Renaud
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
|
Related e |
|
Featured: |
Renaud Séchan, known as Renaud (Raynald), born in Paris on May 11, 1952, is a popular French singer.
His early work is characterized by a volatile temperament, innovative use of French, and edgy, dark, social and left-wing political themes. Raised in an educated milieu, the son of an intellectual, Renaud in the 1970s adopted the looks and attitude of working-class youth, and reflected this in his lyrics. A recurrent theme is his disgust for the average French people with petty bourgeois preoccupations and right-wing leanings (see beauf).
His music focuses on the disparity between classes, the abuse of political power, overbearing authority and disgust for the military, with rare glimpses of tenderness for his fellow humans, the planet earth, and art. His song Miss Maggie praised the kindness of women with the markedly ironic exception of Margaret Thatcher.
Renaud's later work is distinguished by "softer" subjects such as his wife (later ex-wife) Dominique, his daughter Lolita and his friends, such as the late comedian and singer Coluche for whom he wrote the tribute "Putain de camion]" ("sumbitchin' truck", as Coluche was killed in a road accident against a lorry). He has also adventured into regional music and language, such as the language of Marseille in La Belle de Mai, the north with Renaud cante el' nord and even corsican polyphonics in "Lolito lolita".
Several of his songs can be classified as long-lasting hits in France, including the sea tale "Dès que le vent soufflera", the irreverent "Laisse béton", the ballad "Morgane de toi" and the nostalgic "Mistral gagnant". With the possible exception of franglais recording of It is not because you are, his work is almost unknown outside the French-speaking world.
In 2006 Renaud married Romane Serda, the mother of his son Malone.
