Mc Solaar Biography

French songwriting has been infused with a love of rhyme and intricate wordplay ever since the Troubadours arrived on the scene in the 13th century. So it was hardly surprising that in the 1990's the French music world should thrill to the sound of a new word-dominated genre - rap music. Ironically, MC Solaar, the artist who has spearheaded the thriving French rap movement, was born not in France but in Africa. Solaar's phenomenal international success just goes to show that a little cultural métissage can go a very long way !

Claude M'Barali, better known to music fans as MC Solaar, was born in Dakar on March 5th 1969. His parents, both of Tchad origin, left Africa when their son was just six months old to move to France, where they found a flat in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis. Claude's father returned to Chad once he had finished his studies in France, so the young boy was brought up by his mother, who found work as an auxiliary nurse. The young rapper was to grow up in another Paris suburb, Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, where he soon proved to be an exceptionally talented football player. Young Claude devoted considerably less time and energy to his schoolwork, however, relying on his good memory rather than his homework to see him through. At the age of 12 Claude was sent to live with an uncle in Cairo for nine months, studying at the French school established in the Egyptian capital. Later, Claude would recount how his stay in Egypt had considerably broadened his young mind. On his return to France he began to apply himself to his studies and went on to pass his 'baccalauréat' without any problems. He then began to study English, Spanish and Russian.
Bouge de là

Claude had been a passionate music fan from an early age, and growing up in the Paris suburbs he had been listening to rap music throughout his teenage years. It was not long before the teenage Claude became an adept of this new style. Changing his name to MC Solaar (adapted from his old graffiti tags SOAR and SOLAAR which he used to spray on the walls of his local housing estate), the young rapper went into the studio in the summer of 1990, accompanied by his sidekick Jimmy Jay, to start recording a series of demo tapes. One of the songs on the demo tapes, "Bouge de Là", went onto become MC Solaar's début single and it proved an instant hit, rocketing to the n°5 spot in the national charts. ("Bouge de Là would also go on to win MC Solaar a coveted "Victoires de la Musique" award).

The following year MC Solaar went on to support the famous American rap group De La Soul when they performed at the Olympia in Paris in September 91. By the time the French rapper recorded his début album, "Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo" (released at the end of 91) he had become a major figure on the French music scene. The album proved an instant hit with the French public, going on to sell 400,000 copies.

MC Solaar's innovative rap style revolves around soft melodies and finely-crafted poetic lyrics. The French rapper, renowned as an insatiable reader of novels and newspapers and an avid collector of dictionaries, has an exceptional gift for language and his songs are filled with clever puns and wordplay.

In December 91, MC Solaar was involved in Amnesty International's special 30th anniversary project, "30 films contre l'oubli" ("30 Films Against Forgetting"). The rap star appeared with the French raggamuffin group Saï Saï in director Costa Gavras's film which demanded the immediate release of Kim Song Man, held as a political prisoner in South Korea.

By 1992 MC Solaar's fame was beginning to spread beyond France. In May and June 92 the French rapper embarked upon extensive tours of Poland and Russia. In December 92 he would perform in no less than twelve countries in West Africa, where his French rap style proved extremely popular with African music fans.

Following the success of these concerts, MC Solaar went on to work with a number of other French artists. The most important of these collaborations were "Et Dieu créa l'homme", a track the rapper recorded on Jimmy Jay's compilation album "Cool Sessions" in April 93, and "Le bien, le mal", a duet he recorded with the American rap artist Guru in June 93.
Boarder breaker

MC Solaar went back into the studio in February 94 to record his second album "Prose Combat". This proved even more successful than his début album, selling over 800,000 copies (100,000 of which sold within just 10 days of its release). It was at this point that the French rapper's international career really took off in earnest, the album selling in 20 different countries worldwide. "Prose Combat" even proved a big hit in Britain and America - a remarkable feat for an album recorded in French ! MC Solaar's second album went on to produce a whole string of hit singles including "Nouveau Western", "Obsolète" and "La Concubine de l'Hémoglobine" (songs in which MC Solaar expounds his personal philosophy).

In February 95, MC Solaar, now an international star, received an award for Best Male Singer of the Year at the 10th edition of the French "Victoires de la Musique" awards. The rapper went on to perform an extensive tour of France and Europe.

In June 97, MC Solaar was back at the forefront of the French music scene with his third album "Paradisiaque". This album, the first the rapper had recorded without his longtime friend and producer Jimmy Jay, featured musical contributions from Hubert Blanc-Francard aka Boom Bass and Philippe Zdar aka la Funk Mob. The lyrics were, of course, penned by the rapper himself.

On 9 and 10 January 1998 MC Solaar kicked off an extensive European tour in Paris at the Zénith. Accompanied on stage by a DJ and a group of hip hop dancers, the rapper presented an exciting new show with sophisticated choreography and creative stage sets. This impressive show was produced in conjunction with MC Solaar's childhood friend Bambi Cruz, a talented young musician and choreographer. (Cruz would be the first artist released on Sentinelle Nord, the brand new label recently set up by MC Solaar).

On 11 May 98 hundreds of French rap fans flocked to Paris to catch MC Solaar in concert at the Olympia. The rap star took advantage of his appearance at the prestigious Olympia to record the first live album of his career. Two days later Solaar jetted down to Cannes for the 51st edition of the International Film Festival. Solaar, a well-known film fan, had been invited to act as a member of the jury at Cannes 98 - an extra-special honour as the President of the jury at this year's festival was none other than the legendary American director Martin Scorsese.