Biréli Lagrène facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Biréli Lagrène
|
|
|---|---|
Lagrène performing at the Festival des Granges à Laimont, August 2006
|
|
| Background information | |
| Born | 4 September 1966 Soufflenheim, France |
| Genres | Gypsy jazz, swing, jazz fusion |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Labels | BMG Rights Management,Blue Note, Dreyfus |
| Associated acts | Larry Coryell, Jaco Pastorius, Miroslav Vitouš, Sylvain Luc |
Biréli Lagrène (born September 4, 1966) is a super talented French jazz guitarist. He became famous in the 1980s for his amazing guitar playing style. His music often sounds like Django Reinhardt, a legendary jazz guitarist. Biréli plays different kinds of jazz, including swing and jazz fusion.
Contents
Biréli Lagrène's Life Story
Biréli Lagrène was born in Soufflenheim, a town in Alsace, France. He grew up in a Romani family. His dad and grandpa were both guitar players. This meant Biréli learned the "Gypsy guitar" style from a very young age.
Early Musical Journey
He started playing the guitar when he was only four or five years old. By the time he was seven, he was already making up his own jazz music! His father really admired Django Reinhardt and wanted his sons to play like him. In 1980, when Biréli was still a teenager, he recorded his first album. It was called Routes to Django: Live at the Krokodil.
Playing with Music Legends
Over the next few years, Biréli toured with many famous guitarists. These included Al Di Meola, Paco de Lucía, and John McLaughlin. He also played with jazz greats like Benny Carter, Benny Goodman, and Stéphane Grappelli.
In 1984, he went to New York City to honor Django Reinhardt. He played there with Larry Coryell and Vic Juris. He also toured with Coryell and Philip Catherine. Biréli even performed with amazing musicians like Jaco Pastorius, Stanley Clarke, and Charlie Haden. In 1989, he played in a duo with Stanley Jordan.
Later, in 1998, Biréli started working with Italian guitarist Giuseppe Continenza. They met at a festival and talked about their shared love for music. They have performed many concerts and festivals together since then.
Awards and Honors
Biréli Lagrène has won many important awards for his music. Here are some of them:
- "Django d’Or" for "French Musician" (1993)
- "Les Victoires de la Musique" for his album Front Page (2001)
- "Django d’Or" for "French Musician" (2002)
- "Django d’Or" for "People's Choice" (2002)
- "Django d’Or" for "Balkan/Gypsy" guitar (2007)
- He received the "Medal of Chevalier des Arts & des Lettres" from France in 2012. This is a special honor given by the French Minister of Culture.
Biréli Lagrène's Music Albums
Biréli Lagrène has released many albums throughout his career. Here are some of his well-known recordings:
- Routes to Django (1980)
- Swing '81 (1981)
- Fifteen (1982)
- Down in Town (1983)
- Stuttgart Aria with Jaco Pastorius (1986)
- Inferno (1987)
- Acoustic Moments (1990)
- My Favorite Django (1995)
- Duet with Sylvain Luc (1999)
- Gipsy Project (2001)
- Djangology with WDR Big Band (2006)
- Electric Side (2008)
- D-Stringz with Stanley Clarke, Jean-Luc Ponty (2015)
- Storyteller (2018)
- Solo Suites (2022)
- Biréli Lagrène Plays Loulou Gasté (2023)
Films and Videos
Biréli Lagrène has also appeared in several music films and videos:
- 1989 Super Guitar Trio - Live at Montreux
- 2004 Bireli Lagrene & Friends:Live Jazz a Vienne
- 2005 Django: A Jazz Tribute
- 2006 Live in Paris
- 2017 Biréli Lagrène: Voilà!
See also
In Spanish: Biréli Lagrène para niños
