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Pierre Barouh

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Pierre Barouh (1934 to 2016) was a French writer, composer and singer, born in Paris as Élie Pierre Barouh. His parents were Turkish-Jewish market traders. During the war they hid their children from the Nazis in the French countryside, a period that later inspired songs such as La Bicyclette, Des ronds dans l'eau and Les Filles du dimanche. After the war he was briefly a sports journalist and played in the B team of the French volleyball squad. In Portugal he came to know Brazilian music, and in 1959 he travelled to Brazil. Back in Paris he became friends with Brazilian writers and composers of bossa nova.

Music and breakthrough

With his first earnings he bought a mill in the Vendée, where he set up a recording studio. In 1965 he started the label Saravah, with which he wanted to mix musicians and styles. He worked there with Brigitte Fontaine, Jacques Higelin, Nana Vasconcelos and Elis Regina, among others. As a singer he had success with La Plage, made known by Marie Laforêt and the guitarist Claude Ciari, and with Tes dix-huit ans and Monsieur de Furstenberg.

Influence

His best-known work is the film Un homme et une femme by Claude Lelouch from 1966, which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes. Barouh played a part in it and sang the words to the music of Francis Lai. That year he also married the actress Anouk Aimée; three years later they separated. He also made a documentary about the early years of bossa nova. In this way he brought Brazilian influences to French chanson.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to the title song of Un homme et une femme and notice how the singing and the scat syllables together create an almost danceable, relaxed mood. Try to hear where the bossa nova groove comes through.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

Categories: Artists