Nicoletta, whose real name is Nicole Grisoni, is a Franco-Swiss singer who is being brought up by her grandmother because her natural parents are not able to raise her. A grandmother to whom she will pay a vibrant tribute in her famous song "Mamy blue".
It was in the choir of Notre Dame d´Annonay that she developed, at a young age, singing skills that would be described as well above average. Skills that will quickly lead her to sing as a soloist in this choir.
We find her in Paris at the beginning of the 1960s where she notably works as a DJ. A profession that will allow her to be noticed by Léo Missir, then artistic director at Barclay. A providential meeting that will lead to the recording of a mini album in 1966, a mini album from which her first success, namely "Encore un jour sans toi", will be extracted.
A success which will amplify considerably the following year with the release in 1967 of 2 flagship titles which are "La musique" but also, and above all, "Il est mort le soleil". Two single in quick succession which will literally explode his notoriety.
An exceptional end of the sixties with the release of 2 new successful titles in 1968 : "L’amour me pardonne" and "Liberté mon amour". A year 1968 which saw her even going to sing in the factories alongside the strikers, further strengthening the enormous sympathy that she had with the public.
Then in 1969, it was the turn of the huge track "Ma vie c'est un manège", a revisited version of Shirley Bassey's track "Does anybody miss me". The single will be a hit in France and make the singer one of the biggest phenomena of the moment.
The 1960s saw her explode, the 1970s saw her establish herself as one of the essential singers of the French musical landscape. Starting with the title "Mamy blue" in 1971, a title that will remain as one of his most emblematic. Then with "Fio Maravilha" and "Enfants venez chanter l'espoir" two years later in 1973 and "Glory Alleluia" in 1974.
An incredible dynamic of success which will weaken somewhat in the second half of the decade. The titles that will be released will meet with limited success.
Ditto during the 1980s when she will almost completely disappear from radar. Only the enormous duo on the track "Idées noires", a track she recorded with Bernard Lavilliers in 1983, will allow her to save the furniture.
The rest will turn out to be more confidential with an artist who will quietly continue her musical adventure but far from the rhinestones and glitter ...
To discover or rediscover.
Discography (among others ...) :
L’homme à la moto 1966
Encore un jour sans toi 1966
La musique 1967
Il est mort le soleil 1967
L’amour me pardonne 1968
Liberté mon amour 1968
Alors je dérive 1969
Ma vie c’est un manège 1969
Litanies pour un été (O dis O) 1970
Mamy blue 1971
Les volets clos 1973
Fio maravilla 1973
Enfants venez chanter l’espoir 1973
Viens te ballader au creux de mes chansons 1973
Glory alleluia 1974
Sur les bords de la tendresse 1975
A quoi sert de vivre libre 1975
L’amour violet 1976
Agadir 1977
Broadway 1978
Il faut qu’on m’aime 1978
Souviens toi 1978
J’aurais du écouter Mama 1979
Pense à lui 1981
Fou d’amour 1983
Femmes de Paris 1983
Idées noires 1983
Le fou du roi 1984
Il n’y a vraiment que l’amour 1985
L’ange du hasard 1986
Vivre aujourd’hui 1987
J’attends j’apprends 1995
Une chanson pour tous les gens 1995
Clips :
1966 ... resume from Piaf dating from 1956 (Piaf's version is already a cover of the title 'Black Denim Trousers and Motorcycle Boots' by Cheers dating from 1955) is an extremely daring bet for this young girl out of nowhere. Anyway, on this one, it's a successful bet !
1966 ... after a fanfare start, the deceleration is brutal to say the least. But the singer shows us here that she is good at everything, including the Intimist. Versatility displayed from the start and bodes well for the future ...
1967 ... she will have started her career on a luxury cover and it is another luxury cover that will propel her in a sensational way on the front of the stage. This time, it is Barry Mann's title named 'Angelica' dating from 1961 that she revisits in her own way and the version she gives of it is, to say the least, particularly successful. HU-GE !
1967 ... but that's without counting on this title ! She followed up with this absolutely sumptuous track, a track that will make her one of the biggest musical sensations of the moment and propel her One Shot to the rank of star in France. MAS-TER-FUL !
1968 ... since the luxury covers are particularly successful for her, she puts the cover again with this time a revisited version of the enormous title of Robert Knight dating from the previous year. A title by Robert Knight which will be repeated countless times in the next 30 years ...
1968 ... she alternates with an obvious mastery playful title and Intimist title. An alternation of style which allows her to be on all fronts and especially to please everyone. Finely played !
1969 ... the young singer has become in a few years one of the biggest musical phenomena of the moment and it's gone to last. Especially when you see what is on the horizon ...
1969 ... she had already delivered 2 of the biggest titles of the end of the decade and she is adding a layer with this new title which will undoubtedly remain as one of her most emblematic. Once again thanks to a luxury cover this time of the title 'Does anybody miss me' by Shirley Bassey dating from 1969. Her extraordinary talent now crushes the competition with truly incredible ease !
1970 ... the 60s will have made her one of the biggest musical phenomena of the moment, the 70s will definitively consecrate her as one of the greatest singers of the end of the 20th century on the French side. Quite simply...
1971 ... it is true that most of his best-known titles will forever remain copies of other titles. But she will have reinterpreted them so well that she will have given them a new life, to say the least unexpected. The proof with this title of Joel Dayde dating from 1968. MAS-TER-FUL !
1973 ... it is with this title that she will definitively enter the musical legend of the end of the XXth century on the French side. A title actually from the soundtrack of the film of the same name that few people remember. On the other hand, the song, it, everyone remembers !
1973 ... and what about this title ! In just one year, 1973, she went from being a great singer to being a major star in the French musical landscape. All once again thanks to a sumptuous revisited version of the title of another. This time around, it will be a title from Brazilian Jorge Ben from the previous year. And the least we can say is that this time, the copy exceeds the original. MAG-NI-FI-CENT !
1973 ... an exceptional year in all respects with an impressive number of very, very high caliber titles. With 2 exceptional titles to start the year and 2 more of high quality to end it. What more !
1973 ... undoubtedly the highlight of her career. In just one year, she will have literally crushed the competition and above all obtained her direct ticket to posterity !
1974 ... an orientation to Gospel and American standards which increases year by year. It's nice and well done, of course, but not sure that it will pay off in the long term ...
1975 ... after an absolutely incredible start to the 1970s, the second part of the decade will prove to be slightly more complicated to manage than expected. And yet, quality is always essential, the proof with this Intimist title of all beauty
1975 ... since the covers have always been particularly successful for her, she puts the cover back with this revisited version of the title "Can't give you anything (But my love)" from Stylistics. And once again, it works !
1976 ... she built her entire career on light and playful titles. It is when she will switch to the 'A emotions' register and decide to show another side of her that the public will decide not to follow her anymore. And yet, she does not demerit, far from it, especially when you see this kind of title. Go figure ...
1977 ... the decline is slight but increases inexorably from year to year. A trend that the singer will be unable to reverse, for lack of a playful and light title as she knew so well how to do ...
1978 ... she will try to adapt to the new trends of the moment, in particular the Disco wave which takes everything in its path. Where other singers of her generation will perfectly negotiate this very important turn, she, unfortunately, will miss the boat. A serious mistake that will ruin her career for good ...
1978 ... we find her in a register that suits her well but the fact of mixing all styles ends up completely disorienting the public. Where she should be Dance, Dance, Dance, she sets out again in a more typical register at the beginning of the 1970s. A strategy to say the least surprising ...
1978 ... and it is not with this title that she risks rallying the younger generations who have their eyes turned exclusively to everything that comes from England or the United States. She will have to recover and quickly ...
1979 ... she tries to regain control with a new cover this time of the title 'I should have listened to Mama' interpreted by Lena Zavaroni and dating from the previous year. The copy is almost better than the original version but nothing helps, when it does not want more, it does not want ...
1981 ... the transition to the 80s is smooth for the singer thanks to this beautiful Intimist title which shows once again that in this field, she continues to excel. But the 80s will be even more ruthless with the singer than were the last years of the 70s ...
1983 ... this much more trendy sound could have helped to reverse the trend somewhat. But she is already part of the past for the younger generations and that, nothing and no one will be able to make them change their mind ...
1983 ... an obvious goodwill which is a pleasure to see on a totally charged title. But good will is not always enough to overthrow mountains unfortunately ...
1983 ... then THIS title comes ! Her duet with Bernard Lavilliers was a real success and made this title one of the biggest successes of 1983 and of the decade itself. A new success, to say the least, unexpected and which will unfortunately be short-lived ...
1984 ... she participates in a new soundtrack but it is clear that this film will not remain in the anal as one of the Masterpieces of the decade, relegating her soundtrack to oblivion by force of circumstances ...
1985 ... she still hopes to rise to the surface again and again thanks to a luxury cover worthy of the name, luxury covers of which she has always been one of the great specialists. But even in this area, the magic no longer operates ...
1986 ... anyway, she still believes in it and continues the adventure for whatever reason. We would like the course of things to be reversed and for her to come back to the race miraculously. A miracle that unfortunately will not happen again ...
1987 ... already 20 years of career ! One of the most beautiful quarries of the end of the 20th century on the French side, but which is inexorably drawing to a close. And as always in these cases, we will only remember the good times ...
1995 ... she will even attempt the transition to the 90s, just to hope that what had not worked during the 80s may be able to work during the 90s
1995 ... quality, a constant with her, it is undeniable. Even if she hasn't touched the stars for a long time, she continues to offer us things that largely hold up. And even if the adventure is coming to an end, we can only salute the extraordinary talent of one of the greatest singers that France has known during the 20th century !
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