She is the voice of the group Paris Combo. Belle du Berry, whose real name is Bénédicte Grimault, passed away on the night of Monday August 10 to Tuesday August 11 at the age of 54.
She died in the Parisian hospital of Kremlin-Bicêtre, “Suddenly swept away by a cancer », the group said in a press release on Wednesday, August 12.
Belle du Berry, who was also a songwriter, had just finished recording a new Paris Combo album.
A style mixing retro song and jazz
The singer, appreciated for her style combining retro song and jazz, had performed in the 1990s in a duet in small Parisian venues, cabaret trend, with the musician David Lewis.
Their meeting with other musicians from various horizons then gave birth in 1995 to Paris Combo, a mixture of jazz influence and gypsy swing.
Gold record and nomination for the Victoires de la Musique
With his second album Living room released in 1999, the group which gave new colors to French song became known to the public: it became a gold record with more than 500,000 copies sold, with the added bonus of a nomination in the “revelation” category at the Victoires de the music.
The band addicted to the scene then went on to concerts, in France, but also abroad, from Australia to Brazil, via the United States where it quickly acquired a good reputation.
“Belle du Berry, an extraordinary singer / accordionist and author”, the American magazine had said about him Billboard, enjoying the French group’s “cabaret” show.
Their last album dates from 2017
In 2011, after a five-year hiatus, Paris Combo had reformed on the occasion of an invitation to perform at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, then resumed the path of recording studios and tours.
Their latest album to date, Tako Tsubo, was released in 2017.
Belle du Berry had also worked in 1992 with choreographer Philippe Découflé on the ballets for the ceremonies of the Albertville Olympic Games.
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