Francesca Gagnon
Encyclopedia
Francesca Gagnon is a Canadian singer and theatre
actress featured in Cirque du Soleil
's Alegría and Midnight Sun. During her career of more than two decades, she has recorded several solo albums and toured three continents singing in French, Italian and Spanish.
, Canada
, Francesca Gagnon began studying piano and dance from the age of ten. This interest in the arts carried over into adulthood where she continued her study of music at the Université du Québec à Montréal
. Her first musical performances were on television, followed by live solo performances in Quebec, Europe, and Africa. In 1986, after recording her first album, Francesca received a Juno Award
nomination for "Most Promising Female Vocalist of the Year".
In 1994, Francesca joined Cirque du Soleil's Alegría troupe. She featured as the principal vocalist on Alegrías soundtrack, which went on to become Cirque du Soleil's best-selling album. It was nominated for a Grammy Award
and several Félix Awards in 1995, winning two of the latter. Alegría was also ranked on the Billboard World Music Chart for 65 weeks.
Francesca continued touring with Alegría and starred as 'The White Singer' in the 2001 DVD recorded live in Sydney
, Australia
. During this period, she also performed with the troupe on The Tonight Show
and before Prince Charles at the Royal Albert Hall
in England. Although she left Cirque in 2002 to resume her solo career, Francesca returned to sing Alegrías title track at the 25th anniversary of the Montreal Jazz Festival and the 20th anniversary of Cirque du Soleil
in 2004. That concert, directed by Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon, has been released on DVD as Cirque du Soleil's Midnight Sun.
Since returning to her solo career, she released her newest album Hybride in 2005 after two years of production. On the album, Francesca sings in a language of her own creation inspired by the musical tones of different languages. The reasoning behind this was that she "wanted to transport us to a world where the language exists on a universal level without any border of race, country or words."
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
actress featured in Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
's Alegría and Midnight Sun. During her career of more than two decades, she has recorded several solo albums and toured three continents singing in French, Italian and Spanish.
Background
Born in Jonquière, QuebecQuebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Francesca Gagnon began studying piano and dance from the age of ten. This interest in the arts carried over into adulthood where she continued her study of music at the Université du Québec à Montréal
Université du Québec à Montréal
The Université du Québec à Montréal is one of four universities in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Basic facts:The UQAM is the largest constituent element of the Université du Québec , a public university system with other branches in Gatineau , Rimouski, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec City, Chicoutimi, and...
. Her first musical performances were on television, followed by live solo performances in Quebec, Europe, and Africa. In 1986, after recording her first album, Francesca received a Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
nomination for "Most Promising Female Vocalist of the Year".
In 1994, Francesca joined Cirque du Soleil's Alegría troupe. She featured as the principal vocalist on Alegrías soundtrack, which went on to become Cirque du Soleil's best-selling album. It was nominated for a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
and several Félix Awards in 1995, winning two of the latter. Alegría was also ranked on the Billboard World Music Chart for 65 weeks.
Francesca continued touring with Alegría and starred as 'The White Singer' in the 2001 DVD recorded live in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. During this period, she also performed with the troupe on The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
and before Prince Charles at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
in England. Although she left Cirque in 2002 to resume her solo career, Francesca returned to sing Alegrías title track at the 25th anniversary of the Montreal Jazz Festival and the 20th anniversary of Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
in 2004. That concert, directed by Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon, has been released on DVD as Cirque du Soleil's Midnight Sun.
Since returning to her solo career, she released her newest album Hybride in 2005 after two years of production. On the album, Francesca sings in a language of her own creation inspired by the musical tones of different languages. The reasoning behind this was that she "wanted to transport us to a world where the language exists on a universal level without any border of race, country or words."
Selected Discography
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Meridiano | work with Inti-Illimani |
| 2005 | Hybride | - |
| 2004 | Le Best of Cirque du Soleil | compilation album |
| 1999 | Au delà des couleurs | - |
| 1994 | Alegría | Cirque du Soleil |
| 1988 | Francesca | - |
| 1985 | Magie | - |
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Cirque du Soleil presents Midnight Sun | The White Singer |
| 2001 | Cirque du Soleil presents Alegría | The White Singer |