Lio (singer)

Last updated

Lio
Lio.jpg
Background information
Birth nameVanda Maria Ribeiro Furtado Tavares de Vasconcelos [1]
Born (1962-06-17) 17 June 1962 (age 62)
Mangualde, Portugal
Origin Brussels, Belgium
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • actress
Instrument(s)Vocals
Years active1979–present
Labels

Vanda Maria Ribeiro Furtado Tavares de Vasconcelos (born 17 June 1962), known professionally as Lio, is a Portuguese-Belgian singer and actress who was a pop icon in France and Belgium during the 1980s.

Contents

Life and career

Vanda Maria Ribeiro Furtado Tavares de Vasconcelos was born on 17 June 1962 in Mangualde, Portugal. When her father was called up to fight in the Portuguese Army, the family moved to Mozambique. Her parents divorced and, in 1968, Vanda moved with her mother and new stepfather to Brussels, Belgium, where her sister, actress Helena Noguerra, was born. [2] In her teens she was determined to become a singer, and she was encouraged by singer-songwriter Jacques Duvall (né Eric Verwilghem), a family friend. She took her stage name, Lio, from a character in the Barbarella comic books by Jean-Claude Forest. [3]

Lio in 2009 Lio 2009.jpg
Lio in 2009

In 1979, together with songwriter Jay Alanski, she and Duvall began working with Marc Moulin and Dan Lacksman from the electro-trio Telex. Her first two singles were "Le Banana Split", which sold over 1 million copies, [2] and "Amoureux solitaires", a song originally by punk rock band Stinky Toys. Both songs rose to the top of many pop charts in France, and Moulin and Lacksman also produced her self-titled first album. In 1982 the American music duo Ron and Russell Mael, of Sparks, worked with her on the album Suite sixtine , on which some of her previous songs were translated into English. Suite sixtine was compiled and art directed by Ralph Alfonso for Attic Records Canada, where it was originally released. Her second album, Amour toujours , was produced by Alain Chamfort and released in 1983. [3] The same year, she first appeared on the screen in Chantal Akerman's film Golden Eighties, a lighthearted, humorous French pop musical about the people who work together in a Parisian shopping center. Lio plays a carefree hairdresser in the movie.[ citation needed ]. In 1984, she was featured in a TV special with France Gall called “Formule 1”, where she sang "Be My Baby" with Gall.[ citation needed ]

In 1985, she met record company executive and producer Michel Esteban, of ZE Records. She continued to have hit singles in Europe, including "Les brunes comptent pas pour des prunes", and travelled to Los Angeles with Esteban to record her next album Pop model . Several of the tracks were co-produced by John Cale, formerly of the Velvet Underground, and the album produced the hits "Fallait pas commencer", "Je casse tout ce que je touche", and "Chauffeur". [3] In 1988, after she had given birth to a daughter with Esteban, she resumed her acting career, starring in Claude Lelouch's film Itinéraire d'un enfant gâté. [2] The Lio-Esteban partnership produced another album, Can can, recorded in Los Angeles and Rio de Janeiro. [3] She also designed a fashion collection for the European department store chain Prisunic. [2]

She appeared in three films in 1990 and 1991, Chambre à part, Sans un cri, and Après l'amour. [2] Her 1991 album, Des fleurs pour un caméléon , was produced by Étienne Daho, she had already contributed vocals for one of Daho's earliest and biggest hits, "Week-End À Rome". [4] Daho was given carte blanche in the studio because Lio was busy shooting a film; however, when his work was over, he showed no interest in promoting the album with her, limiting the success of the album. [5] Her next album, Wandatta, presenting a more mature approach in contrast with her previous image, and with a sleeve designed by Guy Peellaert, was released in 1995. However, it was relatively unsuccessful, and she withdrew for a time to live near Angoulême with her partner and children. In 1998, she recorded with Esteban in Cuba, and in 1999 she appeared in 50 performances of the French adaptation of Seven Brides For Seven Brothers , a musical staged at the Folies Bergère. She had two kids that year. She released the single "Je suis comme je suis" and the album Chante Prévert containing interpretations of the poems of Jacques Prévert, in 2000. After performing the songs on tour throughout France, Europe and North Africa, she released the live album Cœur de rubis in 2004. She also appeared in over 250 performances of the theater play Le Bébé, an adaptation of a book by Marie Darrieussecq staged by Marc Goldberg. [2] [3]

Since 2008, Lio has been a judge on the French "pop idol" show Nouvelle Star. In 2009, she returned to music with the rock band Phantom. In 2011, she became a judge on The Voice Belgique .[ citation needed ]

Lio on stage in 2013 Lio 2013 4.jpg
Lio on stage in 2013

As of 2012, several of Lio's songs (like her 1982 song "Mona Lisa") have been rediscovered and used as samples in numerous songs by artists in the Nu-disco, House and EDM genres. In 2014, she gave an acoustic rendition of several songs by the Brazilian composer Dorival Caymmi at the Archiduc café in central Brussels. [6]

In March 2018, she released her new album Lio Canta Caymmi on the label Crammed Discs. It consists of half-Portuguese, half-French covers of songs by the Brazilian composer Dorival Caymmi. It was the first time she recorded an entire album in Portuguese, her mother tongue. She had previously released a cover of the Brazilian standard "The Girl from Ipanema" in 1991 but she sang the English lyrics. [7]

Personal life

She is a mother of six: Nubia (born in 1987), Igor (born in 1993), Esmeralda (born in 1995), Garance and Léa (born in 1999) and Diego (born in 2003).

Discography

Albums

YearAlbumChartSales
France
1980 Lio 9150,000
1983 Amour toujours -30,000 [8]
1986 Pop model -100,000
1988Can can-30,000
1991 Des fleurs pour un caméléon -15,000
1996Wandatta-10,000
2000Lio chante Prévert [9] --
2005 Dites au prince charmant 1054,000
2009Phantom featuring Lio(with the band Phantom)-1,000 [8]
2018Lio Canta Caymmi
  • Phantom featuring Lio was released in the UK under the title Lio et les fantômes. [10]

Live albums

  • 2003: Cœur de rubis

Compilations

  • 1982: Suite sixtine (a mixture of b-sides, English versions of previous songs and unreleased tracks; originally exclusive to Canada)
  • 1995: Peste Of!
  • 2005: Les Pop Songs (Best of 1)
  • 2005: Les Ballades (Best of 2)
  • 2005: Pop Box – 25 Years in Pop (7 remastered CDs with bonus tracks and 1 DVD of clips)
  • 2008: Je garde quelques images... pour mes vies postérieures (double CD containing a mixture of hits and Lio's personal favorites)

Singles

YearSingleChartAlbum
FRA
1979"Le Banana Split"1Lio
1980"Amoureux solitaires"1
"Amicalement votre"19
"Sage comme une image"-Suite sixtine
1982"Mona Lisa"-
1983"Zip a doo wah"-Amour toujours
"La Reine des pommes"-
1985"Tétéou" (Lio featuring Jacky)48-
1986"Les Brunes comptent pas pour des prunes"10Pop model
"Les Filles veulent tout" (Canada only) [11] -
1987"Fallait pas commencer"5
"Je casse tout ce que je touche"22
"Chauffeur suivez cette voiture"-
"La Bamba" (Los Portos featuring Lio) [12] --
1988"Seules les filles pleurent"-Can can
1989"Tu es formidable"-
1990"The Girl from Ipanema" (Lio featuring Etienne Daho)-Des fleurs pour un Caméléon
1991"L'Autre joue"-
1995"Le Banana Split 95"-Peste Of!
1996"Tristeza"-Wandatta
"A la fête des animaux" (promo only) [13] --
1998"Ganja" (Lio featuring Los Van Van) (remix) [14] --
2000"Je suis comme je suis"-Chante Prévert
2005"Les Hommes me vont si bien" (promo only) [15] -Dites au prince charmant
2007"Les Matins de Paris" (Teki Latex featuring Lio)14 [16] Party de plaisir(Teki Latex album)
2009"Je ne veux que ton bien" (Phantom featuring Lio)-Phantom featuring Lio
"La Veille de ma naissance" (Phantom featuring Lio) [17] -
2014"Poupée pop" [18] --
2018"É Doce Morrer No Mar" (featuring Jacques Duvall)-Lio Canta Caymmi

Theatre

Filmography

YearTitleRoleDirectorNotes
1985Elsa, ElsaElsa Didier Haudepin
1986 Golden Eighties Mado Chantal Akerman
1988 Itinerary of a Spoiled Child Yvette Claude Lelouch
1989Chambre à partMarieJacky Cukier
1991JalousieCamilleKathleen Fonmarty
Sans un criAnne Jeanne Labrune
Rock-a-Doodle Goldie Don Bluth French voice
Sale comme un angeBarbara Catherine Breillat
1992 Love After Love Marianne Diane Kurys
1993 The Dead Mother Maite Juanma Bajo Ulloa
1994Personne ne m'aimeMarie Marion Vernoux
Ne m'appelez pas ma petiteJennifer Jean Becker TV movie
1995La niña de tus sueñosFrançoiseJesús R. Delgado
Dieu, l'amant de ma mère et le fils du charcutierGabrielle Aline Issermann
1997PeccatoManuel Gómez
PalmyraTatiana De PerlinghiShort
Opération Bugs BunnyBugs Bunny's fiancéeMichel HassanTV movie
1998Micro climatBrigitte Marc Simenon TV movie
2002 Carnage Betty Delphine Gleize
2003Un grain de beautéThe fourth comedianOdile AbergelShort
Je tourne avec AlmodovarThe Fairy of CardsJean-Philippe AmarShort
2004Mariages !Micky Valérie Guignabodet
Colette, une femme libre Marguerite Moreno Nadine Trintignant TV Mini-Series
2005Les InvisiblesCarole StevensThierry Jousse
Les Vacances de NoëlLilo Jan Bucquoy
C'est la vie, camarade !CharlèneBernard UzanTV movie
2006Intime convictionThe AccusedBernard GonnerTV series (1 Episode)
Le juge est une femmeLouise DelcourtEric SummerTV series (1 Episode)
2007Pas douceEugeniaJeanne Waltz
The Last Mistress The singer Catherine Breillat
Notable donc coupableCynthiaDominique Baron & Francis Girod TV movie
Lost Signs Michèle CostaDidier AlbertTV Mini-Series
2008Le prince de ce mondeFlorenceManuel Gómez
Rien dans les pochesNicole Manikowski Marion Vernoux TV movie
2009La robe du soirHélène SolenskaMyriam Aziza
2010 Love Like Poison Jeanne Falguères Katell Quillévéré
2011Le temps du silenceThe singerFranck ApprederisTV movie
À dix minutes de nulle partMarieArnauld MercadierTV movie
Rani Madam RoseArnaud SélignacTV series (3 Episodes)
2012Stars 80Herself Frédéric Forestier & Thomas Langmann
2013 Henri Rita Yolande Moreau
Tiger Lily, quatre femmes dans la vieMurielBenoît CohenTV Mini-Series
Nos chers voisinsCélineEmmanuel RigautTV series (1 Episode)
2015Belgian DisasterMarie-ClairePatrick Glotz
Le sang de la vigneAngèle MarcarolRégis MussetTV series (1 Episode)
2017Stars 80, la suiteHerself Frédéric Forestier & Thomas Langmann
Les OnironautesThe motherMathias ZivanovicShort
2020Le VoyageurAnne FarouStéphanie MuratTV series (1 Episode)
2021Les démons de DorothyMotherator Alexis Langlois Short
2022Elle m'a sauvéeNathalie TomasiniIonut TeianuTV movie
2023 Scènes de ménages LiviaFrancis DuquetTV series (1 Episode)

Bibliography

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<i>Lio</i> (album) 1980 studio album by Lio

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Dites au prince charmant is a 2006 album by Belgian singer Lio. It features songs written by Serge Gainsbourg, her sister Héléna Noguerra as well as longtime collaborators Jacques Duvall and Jay Alanski.

<i>Amour toujours</i> 1983 studio album by Lio

Amour toujours is the second studio album by Belgian pop singer Lio and her third LP overall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Le Banana Split</span> 1979 single by Lio

"Le Banana Split" is the debut single by Belgian pop singer Lio. It was a very big hit when it was first released in 1979, selling 700,000 copies. It is now considered to be Lio's signature song.

<i>Sex</i> (Telex album) 1981 studio album by Telex

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References

  1. [ permanent dead link ] "69 minutes sans chichis: Lio", interview in French by Leslie Meuraillon, published in March 2015 on the belgian website Moustique.be (Belgian).
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lio at RFI Musique Archived 14 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "europopmusic – lio". europopmusic.eu.
  4. "Etienne Daho – La Notte, La Notte..." discogs. March 1984.
  5. Lio & Gilles Verlant: Pop model, Editions Flammarion, 2004.
  6. "Lio//L'archiduc//Bruxelles". Lara Herbinia (in French). Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  7. "Lio – Lio Canta Caymmi". discogs. 30 March 2018.
  8. 1 2 "Lio Est De Retour: Nouvel Album Lio canta Caymmi [1979–...]". Pure Charts. 26 July 2012.
  9. "Lio – Je Suis Comme Ça". discogs. 2000.
  10. "Freaksville Record - Android 80, APRIL MARCH & AQUASERGE, Benjamin Schoos, Caïman Fu, Charles Blistin, Deadride Phantom, Jacques Duvall, Juan d'Oultremont, King Lee aka l'enfant Pave, Kryptonica !, le Dragon Noir, les Loved Drones, Mademoiselle Nineteen, Man from Uranus, Marc Morgan et les Obstacles, Marie France, og musique, Phantom feat LIO, Phantom feat. Marie France, Sophie Galet, UFO GOES UFA, Various". Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
  11. "Lio – Les Filles Veulent Tout (De Toi)". discogs. 1986.
  12. "Los Portos Featuring L.N.A*, Cacho*, Lio – La Bamba (Version Française)". discogs. 1987.
  13. "Lio – À La Fête Des Animaux". discogs. 1996.
  14. "Ze Records". Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
  15. "Lio – Les Hommes Me Vont Si Bien". discogs. 2005.
  16. "Les Matins De Paris by Teki Latex and Lio – Music Charts". acharts.us.
  17. "Freaksville Record - Android 80, APRIL MARCH & AQUASERGE, Benjamin Schoos, Caïman Fu, Charles Blistin, Deadride Phantom, Jacques Duvall, Juan d'Oultremont, King Lee aka l'enfant Pave, Kryptonica !, le Dragon Noir, les Loved Drones, Mademoiselle Nineteen, Man from Uranus, Marc Morgan et les Obstacles, Marie France, og musique, Phantom feat LIO, Phantom feat. Marie France, Sophie Galet, UFO GOES UFA, Various". Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
  18. ""Poupée pop" : Lio règle ses comptes sur son nouveau single. Ecoutez !". chartsinfrance.net.