Francis Cabrel

Francis Cabrel (born 23 November, 1953 in Agen, France) is a French singer-songwriter and guitarist. Inspired heavily by Bob Dylan, he has released a number of albums falling mostly within the realm of folk, with occasional forays into blues or country. Several of his songs, such as "L'encre de tes yeux" and "Petite Marie" have become enduring favourites in French music. Others, such as "C'était l'hiver", about the suicide of a young girl, have since been covered by other artists such as Canadian Isabelle Boulay.

Biography

Cabrel was born into a modest family, with a working father and a mother who was a cashier. He has a sister, Martine, and a brother, Philippe. His paternal grandfather, Prospero Cabrel, immigrated to Gascogne from Frioul, Italy, in the 1920s with his wife and six children. Cabrel's mother, Denise Nin, was born in Gascogne to an Italian family who had also immigrated from Frioul. The family's original surname, Cabrelli, was abandoned in the 1700s.

A shy teenager, Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" inspired him to pick up a guitar and start writing his own songs. At 16, enthralled by music, he started to sing the songs of Neil Young, Leonard Cohen and Dylan. He also learned English by translating the lyrics. He would later say that his guitar enabled him to appear more interesting to others.

Expelled from secondary school in Agen for lack of discipline, he went to work in a shoe shop while playing gigs with a group named "Ray Frank and Jazzmen," which later became known as "les Gaulois" because every member of the band had a moustache. Indeed, at that time, Cabrel's appearance was that of a hippie, with long hair and a moustache.

In 1974 he took part in a song contest organised by Sud Radio and performed in front of a panel of judges, which included Daniel and Richard Seff. With his own song "Petite Marie", dedicated to his wife Mariette, he won the contest and was signed to a record deal by CBS.

In 1977, during CBS' "New French Song" campaign, his first record "Ma ville" was released. However, he quickly realized that CBS, having tampered with the accent of his singing voice on "Petite Marie", had thus interfered with the expression of his true personality. That version of the song is disavowed by Cabrel today.

At the Paris Olympia he opened for Dave for one month. He also won the "prix du Public" at the Festival de Spa in Belgium in 1978.

Although he writes predominantly for himself, he has written for other artists, in particular Rose Laurens ("Quand tu pars", 1986). Cabrel is involved in the politics of Astaffort commune in Lot-et-Garonne and was elected its councillor in March 1989.

Trivia

• Cabrel is an avid Dylan fan, and knows Dylan's entire recorded works by heart.
• Cabrel has around fifty guitars which he has collected (not counting his own performance guitars which he has had made by luthiers).
• Cabrel has been an active organizer and participant in concerts for charity, including repeat appearances in Les Enfoirés.

Discography

Studio albums

• Francis Cabrel (also known as Les Murs De Poussière) (1977, CBS)
• Les chemins de traverse (1979, CBS)
• Fragile (1980, CBS)
• Carte Postale (1981, CBS)
• Quelqu'un de l'intérieur (1983, CBS)
• Photos de voyages (1985, CBS)
• Sarbacane (1989, CBS)
• Samedi soir sur la terre (1994, Columbia)
• Hors-saison (1999, Columbia)
• Les beaux dégâts (2004, Columbia)

Live albums

• Cabrel Public (1984, CBS)
• D'une ombre à l'Autre (1991, Columbia)
• Double tour (Électrique & acoustique) (2000, Columbia)
• La tournée des bodegas (2005, Columbia)

Compilations

• Cabrel 77-87 (1987, CBS)

External links

• Official Francis Cabrel website(French)
• Biography of Francis Cabrel, from Radio France Internationale

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