Lyrics Capitaine des sables Bernard Lavilliers

Biografia

Bernard Lavilliers is a French singer-songwriter born in Saint-Étienne in 1946. Coming from a modest family, he developed a passion for music at the age of four. After working in a factory, he joined the Communist Party to defend his ideals and in 1965 left for Brazil, an experience that deeply marked his worldview. His return to France led him to be considered a draft dodger and imprisoned for a year. He began singing in cabarets and in 1967 released his first single. In 1968 he released his first album, simply titled "Lavilliers", which later became his stage name. Throughout the 1970s, he achieved success with albums such as "Les poètes" (1972), "Le Stéphanois" (1975) and especially "Les Barbares" (1976). The latter consecrated him as one of the most important French singer-songwriters. Lavilliers is known for his songs that often deal with social, political and travel themes. Among his most representative tracks are "Le Grand Bleu", "La Ballade de la rue des Amants" and "Les Barbares". In 1992 he sang alongside Léo Ferré at the fête de l'Humanité. In 2004 he released the album "Carnets de bord", an ode to travel, and in 2005 the book 'Bernard Lavilliers, Escales' by Gert-Peter Bruch was published.