Nicolas Maranda
Encyclopedia
Nicolas Maranda is a Canadian singer/songwriter, composer
, musician
and record producer
based in Montreal
. His compositional style is eclectic, blending acoustic, electric and electronic elements into distinct soundscapes. His compositions have appeared on record, in television series and feature films. His productions have covered many styles of music, from house music
to tango
and from rock
to Arabic. His performances on record include various guitar
s, basses
, keyboards
, and percussion instruments, as well as more exotic instruments such as oud
and didgeridoo
. He has played hundreds of shows in Canada
, the USA, Europe
, The Middle East
, Australia
, Haïti
, and exotic locations such as the North Pole
and the jungles of East Timor
.
. His first year was spent within the Rere tribe of Lau Lagoon in the Solomon Islands
, of which he is still considered a member. His family then spent a year in Paris
and settled in Vancouver
, BC, where he started playing the piano
at age four. The family eventually moved to Quebec City
, where he took up the guitar. Mostly self-taught, he eventually added other instruments to his repertoire.
These years were marked by numerous trips across the globe that would prove to be influential in his vision.
Nicolas eventually started writing more and more on his own and left the band, which disbanded. After a stint in London, he returned to Quebec City to work with ex-DJ Daniel Coulombe in the studio. Together they produced various projects, including a remix of the song “Des Fleurs pour Salinger” by French band Indochine
, which became an international hit. The pair then co-produced Nicolas’ first record (in French), “Deux”, released in 1991, which saw him move back to Montreal. It was the first release of independent label les Disques Tacca. The record included several songs that charted in Quebec and France, including “Fleur du mal”, “Blanche comme la nuit” and “Douce”. It was on several critic’s lists of best album of the year, including Claude Rajotte
. Nicolas and the album were nominated for awards at the 1992 ADISQ
Gala. The video for “Fleur du mal” won “Best Independent Video” at the 1992 MusiquePlus
Video Gala. His other videos also made a considerable impact and were similarly nominated for awards. He performed on stage and television in Canada and France. However conflicts within the label put things at a standstill as to how to go ahead with the second album.
In parallel Nicolas co-wrote with his then-partner, singer/songwriter Pascale Coulombe. They recorded an album that was originally planned to come out under her name, but since it was a collaboration they released it under the name “Coma” (a play of words on their last names).
The album was influential and the videos also stood out, Carmen winning Best French Video at the 1997 MuchMusic Video Awards. Their other videos also garnered nominations. Maranda and Coulombe eventually worked on concepts of videos by other artists including Daniel Bélanger
.
In 1998 the pair spent some time in Los Angeles
where they co-wrote the song “Lost Between Las Vegas and Mars” with Guy Thomas. The song was featured in the award-winning documentary
“Beyond The Mat”. They returned to Canada to play a series of concerts for Canadian troops that led them to the North Pole.
Other similar tours followed in Egypt, Israel, Australia and East Timor. At the turn of the millennium they convened to each head on to separate projects.
and Intakto. He also contributed songwriting and arranging to most of them. Andrée Watters (twice) and Intakto won “Best Record” in their respective categories at the ADISQ Gala. He also wrote music for video games, notably songs for “The Jungle Book Groove Party
” by Ubisoft/ Disney, which led him back to work in Los Angeles. In the early 2000s he also worked on a series of remixes with House group the Couch Potatoes for Petit, Thalie, Coulombe, Dubmatique
and Mitsou
. As a member of the live band he played at different Cirque du Soleil
premières in Canada and abroad. During this period he studied acting with Warren Robertson.
From 2002 to 2007 he started writing extensively for TV series. He was awarded a Gémeaux
in 2007 for his work on the seminal series “Minuit, le soir
”. He also scored “Au nom de la loi” and “Le Petit monde de Laura Cadieux”. He received Gémeaux nominations for each of his scores. He also conceived and directed the video for the song “La Valse des hypocrites” by Mathieu Gaudet (which he had produced).
In late 2007 he released the music from “Minuit, Le Soir” online through a dedicated website. A remix album is slated for release, including remixes by Carl Bastien, Beno, Thomas Carbou, Daniel Coulombe, Robert De La Gauthier, Jonathan Eekkoo Doyon, Flow, Samuel Laflamme and Samuel Girardin, Monsieur Seb, Pasquipaz and Raycord.
He is currently writing and recording an English language album. Work began in Montreal and was continued in Honduras and South Africa before resuming in Montreal. In South Africa he recorded a seventeen voice Xhosa choir, the St-Raphael Catholic Churc Choir, for his song “We Are Free”. In Montreal he recorded tracks with childhood idol Tony Levin
and Youssou N’dour’s tama (talking Drum) player Assane Thiam.
Nicolas has been guest speaker in various schools and organizations. He is a multiple grant holder from le Conseil des arts et letters du Québec. He has also served as jury president for the Gémeaux awards and juror for Musicaction.
2008
Nicolas Maranda "Minuit le soir- Les Remixes"
Composer, arranger, singer, musician (to be released)
Arthur H (title unknown)
Musician (to be released)
2007
Nicolas Maranda “Minuit le soir- l’album”
Composer, songwriter, singer, arranger, producer, musician, mixer
2006
Intakto “Todavia”
Co-producer, arranger, musician and mixer
(ADSIQ nominee, “Best World Music Album”)
Lynda Thalie, “Lynda Thalie”
Producer, arranger, songwriter and musician
(ADSIQ nominee, “Best World Music Album”)
2005
Arthur H “Adieu Tristesse”
Musician
Andrée Watters “À Travers”
Producer, arranger, songwriter and musician
(ADSIQ winner, “Best Rock Album”)
2004
Mathieu Gaudet, “Roadtrip”
Producer, arranger and musician
2003
Andrée Watters “AW”
Co-producer, arranger, songwriter musician and mixer
(ADSIQ winner, “Best Rock Album”)
2002
Intakto, “Intakto”
Producer, arranger, musician and mixer
(ADSIQ winner, “Best World Music Album”)
(JUNO
nominee, “Best World Music Album”)
Lynda Thalie, “Sablier”
Producer, arranger, songwriter, musician and mixer
2001
Dubmatique, “Ragga Dub” (Remix)
Co-producer, arranger, musician and mixer
2000
Richard Petit, “Kiss and Run”
Producer, arranger, songwriter, musician and mixer
1997
Coma, “Remix”
Songwriter, singer, arranger, producer, musician, mixer
1996
Coma, “Coma”
Arranger, songwriter and musician
1991
Nicolas, “Deux”
Composer, songwriter, singer, arranger, co-producer, musician and co-mixer
(ADSIQ nominee, “Best Rock Album”, “Revelation Of The Year”)
1987
Indochine, “Des Fleurs pour Salinger” (Remix)
Co-producer, arranger and musician
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
based in Montreal
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...
. His compositional style is eclectic, blending acoustic, electric and electronic elements into distinct soundscapes. His compositions have appeared on record, in television series and feature films. His productions have covered many styles of music, from house music
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
to tango
Tango music
Tango is a style of ballroom dance music in 2/4 or 4/4 time that originated among European immigrant populations of Argentina and Uruguay . It is traditionally played by a sextet, known as the orquesta típica, which includes two violins, piano, double bass, and two bandoneons...
and from rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
to Arabic. His performances on record include various guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, basses
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, and percussion instruments, as well as more exotic instruments such as oud
Oud
The oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern music. The modern oud and the European lute both descend from a common ancestor via diverging paths...
and didgeridoo
Didgeridoo
The didgeridoo is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia around 1,500 years ago and still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe"...
. He has played hundreds of shows in 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...
, the USA, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, The Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Haïti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, and exotic locations such as the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
and the jungles of East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
.
Early years
Nicolas is the second son of anthropologists Pierre Maranda and Elli Köngäs-MarandaElli Köngäs-Maranda
Elli-Kaija Köngäs-Maranda was an internationally renowned anthropologist and feminist folklorist. She studied Finnish folklore at the University of Helsinki, and did her doctoral dissertation in 1963 at Indiana University.Köngäs-Maranda was elected a Fellow of the American Folklore Society...
. His first year was spent within the Rere tribe of Lau Lagoon in the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
, of which he is still considered a member. His family then spent a year in Paris
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...
and settled in 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,...
, BC, where he started playing 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...
at age four. The family eventually moved to Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, where he took up the guitar. Mostly self-taught, he eventually added other instruments to his repertoire.
These years were marked by numerous trips across the globe that would prove to be influential in his vision.
1980s-1990s
In Quebec City he founded the band BoYcuT which gained a local following. When Nicolas was 16, the band moved to Montreal. Nicolas concurrently took up studies in record production and sound engineering. The band made some noise, placing among the finalists at the “Empire des Futures Stars” band competition and gaining some radio airplay. They went on to tour in Canada and Europe.Nicolas eventually started writing more and more on his own and left the band, which disbanded. After a stint in London, he returned to Quebec City to work with ex-DJ Daniel Coulombe in the studio. Together they produced various projects, including a remix of the song “Des Fleurs pour Salinger” by French band Indochine
Indochine (band)
Indochine is a French new wave/rock band, formed in 1981. The band was very successful in France in the 1980s, as well as other parts of continental Europe and Latin America, with songs like L'Aventurier and Canary Bay...
, which became an international hit. The pair then co-produced Nicolas’ first record (in French), “Deux”, released in 1991, which saw him move back to Montreal. It was the first release of independent label les Disques Tacca. The record included several songs that charted in Quebec and France, including “Fleur du mal”, “Blanche comme la nuit” and “Douce”. It was on several critic’s lists of best album of the year, including Claude Rajotte
Claude Rajotte
Claude Rajotte is a well-known DJ/VJ/,music critic from Montreal, Canada. Rajotte is currently working for MusiquePlus -Life:...
. Nicolas and the album were nominated for awards at the 1992 ADISQ
ADISQ
The ADISQ is a nonprofit organization with the mission to help the music industry in Quebec. It was created in 1978....
Gala. The video for “Fleur du mal” won “Best Independent Video” at the 1992 MusiquePlus
MusiquePlus
MusiquePlus is a Canadian French language Category A specialty channel owned by Astral Media operating from Montreal, Quebec.MusiquePlus is devoted to music and music related programming from various genres including pop, rock, RnB and focuses on a younger demographic than its sister station, MusiMax...
Video Gala. His other videos also made a considerable impact and were similarly nominated for awards. He performed on stage and television in Canada and France. However conflicts within the label put things at a standstill as to how to go ahead with the second album.
In parallel Nicolas co-wrote with his then-partner, singer/songwriter Pascale Coulombe. They recorded an album that was originally planned to come out under her name, but since it was a collaboration they released it under the name “Coma” (a play of words on their last names).
The album was influential and the videos also stood out, Carmen winning Best French Video at the 1997 MuchMusic Video Awards. Their other videos also garnered nominations. Maranda and Coulombe eventually worked on concepts of videos by other artists including Daniel Bélanger
Daniel Bélanger
Daniel Bélanger is a musician/singer/songwriter. He is considered one of the best Québécois songwriters and singers to emerge in the past 15 years...
.
In 1998 the pair spent some time in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
where they co-wrote the song “Lost Between Las Vegas and Mars” with Guy Thomas. The song was featured in the award-winning documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
“Beyond The Mat”. They returned to Canada to play a series of concerts for Canadian troops that led them to the North Pole.
Other similar tours followed in Egypt, Israel, Australia and East Timor. At the turn of the millennium they convened to each head on to separate projects.
2000s
Nicolas subsequently produced a string of albums, by Richard Petit, Lynda Thalie, Andrée WattersAndrée Watters
Andrée Watters-Michaud is a musician and a one-time Felix-award winner in 2004, from Quebec-Early/Non career life:...
and Intakto. He also contributed songwriting and arranging to most of them. Andrée Watters (twice) and Intakto won “Best Record” in their respective categories at the ADISQ Gala. He also wrote music for video games, notably songs for “The Jungle Book Groove Party
The Jungle Book Groove Party
The Jungle Book Groove Party, known in North America as The Jungle Book Rhythm N'Groove is a music video game produced by Ubisoft for the PlayStation and PlayStation 2. Featuring similar gameplay to the Dance Dance Revolution series, the game features characters and songs from Disney's The Jungle...
” by Ubisoft/ Disney, which led him back to work in Los Angeles. In the early 2000s he also worked on a series of remixes with House group the Couch Potatoes for Petit, Thalie, Coulombe, Dubmatique
Dubmatique
Dubmatique are a Canadian hip hop group from Montreal. They were the first French language hip hop crew from Canada to break through to Canada's francophone pop charts...
and Mitsou
Mitsou
Mitsou Annie Marie Gélinas is a Canadian pop singer, businesswoman, television and radio host, and actress...
. As a member of the live band he played at different Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
premières in Canada and abroad. During this period he studied acting with Warren Robertson.
From 2002 to 2007 he started writing extensively for TV series. He was awarded a Gémeaux
Gemeaux
Gemeaux is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France.-Population:-References:*...
in 2007 for his work on the seminal series “Minuit, le soir
Minuit, le soir
Minuit, le soir is an award-winning, character-driven Quebec television show. Set and shot in Montreal, the 30-minute show revolves around the lives of three bouncers, both in private and at work. The show is notable for its portrayal of the daily hardships facing each of the principal characters...
”. He also scored “Au nom de la loi” and “Le Petit monde de Laura Cadieux”. He received Gémeaux nominations for each of his scores. He also conceived and directed the video for the song “La Valse des hypocrites” by Mathieu Gaudet (which he had produced).
In late 2007 he released the music from “Minuit, Le Soir” online through a dedicated website. A remix album is slated for release, including remixes by Carl Bastien, Beno, Thomas Carbou, Daniel Coulombe, Robert De La Gauthier, Jonathan Eekkoo Doyon, Flow, Samuel Laflamme and Samuel Girardin, Monsieur Seb, Pasquipaz and Raycord.
He is currently writing and recording an English language album. Work began in Montreal and was continued in Honduras and South Africa before resuming in Montreal. In South Africa he recorded a seventeen voice Xhosa choir, the St-Raphael Catholic Churc Choir, for his song “We Are Free”. In Montreal he recorded tracks with childhood idol Tony Levin
Tony Levin
Tony Levin is an American progressive rock musician, specializing in bass guitar, Chapman stick and upright bass ....
and Youssou N’dour’s tama (talking Drum) player Assane Thiam.
Nicolas has been guest speaker in various schools and organizations. He is a multiple grant holder from le Conseil des arts et letters du Québec. He has also served as jury president for the Gémeaux awards and juror for Musicaction.
Selected discography
(All titles refer to albums unless otherwise noted)2008
Nicolas Maranda "Minuit le soir- Les Remixes"
Composer, arranger, singer, musician (to be released)
Arthur H (title unknown)
Musician (to be released)
2007
Nicolas Maranda “Minuit le soir- l’album”
Composer, songwriter, singer, arranger, producer, musician, mixer
2006
Intakto “Todavia”
Co-producer, arranger, musician and mixer
(ADSIQ nominee, “Best World Music Album”)
Lynda Thalie, “Lynda Thalie”
Producer, arranger, songwriter and musician
(ADSIQ nominee, “Best World Music Album”)
2005
Arthur H “Adieu Tristesse”
Musician
Andrée Watters “À Travers”
Producer, arranger, songwriter and musician
(ADSIQ winner, “Best Rock Album”)
2004
Mathieu Gaudet, “Roadtrip”
Producer, arranger and musician
2003
Andrée Watters “AW”
Co-producer, arranger, songwriter musician and mixer
(ADSIQ winner, “Best Rock Album”)
2002
Intakto, “Intakto”
Producer, arranger, musician and mixer
(ADSIQ winner, “Best World Music Album”)
(JUNO
Juno
- Astronomy and space exploration :* 3 Juno, an asteroid** Juno clump, a probable asteroid family in the vicinity of 3 Juno* Juno , a NASA mission to Jupiter* Juno I, a satellite launch vehicle* Project Juno, a private British space programme...
nominee, “Best World Music Album”)
Lynda Thalie, “Sablier”
Producer, arranger, songwriter, musician and mixer
2001
Dubmatique, “Ragga Dub” (Remix)
Co-producer, arranger, musician and mixer
2000
Richard Petit, “Kiss and Run”
Producer, arranger, songwriter, musician and mixer
1997
Coma, “Remix”
Songwriter, singer, arranger, producer, musician, mixer
1996
Coma, “Coma”
Arranger, songwriter and musician
1991
Nicolas, “Deux”
Composer, songwriter, singer, arranger, co-producer, musician and co-mixer
(ADSIQ nominee, “Best Rock Album”, “Revelation Of The Year”)
1987
Indochine, “Des Fleurs pour Salinger” (Remix)
Co-producer, arranger and musician
External links
- Nicolas Maranda Official site.
- Minuit, le soir soundtrack