Virtuoso performer Sylvie Courvoisier was born in Lausanne, Switzerland, in November 1968. Both a prolific composer and an imaginative pianist, she attended the Conservatoire de Lausanne, where she trained in composition, conducting, and piano. At the Conservatoire de Montreux she studied jazz. During her career she has worked with many other artists, including Marc Ducret, Pierre Charial, Enrico Rava, Dominique Pifarély, and Daniel Bourquin. In 1994, recording under the UNIT Record label as the Sylvie Courvoisier Quintetto, Courvoisier released her debut album, Sauvagerie Courtoise. In both 1995 and 1996, she was selected to appear in Baden-Baden at the New Jazz Meetings. In the latter year, she received the Swiss Young Creators Award. Courvoisier moved herself -- and her talents and unusual jazz style -- to the front position in 1997 on her next daring album, Ocre. Pierre Charial played barrel organ, tuba and serpent were handled by Michel Godard, with Tony Overwater on bass and Mark Nauseef on percussion. She has also recorded as a duo with musicians such as Lucas Niggli on the album Lavin and Mark Nauseef on Birds of a Feather. The 21st century saw new albums and projects, including Deux Pianos (2000), Passaggio (2002), Abaton (2003), Y2K (2005), and Signs and Epigrams (2007). ~ Charlotte Dillon, All Music Guide
Courvoisier (French pronunciation: [kuʁvwɑzje]) is a brand of cognac. The company is now based in the town of Jarnac in the Charente department of France. Although no evidence exists that Courvoisier cognac was the favorite drink of Napoleon Bonaparte, who died in 1821, before Courvoisier was officially established by Felix Courvoisier in 1835, the company website claims the following:
The origin of our history goes back to the beginning of the 19th century with Emmanuel Courvoisier and his associate, Louis Gallois, running a wine and spirit merchant company, in the Parisian suburb of Bercy. In 1811 Napoleon visited their warehouses in Bercy and he was hosted by Louis Gallois, the Mayor, and Emmanuel Courvoisier. Legend has it that Napoleon I later took several barrels of cognac with him to St Helena, a treat much appreciated by the English officers on the ship who named it 'The Cognac of Napoleon'.[1]
Although overshadowed by the dominance of rival cognac Hennessy within popular culture, the song 'Pass the Courvoisier' by prominent rap artists Busta Rhymes and P.Diddy cemented the cognac's place as a status symbol within the hip-hop community.