Jeanne Cherhal

by Evan C. Gutierrez
Singer/songwriter Jeanne Cherhal was born in Nantes, France, in 1978. She grew up on the French countryside with her sister and middle-class parents. After a brief flirtation with ballet, Jeanne settled on piano as her preferred artistic expression. By the age of 14 she was already performing around the area with rock groups, inspired by artists like Björk, Tori Amos, and Sonic Youth. Though she studied at university, ultimately gaining her M.A. in the philosophy, she spent significant time concentrating on her musical career. While still unknown she was invited to accompany chanson star Georges Moustaki. Her spunky schoolgirl image made an impression on the audience, an image that she would employ throughout the early stages of her career. Things began to take off in 2000, Cherhal winning the "Truffe d'Argent de Perigueux" award for newcomer of the year, and between 2000 and 2001 she gained a reputation as great live performer. Her debut was released in 2002, a "live in concert" recording made the previous year. The 2004 record Douze Fois par An presented Cherhal in ensemble for the first time, playing with a rhythm section in a move toward pop's mainstream. The record landed her opportunities to collaborate with Europop star M and Jacques Higelin, with whom she would travel extensively. An exhaustive touring schedule produced Cherhal's second live record, Jeanne Cherhal a la Cigale, released in March of 2005. After a brief foray into the theater, via Eve Ensler's Vagina Monologues, Cherhal released her third studio album, L'Eau, produced by French singer Albin de la Simone, in 2006.