Christophe Maé

Christophe Maé, the French folk-pop singer, first drew widespread attention through his acting debut as co-star of the blockbuster stage musical Le Roi Soleil. Born October 16, 1975, in Carpentras, he was the son of an amateur jazz musician. Violin studies began at age six; ten years later he added guitar and harmonica, the latter adopted in homage to Stevie Wonder, whose sound profoundly shaped his later musical path.

After several seasons performing in clubs and cabarets across southern France, Maé moved to Paris and caught the ear of producer Dove Attia. Cast as Monsieur, brother to the title character, he entered the production in late 2005 and rapidly became a national figure. The show’s success obliged him to suspend his solo ambitions, yet once he departed Le Roi Soleil in spring 2007 he delivered his debut album, Mon Paradis. Volodia produced the set, which sold more than one million copies on the strength of its breakout single “On S’Attache.”

In 2008 Maé issued the double acoustic album Comme à la Maison, reworking several hit singles from his first record—“On S’Attache” and “Parce qu’on Sait Jamais” among them—in stripped-down arrangements. The collection also contained a medley of Bob Marley songs, an artist whose style had left a deep mark on Maé’s songwriting, performed with fellow vocalist William Baldé.

His much-anticipated second album, On Trace la Route, appeared in 2010 and debuted at number one in France while posting high positions in Switzerland and Greece. Two years later, with the record still charting domestically and certified diamond for French sales, Maé began sessions for Je Veux du Bonheur. He produced the project himself with assistance from Volodia, just as on the previous album. Released in June 2013, it held the top spot in France for several weeks. By 2015 it had matched its predecessor’s commercial performance, becoming Maé’s second diamond-certified album in France. His fourth album, L’Attrape-rêves, arrived in 2016 and quickly reached number one in both France and Belgium, propelled by the Top Ten single “Il Est où le Bonheur,” his strongest chart entry in years.