Bénabar

Singer/songwriter Bénabar, born Bruno Nicolini, emerged at the vanguard of France's "chanson réaliste" movement, crafting uncommonly literary portraits of contemporary life informed by folk, jazz, and film. Bénabar formed his own band in 1996, dubbed Bénabar et Associés. They issued their debut LP, La P'tite Monnaie, in early 1998. Upon signing with Zomba in 2001, Bénabar issued a self-titled album. The LP went gold, and just 18 months later Bénabar issued the follow-up, Les Risques du Métier. With 2005's Reprise des Négociations, Bénabar eschewed the social commentary that was the hallmark of previous records in favor of more explicitly autobiographical material. Infrequentable followed in 2008. Following this success, Benabar released Les bénéfices du Doute in 2011. It went platinum in his native France and established him as one the country’s leading singer/songwriters. ~ Jason Ankeny