros, is an organization in France that acts as an intermediary between government cultural policy makers and professionals in music and the recording industry....
of the Charles Cros Academy. At the award ceremony, an emotional Monique Serf ripped her award into several parts, giving a piece to each of her technicians as a sign of her gratitude. Having achieved fame, Monique Serf began using her money and celebrity to do charitable work in aid of impoverished children.
Acting career
In 1969, she announced that she would limit her concert singing and in 1970 she made her acting début in the stage play "Madame" that proved to be a commercial flop. In 1971 she co-starred with Jacques Brel in a film he directed titled FranzFranz
-Given name:* Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, of the House of Habsburg, heir to the thrones of Austria and Hungary, assassinated in 1914* Franz Adam, 19th century, German painter, chiefly of military subjects...
for which she wrote the theme song, "Moi, je me balance". Two years later she starred in L'Oiseau rare directed by Jean-Claude Brialy
Jean-Claude Brialy
Jean-Claude Brialy – died 30 May 2007, Monthyon, Seine-et-Marne, France was a French actor, director, and socialite.-Biography:...
. Her final film role came in 1977 in Je suis né à Venise directed by the dancer and choreographer Maurice Béjart
Maurice Béjart
Maurice Béjart was a French born, Swiss choreographer who ran the Béjart Ballet Lausanne in Switzerland. He was the son of the French philosopher Gaston Berger.- Biography :...
.
Later years
Serf's career remained extremely active in the 1970s, appearing on television variety shows with stars such as Johnny HallydayJohnny Hallyday
Johnny Hallyday is a French singer and actor. An icon in the French-speaking world since the beginning of his career, he was considered by some to have been the French Elvis Presley. He was married for 15 years to one of the most popular French female singers: Sylvie Vartan...
as well as embarking on a tour of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Canada
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...
, Belgium
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...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and Switzerland
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....
. Through the 1980s, she continued to tour and to write songs, her album "Seule" was one of France's top grossing releases of 1981. The next year she was awarded the prestigious Grand Prix du Disque
L'Académie Charles Cros
The Académie Charles-Cros, is an organization in France that acts as an intermediary between government cultural policy makers and professionals in music and the recording industry....
in recognition of her contribution to French culture. She developed a close working relationship with rising film star, Gérard Depardieu
Gérard Depardieu
Gérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu is a French actor and filmmaker. He is a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur, Chevalier of the Ordre national du Mérite and has twice won the César Award for Best Actor...
and his wife Élisabeth, collaborating on songs for film and records. In 1982 she went to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to perform on piano at the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
with Mikhail Baryshnikov
Mikhail Baryshnikov
Mikhail Nikolaevich Baryshnikov is a Soviet and American dancer, choreographer, and actor, often cited alongside Vaslav Nijinsky and Rudolf Nureyev as one of the greatest ballet dancers of the 20th century. After a promising start in the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad, he defected to Canada in 1974...
in a song and dance ballet presentation. She co-wrote the music for the stage play "Lily Passion" with 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...
in which she co-starred with Gérard Depardieu. This told the story of David, a killer, who murders someone each time he hears her sing. An extremely dramatic piece, she achieves her goal at the end by having him stab her so that she can die in his arms. Barbara said that she chose the name David in honour of her friend, the biographer David Bret
David Bret
David Bret is a French-born British author of showbiz biographies. He chiefly writes on the private life of movie stars and singers in a somewhat sensationalist style.-Life:...
.
In the latter part of the 1980s she became active in the fight against AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
. In 1988 the government of France awarded her the Legion of Honor. Health problems impeded her performing and she began to devote time to the writing of her memoirs. However, she recorded another very successful album in 1996—this sold over a million copies in just twelve hours—before respiratory problems took her life in Neuilly-sur-Seine
Neuilly-sur-Seine
Neuilly-sur-Seine is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.Although Neuilly is technically a suburb of Paris, it is immediately adjacent to the city and directly extends it. The area is composed of mostly wealthy, select residential...
(a suburb of Paris), on November 24, 1997. She was interred near other members of her family in the Cimetière de Bagneux
Cimetière de Bagneux
Located to the southwest of the city of Paris, France, the Cimetière de Bagneux is located at 44, avenue Marx-Dormoy, in Montrouge, Hauts-de-Seine....
in Montrouge
Montrouge
Montrouge is a commune in the southern Parisian suburbs, located from the center of Paris, France. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe...
, just south of Paris.
Considered an icon, Barbara's image has appeared on a French postage stamp. A number of books have been written about her life.
Musical legacy
Barbara's musical legacy is revealed in the writing of a number of singers, French speaking and otherwise. A style referred to by the recently coined buzzword 'Nouvelle Chanson', or 'New Chanson', artists such as Keren AnnKeren Ann
Keren Ann Zeidel is a singer-songwriter-composer-producer and engineer based largely in Paris, Tel Aviv and New York City. She plays guitar, piano and clarinet, engineers and writes choir and musical arrangements.-Life and career:...
, Benjamin Biolay
Benjamin Biolay
Benjamin Biolay is a French singer, songwriter, musician, actor and record producer. He is the brother of singer Coralie Clément, whose two albums he wrote and produced, and the ex-husband of Chiara Mastroianni, the daughter of Catherine Deneuve and Marcello Mastroianni.His low-key vocal style is...
, Coralie Clement
Coralie Clément
Coralie Clément is a French singer.-Biography:Clément was born into a family of musicians, her father a clarinetist, and studied the violin from the age of six but later quit. Her brother, Benjamin Biolay, also a singer, has written for Henri Salvador and wrote and produced her own debut, as well...
and Emilie Simon
Émilie Simon
Émilie Simon is a French singer and composer of electronic music.-Émilie Simon:In May 2003, she released her debut album Émilie Simon. The electronic album was critically acclaimed and went on to become a commercial success. To promote her album, she did numerous live performances and TV...
are often cited as exponents of the updated style.
One of the few English-speaking artists to cover her work is Marc Almond
Marc Almond
Marc Almond is an English singer-songwriter and musician, who originally found fame as half of the seminal synthpop/New Wave duo Soft Cell...
, whose version of "Amours Incestueuses" ("Incestuous Loves") was released on his 1996 album titled "Absinthe".
The Anglo-French biographer David Bret
David Bret
David Bret is a French-born British author of showbiz biographies. He chiefly writes on the private life of movie stars and singers in a somewhat sensationalist style.-Life:...
, a close friend of Barbara, wrote at her behest "Les Hommes Bafoués", a song about AIDS prejudice. Bret also adapted three of her songs, "Ma Plus Belle Histoire D'Amour", "La Solitude", and "Precy Jardin" into English for Barbara. These were taped in 1992, but so far have never been released.
Well-known contemporary English speaking artists such as New York based Martha Wainwright
Martha Wainwright
Martha Wainwright is a Canadian-American folk-rock singer-songwriter. She is the daughter of American folk singer and actor Loudon Wainwright III and Canadian folk singer-songwriter Kate McGarrigle...
(who recently reprised Barbara's song 'Dis, Quand Reviendras Tu?', Regina Spektor
Regina Spektor
Regina Ilyinichna Spektor is a Russian American singer-songwriter and pianist. Her music is associated with the anti-folk scene centered in New York City's East Village.-Early life:...
(showing French influence in songs such as 'Apres Moi' and 'Ne Me Quitte Pas') and London-based singer-songwriter Ana Silvera
Ana Silvera
Ana Silvera is a contemporary alternative London born singer-songwriter, known for the intense poeticism of her lyrics, her classical piano style and her work with choirs....
with her intensely poetic lyrics and classical piano style nod to the legacy of chanson artists such as Barbara.
Popstar Mika
Mika (singer)
Mika is a British singer-songwriter.After recording his first extended play, Dodgy Holiday EP, Mika released his first full-length studio album, Life in Cartoon Motion, on Island Records in 2007. Life in Cartoon Motion sold more than 5.6 million copies worldwide and helped Mika win a Brit...
sang Barbara's 'La Solitude' during a number of his concerts in France and Belgium during his 2010 World tour.
External links
- Barbara, Il était une voix,"once upon a voice" Fansite with barbara's bio and links.
- A comprehensive biography of Barbara, from Radio France InternationaleRadio France InternationaleRadio France Internationale was created in 1975 as part of Radio France by the Government of France, and replaced the Poste Colonial , Paris Mondial , Radio Paris , RTF Radio Paris and ORTF Radio Paris...
. - http://www.mcgee.de/disco/index3.html, a discography, with links to lyrics.
- Les Amis De Barbara, a fan group.
- Barbara Passion, Fansite.
- Hommage a Barbara, a bio website with an English version.
- Lehall's Barbara, website dedicated to the chanteuse. A museum of Barbara-related material.
- Barbara's Burial Site