Biography
Born in Nice along the French Riviera in 1944, guitarist Claude Ciari earned the unusual distinction of becoming the first Caucasian candidate for Japan’s upper legislative chamber. Although the bid proved unsuccessful, he seized the platform to denounce what he viewed as an unjust statute governing foreign residents, a move that only strengthened his standing in the country. He first picked up the guitar at age eleven and by sixteen had advanced enough to join the rock band Les Champions, taking the lead-guitar role alongside singer Jean-Claude Chane, guitarist Alain Santamaria, bassist Daniel Kaufman, and drummer Willy Lewis. Their vocal-oriented style recalled the Jordanaires rather than the dominant instrumental acts of the period; the group cut several singles and supported Gene Vincent on a French tour in October 1962. Ciari grew dissatisfied with the band’s lack of originality once its members agreed to serve as backing musicians for French singer Danyel Gerard, prompting him to exit in 1964 and pursue a solo career. Success arrived swiftly: his debut album contained the instrumental rhumba “La Playa,” which rode the bossa-nova wave to become a major hit throughout France and in more than forty other countries. By twenty he had already sold several million records and begun a long, well-regarded career. The first Batacuda’s Seven LP, issued in 1970, marked his initial full exploration of Latin music and won him additional devoted listeners across Latin America. Numerous charting albums and singles followed, accompanied by extensive touring. In 1974 he settled in Tahiti, immersing himself in Polynesian music while continuing to perform throughout Southeast Asia. While on tour in Japan he met and married a fashion model, and the couple quickly started a family that soon included two children. Japanese law then automatically conferred citizenship on children of Japanese fathers yet classified those with foreign fathers as non-nationals; the rule and its surrounding bureaucratic maze angered Ciari, who decided to challenge it by entering politics. After obtaining Japanese citizenship he campaigned for the upper house—roughly equivalent to a U.S. Senate seat—and vowed, in his words, to “make a big fuss using newspaper, magazines, radio, and TV.” He collected three hundred thousand votes but did not win the seat; nevertheless the episode turned into a cause célèbre and ultimately led to repeal of the statute. Ciari has now recorded more than fifty albums, contributed to numerous film and television soundtracks in repeated collaborations with composers Francis Lai and Bernard Gérard, and continues to appear on Japanese television programs. Nearly thirty years have passed since his last concert in France, though he hopes to return before long.
Albums
