Bïa Krieger, better known by her first name, is a Brazilian-born singer and recording artist
who lives in France and
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
.
She sings in French, Portuguese and Spanish.
Her recording career began in 1996 and currently she has at least eight albums.
Early years
During the years of the military dictatorship in Brazil, her parents were forced into exile. They moved the family to Chile, then
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
and finally
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
. She was 12 when the family went back to their homeland after the Brazilian
Amnesty Law
An Amnesty law is any legislative, constitutional or executive arrangement that retroactively exempts a select group of people, usually military leaders and government leaders, from criminal liability for the crimes that they committed. More speci ...
.
While attending school Krieger was listening to music; Brazilian, Latin-American, English pop, as well as singing and playing guitar to her friends. She began a university degree in Journalism at
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
but quit and relocated to Europe, where she spent a few years sailing around the
Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
and
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...
. In 1995, she decided to pursue music professionally.
Professional career
In 1996, French author and producer
Pierre Barouh
Pierre Barouh (born Élie Pierre Barouh; 19 February 1934 – 28 December 2016) was a French writer-composer-singer best known for his work on Claude Lelouch's film ''A Man and a Woman'' as an actor and the lyricist/singer for Francis Lai's music ...
offered Bïa an opportunity to record, after listening to her demo. This first album, ''La Mémoire du Vent''; translations in French of some of the songs of the Brazilian songwriter
Chico Buarque
Francisco Buarque de Hollanda (born 19 June 1944), popularly known simply as Chico Buarque, is a Brazilian singer-songwriter, guitarist, composer, playwright, writer, and poet. He is best known for his music, which often includes social, economic, ...
, earned the
Grand Prix de l'Académie Charles Cros.
In 1998 she recorded the soundtrack for a
Claude Lelouch
Claude Barruck Joseph Lelouch (; born 30 October 1937) is a French film director, screenwriter, writer, cinematographer, actor and film producer, producer. Lelouch grew up in an Algerian Jewish Family. He emerged as a prominent director in the 1 ...
film, and went touring in Japan, Italy and Canada.
She released her second album, ''Sources'', in 2000. Partly recorded in
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
, this album was a return to her country's sources of inspiration. She also paid tribute to the
Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...
, by covering
Golden Slumbers
"Golden Slumbers" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1969 album ''Abbey Road''. Written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney, it is the sixth song of the album's climactic B-side medley. The song is follow ...
.
In 2003, Krieger released her third album, ''Carmin''. Most of the songs are hers, but she still paid homage to favourite songwriters;
Chico Buarque
Francisco Buarque de Hollanda (born 19 June 1944), popularly known simply as Chico Buarque, is a Brazilian singer-songwriter, guitarist, composer, playwright, writer, and poet. He is best known for his music, which often includes social, economic, ...
,
Gianmaria Testa
Gianmaria Testa (17 October 1958 – 30 March 2016) was an Italian singer-songwriter and guitarist.
Testa began musical performances in 1990 and in the early 1990s, he won two consecutive top prizes at the Recanati Festival. His first album "Mon ...
and
Henri Salvador
Henri Salvador (18 July 1917 – 13 February 2008) was a French Caribbean comedian, singer and cabaret artist.
Biography
Salvador was born in Cayenne, French Guiana. His father, Clovis, and his mother, Antonine Paterne, daughter of a native Ca ...
. She also recorded an Inca mantra, ''Inti'', a Pre-Columbian hymn to the sun. This album was partly recorded in Paris, partly in Montreal, where she spends much of her time.
Krieger sings in French as well as in her mother tongue Portuguese, and Spanish. She creates mixes between
bossanova or
samba
Samba (), also known as samba urbano carioca (''urban Carioca samba'') or simply samba carioca (''Carioca samba''), is a Brazilian music genre that originated in the Afro-Brazilian communities of Rio de Janeiro in the early 20th century. Havin ...
rhythms and French language, pop flavours sung in South American style, and some very Brazilian or afro-Brazilian songs.
Her album Carmin has been produced by
Robson Galdino, a
carioca
Carioca ( or ) is a demonym used to refer to anything related to the City of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil. The original meaning of the term is controversial, maybe from Tupi language "''kari' oka''", meaning "white house" as the whitewashed stone ...
guitar player living in Paris, and
Erik West Millette, a bass, guitar and slides player from
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
.
Bïa played at the 2003
Montreal International Jazz Festival
The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal ( en, Montreal International Jazz Festival) is an annual jazz festival held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Jazz Fest holds the 2004 Guinness World Record as the world's largest jazz fest ...
and was a 2007
Juno Award
The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...
World Music nominee.
Discography
* 2015 : ''Navegar''
* 2014 : ''Chi.Coração''
* 2011 : ''Concert Intime''
* 2008 : ''Nocturno''
* 2005 : ''Coeur vagabond''
* 2003 : ''Carmin''
* 2000 : ''Sources''
* 1997 : ''La memoire du Vent''
Videos
* 2006 : ''Estrela Do Mar''
References
External links
Audiogram(with audio excerpts)
Bïa Krieger official websiteBïa Krieger official website in English
{{DEFAULTSORT:Krieger, Bia
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
20th-century Brazilian women singers
20th-century Brazilian singers
Brazilian emigrants to France
Audiogram (label) artists
21st-century Canadian women singers
Musicians from Montreal
Canadian world music musicians
Spanish-language singers of Canada
French-language singers of Canada
Brazilian emigrants to Canada