Michel Fugain

Michel Fugain (born in Grenoble, France, on May 12, 1942) is a distinctive figure in French chanson, symbolizing the idealistic spirit of the 1970s, which brought him his biggest hits with the baba cool, community-minded troupe Le Big Bazar: "Attention, mesdames et messieurs", "Fais comme l'oiseau" and "Une belle histoire" in 1972, "Ainsi va la vie" and "Les Gentils, les méchants " or "C'est la fête" in 1973 are all part of the golden age of French variety. Since his debut in 1967 ("Je n'aurais pas le temps"), he has enriched his songs with beautiful melodies and infused them with tropical rhythms, from bossa nova to samba, as evidenced by the hits "Les Sud-Américaines" in 1979 or "Viva la vida " in 1986. In 1979, he founded a training school for young artists. Despite more difficult times, Michel Fugain continued to record until the death of his daughter Laurette in 2002. This tragedy marked the start of a crusade for blood platelet donation. He returned to song in 2007 with the album Bravo et Merci, written by a dozen songwriters including Charles Aznavour, Claude Nougaro, Véronique Sanson and Maxime Le Forestier, and then celebrated the cycle of the seasons with the series of four EPs Bon An, Mal An (2011). Two years later came Projet Pluribus, an album brought to the stage in the form of a musical comedy. In 2017, the younger generation surround him to celebrate his repertoire on Chante la Vie Chante, featuring Kids United, Claudio Capéo and Slimane. Having become a rarity both on stage and on record, Michel Fugain returned to his pen to compose the twelve songs on the album La Vie, l'Amour, Etc..., released in 2024.