Daniel Bélanger
Encyclopedia
Daniel Bélanger is a musician/singer/songwriter. He is considered one of the best Québécois songwriters and singers to emerge in the past 15 years. His music is eclectic, inspired by alternative rock
, folk
and electronic music
, sometimes humorous sometimes wistful.
His first solo album released in 1993, Les Insomniaques s'amusent has sold 175,000 copies and won the Félix
for best pop-rock album. The first single released Opium was number one in Quebec for seven weeks and won the Félix
for Videoclip of the Year. This first album also earned him the ADISQ
awards for Bestselling Album of the Year, Male Performer of the Year and Show of the Year in 1994. With this debut album, Bélanger had carved out his own special place in the hearts of Quebecers.
In 1996, Quatre saisons dans le désordre was released. Awards flooded in (Félix
for the Pop-Rock Album, Singer-Songwriter and Show of the Year, in the singer-songwriter category), sales went wild (the album was certified Platinum), and titles like Les deux printemps, Sortez-moi de moi and Les Temps fous (Félix
for Videoclip of the Year) topped the charts.
1998: Daniel Bélanger toured, revealing an artist able to inhabit the whole stage performing solo, with music and comic monologues; this led to the recording of an unusual album, Tricycle (1999), featuring excerpts from performances recorded at different points in his career.
2000: Daniel Bélanger thrilled his fans with Erreur d’impression, a collection of 150 whimsical stories and reflections bordering on the absurd, and founded the publishing house Coronet liv. He continued to take part in major shows, including the opening concert of the 12th FrancoFolies de Montreal, featuring legendary singers from three generations: Jean-Pierre Ferland, Michel Rivard and himself.
With the album Rêver mieux
(certified Platinum) released in October 2001, Bélanger employed electro sounds with playful inspiration and wowed his fans. Rêver mieux
was showered with tributes (seven ADISQ
awards in 2002, including Pop-Rock Album of the Year, and the following year, the ADISQ
award for Videoclip of the Year for Dans un Spoutnik, the Juno Award
for Francophone Album of the Year, and various other distinctions).
Daniel Bélanger has also made successful inroads into the world of film music (nomination for the Génie for Best Original Song for the movie theme Le Dernier souffle in 2000; Jutra for Best Music for L’Audition in 2006).
L'échec du matériel
, in stores April 2007, is an album just as poetic and melodious as Rêver mieux
, but more rooted in the concerns and aspirations of his contemporaries.
Most recently, he won the 2008 Juno Award
for Francophone Album of the Year
for L'échec du matériel
.
In November 2009, he released his album Nous
and, once again, won the Félix
for the Pop-Rock Album in 2010.
In 2010 he made the music for the theater play Les Belles-Soeurs
.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, sometimes humorous sometimes wistful.
Biography
In middle 1983, he founded the band Humphrey Salade with Norman Lachance, Eric Maier and Jean Gauvin. Unfortunately, timing was not right and the band never recorded.His first solo album released in 1993, Les Insomniaques s'amusent has sold 175,000 copies and won the Félix
Félix Award
The Félix Award is a music award, given on an annual basis to artists in the Canadian province of Quebec.The first Félix awards were presented on September 23, 1979, by the Association du disque, de l'industrie du spectacle québécois...
for best pop-rock album. The first single released Opium was number one in Quebec for seven weeks and won the Félix
Félix Award
The Félix Award is a music award, given on an annual basis to artists in the Canadian province of Quebec.The first Félix awards were presented on September 23, 1979, by the Association du disque, de l'industrie du spectacle québécois...
for Videoclip of the Year. This first album also earned him the ADISQ
ADISQ
The ADISQ is a nonprofit organization with the mission to help the music industry in Quebec. It was created in 1978....
awards for Bestselling Album of the Year, Male Performer of the Year and Show of the Year in 1994. With this debut album, Bélanger had carved out his own special place in the hearts of Quebecers.
In 1996, Quatre saisons dans le désordre was released. Awards flooded in (Félix
Félix Award
The Félix Award is a music award, given on an annual basis to artists in the Canadian province of Quebec.The first Félix awards were presented on September 23, 1979, by the Association du disque, de l'industrie du spectacle québécois...
for the Pop-Rock Album, Singer-Songwriter and Show of the Year, in the singer-songwriter category), sales went wild (the album was certified Platinum), and titles like Les deux printemps, Sortez-moi de moi and Les Temps fous (Félix
Félix Award
The Félix Award is a music award, given on an annual basis to artists in the Canadian province of Quebec.The first Félix awards were presented on September 23, 1979, by the Association du disque, de l'industrie du spectacle québécois...
for Videoclip of the Year) topped the charts.
1998: Daniel Bélanger toured, revealing an artist able to inhabit the whole stage performing solo, with music and comic monologues; this led to the recording of an unusual album, Tricycle (1999), featuring excerpts from performances recorded at different points in his career.
2000: Daniel Bélanger thrilled his fans with Erreur d’impression, a collection of 150 whimsical stories and reflections bordering on the absurd, and founded the publishing house Coronet liv. He continued to take part in major shows, including the opening concert of the 12th FrancoFolies de Montreal, featuring legendary singers from three generations: Jean-Pierre Ferland, Michel Rivard and himself.
With the album Rêver mieux
Rêver mieux
Rêver mieux is the fourth album by Québécois singer and musician Daniel Bélanger. Freeworm has collaborated on it. It was certified Platinum in January 2002 for selling more than 100,000 copies.-Track listing:#Te quitter#Fous n'importe où...
(certified Platinum) released in October 2001, Bélanger employed electro sounds with playful inspiration and wowed his fans. Rêver mieux
Rêver mieux
Rêver mieux is the fourth album by Québécois singer and musician Daniel Bélanger. Freeworm has collaborated on it. It was certified Platinum in January 2002 for selling more than 100,000 copies.-Track listing:#Te quitter#Fous n'importe où...
was showered with tributes (seven ADISQ
ADISQ
The ADISQ is a nonprofit organization with the mission to help the music industry in Quebec. It was created in 1978....
awards in 2002, including Pop-Rock Album of the Year, and the following year, the ADISQ
ADISQ
The ADISQ is a nonprofit organization with the mission to help the music industry in Quebec. It was created in 1978....
award for Videoclip of the Year for Dans un Spoutnik, the Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
for Francophone Album of the Year, and various other distinctions).
Daniel Bélanger has also made successful inroads into the world of film music (nomination for the Génie for Best Original Song for the movie theme Le Dernier souffle in 2000; Jutra for Best Music for L’Audition in 2006).
L'échec du matériel
L'échec du matériel
L'échec du matériel is the sixth album by Québécois singer and musician Daniel Bélanger.The album went on to win the 2008 Juno Award for Francophone Album of the Year.-Track listing:...
, in stores April 2007, is an album just as poetic and melodious as Rêver mieux
Rêver mieux
Rêver mieux is the fourth album by Québécois singer and musician Daniel Bélanger. Freeworm has collaborated on it. It was certified Platinum in January 2002 for selling more than 100,000 copies.-Track listing:#Te quitter#Fous n'importe où...
, but more rooted in the concerns and aspirations of his contemporaries.
Most recently, he won the 2008 Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
for Francophone Album of the Year
Juno Award for Francophone Album of the Year
The Juno Award for "Francophone Album of the Year" has been awarded since 1992, as recognition each year for the best Francophone album in Canada.-Best Selling Francophone Album :*1992 - Luc de Larochellière, Sauvez mon âme...
for L'échec du matériel
L'échec du matériel
L'échec du matériel is the sixth album by Québécois singer and musician Daniel Bélanger.The album went on to win the 2008 Juno Award for Francophone Album of the Year.-Track listing:...
.
In November 2009, he released his album Nous
Nous (album)
Nous is the eighth album by Québécois singer and musician Daniel Bélanger, and was released in 2009.-Track listing:#Reste#Facile#Qui ne suis-je?#Si l'amour te ressemblait#Jamais loin#Le toit du monde#Céleste#Impossible#J'aime ton soleil...
and, once again, won the Félix
Félix Award
The Félix Award is a music award, given on an annual basis to artists in the Canadian province of Quebec.The first Félix awards were presented on September 23, 1979, by the Association du disque, de l'industrie du spectacle québécois...
for the Pop-Rock Album in 2010.
In 2010 he made the music for the theater play Les Belles-Soeurs
Les Belles-soeurs
Les Belles-soeurs is a two-act play written by Michel Tremblay in 1965. It was Tremblay's first professionally produced work and remains his most popular and most translated work. The play has had a profound effect on Quebec language, culture and theatre. Les Belles-soeurs premiered at Théâtre...
.
Discography
- Les Insomniaques s'amusentLes Insomniaques s'amusentLes Insomniaques s'amusent is the first album by Québécois singer and musician Daniel Bélanger.-Track listing:#La folie en quatre#Ensorcelée#Sèche tes pleurs#Désespéré#Ma dépendance#Opium#Quand le jour se lève#Le bonheur#Jamais les heures...
(1992) - Quatre saisons dans le désordreQuatre saisons dans le désordreQuatre saisons dans le désordre is the second album by Québécois singer and musician Daniel Bélanger. It was released by Audiogram on January 1, 1997.-Track listing:#Quatre saisons dans le désordre#Sortez-moi de moi#Les deux printemps...
(1996) - TricycleTricycle (album)Tricycle is the third album by Québécois singer and musician Daniel Bélanger. The album was certified Gold by the CRIA in March 2002.-Disc one:#"La Folie en quatre"#"Mon retour"#"Ma dépendance"#"Sortez"-moi de moi#"L'autruche"#"Le Parapluie"...
(triple album) (1999) - Rêver mieuxRêver mieuxRêver mieux is the fourth album by Québécois singer and musician Daniel Bélanger. Freeworm has collaborated on it. It was certified Platinum in January 2002 for selling more than 100,000 copies.-Track listing:#Te quitter#Fous n'importe où...
(2001) - DéflaboxeDéflaboxeDéflaboxe is the fifth album by Québécois singer and musician Daniel Bélanger.-Track listing:#"Intro"#"Round 1"#"Round 2"#"Round 3"#"Round 4"#"Round 5"#"Round 6"#"Round 7"#"Round 8"#"Round 9"#"Round 10"...
(2003) - L'échec du matérielL'échec du matérielL'échec du matériel is the sixth album by Québécois singer and musician Daniel Bélanger.The album went on to win the 2008 Juno Award for Francophone Album of the Year.-Track listing:...
(2007) - Joli chaosJoli chaosJoli chaos is an album by Daniel Bélanger, released in 2008 on Audiogram. It was released as a double album, consisting of a greatest hits compilation on the first disc and ten previously unreleased rarities on the second.-Disc One:# Sèche tes pleurs...
(2008) - NousNous (album)Nous is the eighth album by Québécois singer and musician Daniel Bélanger, and was released in 2009.-Track listing:#Reste#Facile#Qui ne suis-je?#Si l'amour te ressemblait#Jamais loin#Le toit du monde#Céleste#Impossible#J'aime ton soleil...
(2009) - Les Belles-SoeursLes Belles-soeursLes Belles-soeurs is a two-act play written by Michel Tremblay in 1965. It was Tremblay's first professionally produced work and remains his most popular and most translated work. The play has had a profound effect on Quebec language, culture and theatre. Les Belles-soeurs premiered at Théâtre...
(2010)
Videography
- Ensorcelée (1992)
- Les temps fous (1992)
- Le parapluie (1996)
- Chante encore (2002)
- Spoutnik (2002)
- Reste (2009)