BRIGITTE FONTAINE

BRIGITTE FONTAINE
GENRE HUMAIN (1995)
320 KBPS

While Fontaine's 1988 album "French Corazon" would never have seen the light of day if it had not been for a Japanese fan, the singer's 1995 album "Genre humain" owed its existence to a very special French fan, Etienne Daho. Daho, who had made a name for himself in the 80's as the King of French pop, may have appeared an unlikely bedfellow for an avant-garde non-conformist such as Fontaine but the pair worked well together. Daho co-wrote a couple of tracks with Fontaine - such as the song "Conne" (the other tracks on the new album were co-written by Fontaine and Areski as usual) and also helped produce the album, bringing in his old music friends Les Valentins and Arnold Turboust to help with the musical arrangements. Fonatine's new album "Genre humain", which tapped into modern musical trends such as rai and hip hop, was not only highly acclaimed by French music critics, it also proved a huge hit with the public. The album's title track and Fontaine's new version of "Comme à la radio" both received an extensive amount of airplay on French radio.
Fontaine's long-awaited comeback on the French music scene was accompanied by a radical change of image. The singer shaved her head and began to dress in black, hiding her fun-loving and rather mischievous personality behind this austere new image. But while Fontaine's look might have changed, her influences remained exactly the same. When the singer returned to perform at the Café de la Danse (from January 31st to February 10th 1996), her music was still tinged with colourful Oriental influences and Arab melodies. By the spring of 96 Fontaine had attained new heights of popularity and on May 3rd the singer was even invited to perform at the legendary Olympia, the most prestigious music venue in Paris. From that point on Fontaine became one of the most sought-after guests at that summer's music festivals, and she went on to appear at all the major events including Le Printemps de Bourges and the Francofolies festival in La Rochelle. At the end of the year Brigitte Fontaine received a prestigious award, the Grand Prix National de la Chanson française.

1. La Femme à Barbe
2. Genre Humain
3. Le Magnum
4. Conne
5. Belle Abandonnée
6. Dans la Cuisine
7. Comme à la Radio
8. Interieur de Nuit
9. Hammam en Plein Air
10. Le Train Deux-Mille-Cent-Dix
11. Il Se Mèle à Tout Ca
12. J'adore pas