A descendent of Italian immigrants, Stephane Sansévérino was born in France in 1962, and by the age of 20 had fixed his sights on a career in performance. Initially focusing on theater, he studied comic acting for a number of years, learning guitar and banjo in the process. He eventually formed Les Voleurs de Poules, an acoustic duo that explored Eastern European Gypsy styles with French chansons from the '50s. After years of busy touring, the group released its debut record, Tu Sens les Poivrons, in 1995. The group split up four years later, and Sansévérino embarked on a successful solo career that incorporated big band and swing. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez