Raphaël Haroche was born in the Parisian suburb of Boulogne on November 7, 1975. He developed a love for the pop music of the early '80s, listening to artists such as David Bowie and the French rock group Noir Désir. He was offered a deal with EMI at the age of 24, though his debut record received only a modest reception. In 2003 his sophomore effort, La Réalité, was released, selling an impressive 160,000 copies, but Haroche's real breakthrough into the mainstream came in 2005. Caravane was met with great critical acclaim and was Raphaël's first record to make it into Billboard's European Top 100. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez