Jonatan Cerrada
Encyclopedia
Jonatan Cerrada is a Belgian
-born singer who became the first French Pop Idol
. He has had hit singles across Western Europe
especially in France
, Belgium
, and Spain
.
, and grew up in the city of Ans
with his four siblings (Julien, Rafaël, Audrey and Rachel) and his Spanish
parents María Victoria Moreno, a secretary
, and Valentín Cerrada, a mechanical technician. He was eight years old when he entered the Opéra Royal de Wallonie
in Liège where he stayed until age fourteen. He speaks fluent French
and Spanish
.
. Soon after winning the competition, he released his debut single "Je voulais te dire que je t'attends
", a revival of a song originally by Michel Jonasz, and then "Rien ne me changera
". His debut album, Siempre 23
, was released after that and was successful across France
and Belgium
.
He represented France in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004
singing a power ballad song, "À chaque pas
", and came 15th out of 24 finalist countries.
He was invited to star as a guest role in the Spanish comedy/drama Un Paso Adelante
. It was also aired in France with French dubbing, and he dubbed his own lines.
He sang the soundtrack for the French edition of the film Robots
- "Mon Paradis
". Soon after that, his second album La Preuve du contraire
was released. In September 2005, "Libre comme l'air" was released only in Belgium
.
In March 2006, it was confirmed his next single was to be "Ne m'en veux pas" which appeared on La Preuve du contraire
as a duet with Ophélie Cassy. A new solo version was recorded but was never released.
In February 2007, a year after his latest single "Ruban noir" (from La Preuve du contraire
) became a major download hit without any specific promotion. It is sung partly in Spanish and is about the 11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings
.
In June/July 2007, he took the title role of Arthur Rimbaud
in the semi-staged comedy musical Rimbaud, written by Richard Charest & Arnaud Kerane (http://www.rimbaudmusical.com)
He is no longer signed by the major record label that released his first two French albums. Instead, he started working on a Spanish album as independently. In May 2007, he created a new MySpace
site Tercero, showcasing songs, all sung in Spanish, with a distinct Latin and R&B style. In July 2007, he signed up to the Sellaband
website aiming to find "believers" willing to buy "parts" (funding) the recording of his third album. Regularly appearing in the top three of Sellaband's charts, he managed to collect $25,000 (half of the required $50,000), before deciding to leave the website in October 2007. He stated that even though he had written the lyrics, he was not the composer of his proposed songs. The composer did not wish to give a percentage of earnings to Sellaband and was unwilling to proceed. His Sellaband blog also revealed his disappointment at being dropped by a major record company. On Sellaband, his profile, blog and updates were in English.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
-born singer who became the first French Pop Idol
A La Recherche De La Nouvelle Star
À la Recherche de la Nouvelle Star is a reality television show based on the popular British show Pop Idol. The show is a contest to determine the best young singer in La Francophonie. It was hosted by Benjamin Castaldi...
. He has had hit singles across Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
especially in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
Personal life
Jonatan was born in Liège, BelgiumBelgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, and grew up in the city of Ans
Ans
Ans is a small Belgian municipality located in the Walloon province of Liège. On January 1, 2006 Ans had a total population of 27,322. The total area is 23.35 km² which gives a population density of 1,170 inhabitants per km²...
with his four siblings (Julien, Rafaël, Audrey and Rachel) and his Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
parents María Victoria Moreno, a secretary
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
, and Valentín Cerrada, a mechanical technician. He was eight years old when he entered the Opéra Royal de Wallonie
Opéra Royal de Wallonie
The Opéra Royal de Wallonie ' is an opera house in Liège, Belgium, one of four situated in that country.- External links :*...
in Liège where he stayed until age fourteen. He speaks fluent French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
.
Professional career
Jonatan is the winner in the first season of A La Recherche De La Nouvelle StarA La Recherche De La Nouvelle Star
À la Recherche de la Nouvelle Star is a reality television show based on the popular British show Pop Idol. The show is a contest to determine the best young singer in La Francophonie. It was hosted by Benjamin Castaldi...
. Soon after winning the competition, he released his debut single "Je voulais te dire que je t'attends
Je voulais te dire que je t'attends
"Je voulais te dire que je t'attends" is a ballad song originally recorded in 1976 by the French singer Michel Jonasz. It was covered by The Manhattan Transfer in 1978 on the album Pastiche ,, by Isabelle Boulay, Maurane and Patrick Bruel in 2001 for Les Enfoirés' album L'Odysée des Enfoirés, and...
", a revival of a song originally by Michel Jonasz, and then "Rien ne me changera
Rien Ne Me Changera
"Rien ne me changera" is the second single from the winner of A La Recherche De La Nouvelle Star - Jonatan Cerrada. In English "Rien ne me Changera" means "Nothing Will Change Me". This song features on Jonatan's debut album Siempre 23.-Track listing:...
". His debut album, Siempre 23
Siempre 23
Siempre 23 is the debut album of the 'A La Recherche De La Nouvelle Star' winner - Jonatan Cerrada.The album is sung in French but some songs show of his Spanish roots...
, was released after that and was successful across France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.
He represented France in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004
Eurovision Song Contest 2004
The Eurovision Song Contest 2004, was the 49th Contest and it was held in the Abdi İpekçi Arena in Istanbul, Turkey. This was the first occasion in which the contest was held in Turkey after they had won the competition in 2003 with Sertab Erener singing "Everyway That I Can"...
singing a power ballad song, "À chaque pas
À Chaque Pas
"À chaque pas" was the third single from the winner of the French version of Pop Idol - A La Recherche De La Nouvelle Star, Jonatan Cerrada, as well as the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 entry for France. It achieved a moderate success in France and Belgium....
", and came 15th out of 24 finalist countries.
He was invited to star as a guest role in the Spanish comedy/drama Un Paso Adelante
Un Paso Adelante (TV series)
Un Paso Adelante was a Spanish TV drama similar to the American 1980’s TV series Fame. It was originally broadcast on Spanish channel Antena 3 from 2002 to 2005...
. It was also aired in France with French dubbing, and he dubbed his own lines.
He sang the soundtrack for the French edition of the film Robots
Robots (film)
Robots is a 2005 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Blue Sky Studios for 20th Century Fox, and was released theatrically on March 11, 2005. The story was created by Chris Wedge and William Joyce, a children's book author/illustrator. The two were trying to create a film version of...
- "Mon Paradis
Mon paradis
Mon paradis is the first studio album recorded by Christophe Maé. It was released in 2007 and sold over two million copies worldwide, and topped the chart about ten months after its release. The album remained on the SNEP Chart for two years and on the Ultratop 40 Chart...
". Soon after that, his second album La Preuve du contraire
La Preuve Du Contraire
La Preuve Du Contraire is the second album of Jonatan Cerrada. Its title literally translates into 'The Proof Of The Opposite' but means 'The Proof That It Is Wrong'....
was released. In September 2005, "Libre comme l'air" was released only in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.
In March 2006, it was confirmed his next single was to be "Ne m'en veux pas" which appeared on La Preuve du contraire
La Preuve Du Contraire
La Preuve Du Contraire is the second album of Jonatan Cerrada. Its title literally translates into 'The Proof Of The Opposite' but means 'The Proof That It Is Wrong'....
as a duet with Ophélie Cassy. A new solo version was recorded but was never released.
In February 2007, a year after his latest single "Ruban noir" (from La Preuve du contraire
La Preuve Du Contraire
La Preuve Du Contraire is the second album of Jonatan Cerrada. Its title literally translates into 'The Proof Of The Opposite' but means 'The Proof That It Is Wrong'....
) became a major download hit without any specific promotion. It is sung partly in Spanish and is about the 11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings
11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings
The Madrid train bombings consisted of a series of coordinated bombings against the Cercanías system of Madrid, Spain on the morning of 11 March 2004 , killing 191 people and wounding 1,800...
.
In June/July 2007, he took the title role of Arthur Rimbaud
Arthur Rimbaud
Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud was a French poet. Born in Charleville, Ardennes, he produced his best known works while still in his late teens—Victor Hugo described him at the time as "an infant Shakespeare"—and he gave up creative writing altogether before the age of 21. As part of the decadent...
in the semi-staged comedy musical Rimbaud, written by Richard Charest & Arnaud Kerane (http://www.rimbaudmusical.com)
He is no longer signed by the major record label that released his first two French albums. Instead, he started working on a Spanish album as independently. In May 2007, he created a new MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
site Tercero, showcasing songs, all sung in Spanish, with a distinct Latin and R&B style. In July 2007, he signed up to the Sellaband
Sellaband
Sellaband is a music website that allows artists to raise the money from their fans and the SellaBand community in order to record a professional album. It was set up by Johan Vosmeijer , Pim Betist , and Dagmar Heijmans in August 2006. Its offices are located in Amsterdam, Netherlands, but it was...
website aiming to find "believers" willing to buy "parts" (funding) the recording of his third album. Regularly appearing in the top three of Sellaband's charts, he managed to collect $25,000 (half of the required $50,000), before deciding to leave the website in October 2007. He stated that even though he had written the lyrics, he was not the composer of his proposed songs. The composer did not wish to give a percentage of earnings to Sellaband and was unwilling to proceed. His Sellaband blog also revealed his disappointment at being dropped by a major record company. On Sellaband, his profile, blog and updates were in English.
Albums
- Siempre 23Siempre 23Siempre 23 is the debut album of the 'A La Recherche De La Nouvelle Star' winner - Jonatan Cerrada.The album is sung in French but some songs show of his Spanish roots...
, released on the 15th September 2003. Reached number 7 in the French charts. - La Preuve du contraireLa Preuve Du ContraireLa Preuve Du Contraire is the second album of Jonatan Cerrada. Its title literally translates into 'The Proof Of The Opposite' but means 'The Proof That It Is Wrong'....
, released on the 13th June 2005. Reached number 23 in French chart. - Tercero, previously collected believers for this project on SellabandSellabandSellaband is a music website that allows artists to raise the money from their fans and the SellaBand community in order to record a professional album. It was set up by Johan Vosmeijer , Pim Betist , and Dagmar Heijmans in August 2006. Its offices are located in Amsterdam, Netherlands, but it was...
.
Singles
- Je voulais te dire que je t'attendsJe voulais te dire que je t'attends"Je voulais te dire que je t'attends" is a ballad song originally recorded in 1976 by the French singer Michel Jonasz. It was covered by The Manhattan Transfer in 1978 on the album Pastiche ,, by Isabelle Boulay, Maurane and Patrick Bruel in 2001 for Les Enfoirés' album L'Odysée des Enfoirés, and...
July 2002, FR # 2, CH # 9, BE fr. # 1 - Rien ne me changeraRien Ne Me Changera"Rien ne me changera" is the second single from the winner of A La Recherche De La Nouvelle Star - Jonatan Cerrada. In English "Rien ne me Changera" means "Nothing Will Change Me". This song features on Jonatan's debut album Siempre 23.-Track listing:...
, October 2003, FR # 22, CH # 61, BE fr. # 6 - Non, laissez-moi le temps, March 2004, FR # 84
- À chaque pasÀ Chaque Pas"À chaque pas" was the third single from the winner of the French version of Pop Idol - A La Recherche De La Nouvelle Star, Jonatan Cerrada, as well as the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 entry for France. It achieved a moderate success in France and Belgium....
, March 2007, FR # 12, CH # 36, BE fr. # 5 - Mon ParadisMon paradisMon paradis is the first studio album recorded by Christophe Maé. It was released in 2007 and sold over two million copies worldwide, and topped the chart about ten months after its release. The album remained on the SNEP Chart for two years and on the Ultratop 40 Chart...
, download only - Libre comme l'air, September 2005, BE fr. # 28
- Ne m'en veux pas, promo only
- Ruban noir, download only, January 2007, BE fr. # 28