Bénabar

Singer/songwriter Bénabar rose to prominence as a leading figure in France’s “chanson réaliste” scene, producing uncommonly literary depictions of modern existence shaped by folk, jazz, and cinema. Born Bruno Nicolini on June 16, 1969, in the Paris suburb of Essonne, he took up the trumpet at age eight; after finishing school he spent six months in the U.S., where his longstanding interest in filmmaking deepened. Returning to France, he studied photography and film technique, and at twenty he wrote and directed his debut short, Nada Lezard. Over the next decade he completed two further shorts, most notably José Jeannette, which received an award at the Montreal Film Festival. Persistent funding obstacles prevented a feature-length debut, so he shifted briefly to television and contributed scripts to the Canal+ series H.

At twenty-five Nicolini also began composing songs, mastering piano on his own and appearing in clubs under the stage name Bénabar, taken from the celebrated clown Barnabé. While performing regularly with collaborator Patchol, he assembled his own ensemble in 1996, recruiting saxophonist Denis Grare, trumpeter Vincent Schaeffer, double bassist Stéphane Benveniste, and drummer Pascal Vignon. Performing as Bénabar et Associés, the group released its first album, La P’tite Monnaie, in early 1998 and spent the following year on the road. After signing with the major label Zomba, Bénabar delivered a self-titled record in September 2001 and toured in support of Henri Salvador; the album attained gold status, and eighteen months later he followed with Les Risques du Métier.

Extensive touring yielded the live set Live au Grand Rex. With 2005’s Reprise des Négociations, Bénabar produced his most personal work to date, replacing the social commentary of earlier releases with openly autobiographical material highlighted by the lead single “Maritie and Gilbert Carpentier.” Following that album he began acting in several films, yet he resumed recording in 2008 with Infrequentable.