Sylvie Boisel

What a great pleasure I had to meet Sylvie Boisel! She is a French singer, internationally acknowledged who has more than one string to her bow…

If you are from France, Spain, Australia and now even from New-York you might have already heard of Sylvie Boisel. In fact, she is a rising star, an open-minded artist who evolves with her travels and her life experiences.

She was born in the south of France and she moved to Paris when she was eighteen. Her first love was theater, that she had studied for a few years before starting to evolve in the musical industry. Thanks to this theatrical background, she cleverly mixes text-songs and humorous-songs. At this time she was known for both her voice and her extravagant personality on stage. She is an entertainer!

She had learned from one of the best songwriters such as Claude Lemesle, participated in some of the most famous music festivals as well as humorous festivals, where she has been on the same stage with Jamel Debouzze and Dany Boon.

Her répertoire is Brel, Brassens, Barbara, Edith Piaf, Marie-Paul Belle … but her musical tastes are as eclectic as ACDC, Wagner and Lady Gaga. Regarding her tastes and her talent you can easily imagine that Sylvie Boisel is full of energy and she is not the kind of person who’s resting on her achievement.

Thus, despite the fact she was praiseworthy in Paris, she decided about ten years ago to move to Australia !

Her trip there changed a lot of things in her career. This is when she started to work a lot on Edith Piaf ( “the artist whose voice can spike your heart” according to Sylvie). She then became recognized as the Edith Piaf specialist in Australia. She sung for tremendous event in Sydney, and she even had the chance to sing in front of the Australian Prime Minister, John Howard.

In Australia she was not only living on a new continent she also took a plunge in a new musical style : Jazz music. Not an easy task ! But no surprise, her jazzy performances were successful. With the famous band Zenith Jazz New Orleans she performed in some of the most famous festivals. She also recorded a studio album : AMOUR that you can purchase on our boutique.

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A year ago , this energetic adventurer decided to come to the city that never sleeps, where lady liberty, her favorite symbol, guides the people. Sylvie Boisel is a work-addict, she is now in the writing process of a new album and she is even creating her own music! She is willing to build a collaborative show with artists from different domains.

You will soon be able to see her every Fridays and Saturdays night while enjoying a nice french dinner at the awarded “French-tart” restaurant in Staten Island. And get ready for the end of the year, she is going to be everywher, NY, Spain, Palo Alto …She is going to release her tour dates in NYC and NJ as soon as possible , so go visit her website and stay tuned ! - French Wink

Can you describe yourself in three words?
Passionate, Parisian, performer

Tell us about your musical influences. Where did your passion for jazz come from?
I don’t have any musical influences as far as I am aware, apart from having grown up in France and being soaked in French culture. Maybe that’s the fate of creative types, influenced by all and by none… As a teenager, I listened to Janis Joplin, Deep Purple, Ten Years After, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Elvis Presley… far from the ‘Chanson à texte’ – literary songs – (such as George Brassens) I would come to sing in Paris and throughout France.

Funnily enough, I didn’t listen to jazz in France and but it was here in Australia, following the advice of several people who told me that Jazz would suit me very well, that I started to take an interest.

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Soon after, one of my friends, John Edser, trombone player and band leader of ‘Zénith Jazz New Orléans’, suggested I sing some traditional jazz with the group. And there I was, singing at ‘Jazz in the Kirk’ in Manly, shaking with stage fright, accompanied by the legendary Col Nolan. That night the director of the Moe Jazz Festival, who was a member of the Church, saw us perform and invited us to play at the festival.

Being French, you split your life between Australia and France. How do you think your love for Australia has influenced your career and your music?
Australia has completely and radically influenced my career. I have changed my music style, moving from literary and satirical songs to the great French classics and traditional jazz.

I go on stage and sing to communicate with my audience; so it was impossible for me to sing satirical songs to an audience who would have trouble understanding. It was essential, it is essential… as satirical songs generally require a lot of quick thinking… ?I was lucky enough to work with an excellent singing teacher in Sydney, Anthony Winter, with whom I strengthened my vocals.

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Can you tell us more about your latest album ‘Amour’? How did you choose the songs for it?
It wasn’t easy to choose, there are so many beautiful songs from all over the world. I wanted to make an album on the topic of love and all its forms – from hate to longing, from passion to nostalgia.

I wanted to record a few of my audience like and sing some of them in French, in English or in both languages. Most of them have some sort of connection with France. In the album you’ll find ‘Cry me a river’, ‘Comment te dire adieu’, ‘La vie en rose’, ‘A man and a woman’ and more…

You have covered Peter Allen’s classic ‘I still call Australia home’. Is this song somewhat autobiographical for you?
Yes, Australia became my home and wherever I go, there will always be a part of me attached to this country. A part of my life is here – I have known love, friendship, and had extraordinary experiences like singing on a small two- metres high stage, in front of 1300 people for the Sydney Film Festival, which made my head spin.

One day, I would definitely like to live in my favourite place – the Northern Territory. It’s immense size, red earth, infinite roads and the beauty of Uluru takes your breath away, even that of a singer. - My French life

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The following interview is in English. Read the French version here.

Do you want to WIN a copy of Sylvie Boisel’s latest album ‘Amour’? Scroll down for more…

Sylvie Boisel is a French singer who debuted her career on the stages of Paris. Today she resides in Australia, where she lives out her passion to the full. With the release of her new album ‘Amour’, we wanted to find out a little more…

You can read the first part of the interview here.
Sylvie Boisel and Australia

You have participated in numerous events and festivals in Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Paris, Avignon, etc. Do you perceive any differences between your French audience and your Australian audience?
I don’t see any difference at all between my Australian and French audiences. It’s up to the artist to create a connection with the audience. People’s hearts and souls are the same. I’ve always had a warm welcome from my audience because I love them and I let them know it. However, I’m conscious of making sure to share every applause I get when I sing Edith Piaf with Edith herself, and I often say so on-stage.

What I really appreciate as an artist in Australia is when my audience asks for a song in English such as ‘When You Smile’. During one of my most recent concerts, the entire room sang ‘Que sera, sera’ with me, it was an unforgettable moment.

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You recently suggested on your Facebook page that you might be leaving Australia. Can you tell us more?
I’m in touch with some theatres and cabarets in New York and Los Angeles for my different shows. Sydney is a difficult city for sensitive-hearted artists. Connections and money are more important than talent. A few months ago I threw in the towel, because I’m an artist, and not a warrior or a business woman. I pictured myself as Don Quixote, tilting at windmills. I finally decided to go somewhere else where I’d be welcome and where I could express myself on-stage, practising my profession as I do in Paris.

My departure isn’t really on the agenda anymore, things are changing and I’ve been given the lovely opportunity to get on stage, to play, to sing and to do my job in Queensland thanks to two talented Australians: Sallyanne Ryan for my homage to Edith Piaf and Bernard Houston for Projet Prévert. I thank them both with all my heart.

What’s the time and place of your next performance in Australia?
I’ve got several shows coming up, actually.

I’m happy to finally have a talented producer for my tribute to Edith Piaf: Sallyanne Ryan who a lot of people know as an actress, film director and radio announcer. Dates will be announced soon for Queensland, then we’ll look for theatres to welcome us in Victoria.

I’m playing and singing soon in a new show called Projet Prévert at the Brisbane Cabaret Festival, on the 26th and 27th of October 2012.
Her Favourites

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If you had to listen to one single last song, what would it be?
‘Ave Maria’ (Schubert) interpreted by Barbara Hendricks.

What spot would you recommend for listening to jazz in Paris?
Le Caveau de la Huchette and le Petit Journal Saint Michel, two legendary locations for Jazz in Paris, as well as le Petit Journal Montparnasse.

What is your favourite Restaurant in Paris?
La coupole for the decoration and the history.

Which Parisian bar would you recommend us to have a drink in?
For the cocktails and the view, le George Bar.

Which is your favourite quarter to go shopping in?
Rue de Rivoli between the stations Hôtel de Ville and Châtelet, the Marais quarter and the Halles quarter.

Which is your favourite Parisian place to enjoy yourself in (nightclubs, parks, museums, etc.)?
The Marais and Halles quarters for the entertainment, the Musée du Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay for the beauty, Parc de Vincennes for the nature and Père Lachaise for the history and the calm.

From Paris, where would you go just for a day?
If I’d been told about Versailles…

Where do you like to go to listen to good music?
There’s not one good place to listen to good music in in Paris, there’s hundreds. Parisians often go for the band over the location… I suggest Le Limonaire, a small typical Parisian bar where I started out, and the Opéra de Paris for the acoustics and the paintings by Chagall.

To find out more about Sylvie Boisel, go to her Facebook page or to her official site. To listen to extracts of her music, they’re here on Myspace/sylvieboisel.

Thank you Sylvie for taking the time to speak to us at My French Life™. We’ve enjoyed getting to know more about you and your musical project. - My French life