Biography Jo Lemaire

Born in Gembloux ( Namur), Jo Lemaire made her first steps in the song business at the end of the seventies, with the group " Jo Lemaire + Flouze " ( 1979 ). Her first album - simply named " Jo Lemaire + Flouze " arouse the interest and the curiosity of the European new wave scene. One year later, she releases the disc " Precious Time " ( 1980 ). It is with "Pigmy World" in 1981 that she makes a definitive breakthrough, notably thanks to the excellent cover of " Je suis venue te dire que je m’en vais" (I came to say to you that I go away) of Serge Gainsbourg. This song becomes a 'hit' in the whole of Europe (platinum in Belgium) and is regained on the compilation of Gainsbourg "Il les fait chanter" (He makes them sing) among the Jane Birkins and other Brigitte Bardots of this world.

Jo disassembles the group and goes for resulting a solo career, g in the album "Concorde" ( 1983 ) which contains a face in French and a face in English (yes, it still was the time of the vinyl!). "Concorde" becomes a golden disc and confirms her talent and originality. In the same vein she produces the album "Jo Lemaire" (1984) completely in French and we find rock, pop - and funky songs as part of her repertoire.

After three golden discs and a small break, Jo Lemaire returns in force in 1990 with "Duelle", a remarkable album full of intimate French songs. Golden disc again, "Duelle" is warmly welcomed by the French public. It is in 1991 that Jo Lemaire sings for the first time in Dutch on the cd " Turalura " in honour of one of Belgium’s greatest male artists.

Meanwhile, Jo becomes more and more known and popular beyond the Belgian borders, notably in France (Transmusicales of Rennes, the Spring of Bourges, the tour Rock in France), in the Netherlands, in Switzerland and in Canada, where she is invited several times to perform at the festivals of Montreal and Quebec.

In 1992 the album "Aujourd’hui" is produced, followed in the same stride by the compilation " Jo Lemaire Master Serie". Two years later the CD "Liverpool" (recorded in the that same city and produced by Carmel Mc Court) scores well with the public. Then follows "Tranches de Vie", the first one of three successful tours in theatres and Cultural centres of Belgium and the Netherlands.

"Jour et Nuit" is the next album in 1997, co-produced with some well-known artists, like Frank Boeijen ( Nl), Wigbert Van Lierde ( B ) e.o.

After her election as " the most popular Walloon personality of Belgium" by the young readers of the newspaper "De Morgen" she also begins a concert tour in the Flemish schools where she incites, by songs in French, the young pupils to be interested in a playful way in the French language and she finds herself outlined as being a unique ambassadress of the French culture in Belgium.

The same year, Jo is the ‘surprise guest’ of the PROMS-concerts in Antwerp and performs 15 evenings in front of 18.000 spectators a night. She sings with the extended symphonic orchestra ' Il Novecento ' together with artists such as the Simple Minds, Deborah Harry (Blondy), Alan Parsons Projects....etc

Her success is of such a scale that the organizers see themselves obliged, after three representations, to change the order of passage. Jo’s popularity nears that of the mythical group " Simple Minds ".

In 1998 Jo makes her first steps as actress / singer in the musical "Brel Blues" in which 19 songs of the master (Jacques Brel) are translated into Dutch. A new proof of Jo's polyglotism. By way of thanking the Flemish and the Dutch public, she records the CD " Enkelvoud " on which we find translations of her best songs by famous Dutch and Belgian authors like Geert Van Istendael, Benno Barnard and Bart Moeyaert.

At the end of the year, in the LAK theatre of Leiden in the Netherlands, Jo presents a series of fantastic spectacles, together with Liesbeth List (Nl), where Jo approaches for the first time the Piaf repertoire.

1999...

is doubtless " the PIAF year " for Jo Lemaire. She begins her tour " Piaf - Une vie " in the renowned Brussels theatre, ‘l’ Ancienne Belgique’. Nobody ever expected that her personal interpretation (no imitation!) of the unforgettable Edith Piaf-songs would meet such a tremendous success. To date, Jo performed 250 concerts of ths show. The first ones in the Ancienne Belgique were also recorded "live" and put on CD in September of this year. The ‘Piaf’ performances were also the object of a video / program broadcasted on the Belgian television and the VAR takes care of the world distribution of this broadcast.

The success of her concerts ' Une Vie ' continues until December 2000. In the summer of that year, Jo Lemaire makes her fourth appearance at the " Summer festival of Quebec " during an honouring for Piaf and she receives the praises of the present (French-speaking) world press. The spectacle was diffused worldwide several times by TV5.

At the end of the year Jo underlines once again the flexibility of her vocal capacities by beginning a X-Mas tour in theatres, churches and museums of Flanders together with the ' Vlaams Radio Koor ' (Radio Choir of Flanders).

2001...

At first the year began in studio with the recording of a new CD (title: "Flagrants Délices") which was released in September and, according to the press, was ‘the best of Jo Lemaire.

After the success of the "Piaf / Une Vie" tour, Dirk Brossé (conductor of international fame) and Jo Lemaire decide to make some exclusive recitals with that repertoire, accompanied by symphonic orchestras. They prove to be another bull’s-eye. Besides, a new tour of concerts "Transit" was launched with very good critics in the press.

But the years 2001 and 2002 have mainly been "working"-years, with an average of 100 concerts per year.

The continuous search for optimal top-class and quality, combined with her polyglot capacities, results in a raising demand for Jo to perform more and more within the business-world. In such an extent that, today, about 65% of her concerts is situated in ths environment.

Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Quebec, Paris, Reims, New-York, Hong-Kong,....in all these cities Jo is asked to add lustre to private and/or business parties, seminars, inaugurations, openings, etc...

As time goes, by in the year, 2003, Jo records a double-album and creates a new show. For this she developed a beautiful sound and assembled a band of internationally renowned musicians. The CD was released in October. The international character of CD and show are enormously appreciated by the public and the Belgian press, resulting in sold-out theatres and ditto standing ovations.

Among the numerous special projects that Jo may perform we find, among others, the concert on January, 31st 2005 in the Bozar (former Palais des Beaux Arts) in Brussels. This concert was attended by the current queen Paola of Belgium. One more proof of Jo’s class which finds its resonance into the highest regions…..

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