Ima (singer)
Encyclopedia
Marie-Andrée Bergeron better known by her stage name
Ima, (sometimes stylized as IMA), is a Quebec
, Canada
singer born in 1978. She has released 6 albums and has had many singles, the most famous being "Baïla" in 2002. She also acted in the 2-season Quebec TV series Casino.
. She studied singing, acting and dancing. She used the name Ima as easily pronounceable name.
, Eros Ramazzotti
, Frédérick Baron, Sylvain Cossette
and Mario Pelchat
). the album resulted in three singles, "Ton corps sur mon corps", "Donne-moi" and of course "Baïla". For promoting the album, she engaged on a 50-show tour in 2003, including a show in Quebec City
for the Fête nationale du Québec, (Quebec National Day). Sylvain Cossette invited her to join his tour for about a dozen concerts.
Her pop/rock/folk albums Pardonne-moi si je t'aime followed in March 2005 and the third album, Smile in March 2007, the latter produced by Guy St-Onge and where she sang in French, English, Italian and Spanish. The album was certified platinum after sales of 100,000 copies staying in the Quebec Albums Chart for 60 weeks. Smile also found critical acclaim and she toured to promote it, with a grande finale in March 2008 at Théâtre Saint-Denis
where she presented three shows instead. In summer of 2008, she had a series of appearances including opening concert at Les FrancoFolies de Montréal
, followed by shows at Montreal's Théâtre du Nouveau Monde
and Montreal International Jazz Festival.
In March 2009, she launched her fourth album A la vida! with mostly French songs, followed by Christmas and in 2011 Precious.
. The popular series had a second season again with Ima. She claims her experience was inspiration for her successful album Smile.
defending Afghan women right singing "Tu n'es pas seule" (You are not alone in French). She was also active for homeless people becoming a spokesperson for Recours des sans-abris of L’Œuvre Léger charity in Quebec.
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Ima, (sometimes stylized as IMA), is a Quebec
Quebec
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...
singer born in 1978. She has released 6 albums and has had many singles, the most famous being "Baïla" in 2002. She also acted in the 2-season Quebec TV series Casino.
Beginnings
During her childhood, Marie-Andrée Bergeron resided in Châteauguay, Quebec and passing her summers in New BrunswickNew Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
. She studied singing, acting and dancing. She used the name Ima as easily pronounceable name.
Music career
In 2001, she took part in "Ma première Place des Arts", an annual Montreal event for new artists and won for "Best Interpretation" and best public mention. In September 2002, she launched her debut album Ima, collaborating with a number of artists (Vincenzo ThomaVincenzo Thoma
Vincenzo Thoma is a Canadian pop singer songwriter.- History :Vincenzo Thoma was born in Rome, Italy. Charmed by Montreal's multicultural character, he decided to make it his home...
, Eros Ramazzotti
Eros Ramazzotti
Eros Luciano Walter Ramazzotti , known simply as Eros Ramazzotti, is an Italian singer and songwriter. Ramazzotti is enormously popular in Italy, and is well known in most non-English-speaking European countries and in the Spanish-speaking world, as he has released most of his albums in both...
, Frédérick Baron, Sylvain Cossette
Sylvain Cossette
Sylvain Cossette is a French-Canadian singer-songwriter from Grand-Mère, Quebec . Sylvain was a founding member of the Quebec-based English language band Paradox in 1984, before becoming a French language solo artist by 1994...
and Mario Pelchat
Mario Pelchat
Mario Pelchat is a francophone singer.-Biography:Quebec singer Mario Pelchat has performed since 1973. His first 45 RPM single recording was released in September 1981. His early albums include 1982's Je suis un chanteur and Tu m’as fait mal the following year...
). the album resulted in three singles, "Ton corps sur mon corps", "Donne-moi" and of course "Baïla". For promoting the album, she engaged on a 50-show tour in 2003, including a show in Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
for the Fête nationale du Québec, (Quebec National Day). Sylvain Cossette invited her to join his tour for about a dozen concerts.
Her pop/rock/folk albums Pardonne-moi si je t'aime followed in March 2005 and the third album, Smile in March 2007, the latter produced by Guy St-Onge and where she sang in French, English, Italian and Spanish. The album was certified platinum after sales of 100,000 copies staying in the Quebec Albums Chart for 60 weeks. Smile also found critical acclaim and she toured to promote it, with a grande finale in March 2008 at Théâtre Saint-Denis
Théâtre Saint-Denis
The Théâtre Saint-Denis is a theatre venue located on Saint Denis Street in Montreal, Quebec.A movie theatre built in 1915, the Théâtre Saint-Denis' mission changed in the 1980s and has since focused exclusively on performing arts...
where she presented three shows instead. In summer of 2008, she had a series of appearances including opening concert at Les FrancoFolies de Montréal
Les FrancoFolies de Montréal
Les FrancoFolies de Montréal is a large annual music and performance festival held in Downtown Montreal, Quebec, featuring over 1,000 French-language performers from all over the world, as well as attracting over 500,000 visitors....
, followed by shows at Montreal's Théâtre du Nouveau Monde
Théâtre du Nouveau Monde
The Théâtre du Nouveau Monde is a theatre company and venue located on rue Sainte-Catherine in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in , it launched with the classic play L'Avare by Molière....
and Montreal International Jazz Festival.
In March 2009, she launched her fourth album A la vida! with mostly French songs, followed by Christmas and in 2011 Precious.
Acting career
In 2006, she had her debut in acting through the Quebec TV series Casino by Réjean Tremblay, in the role of Sandra Johnson broadcast on Radio-CanadaCanadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
. The popular series had a second season again with Ima. She claims her experience was inspiration for her successful album Smile.
Charity
Ima was involved in many causes. After a show in Afghanistan with other artists, she became a spokesman for Amnesty InternationalAmnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
defending Afghan women right singing "Tu n'es pas seule" (You are not alone in French). She was also active for homeless people becoming a spokesperson for Recours des sans-abris of L’Œuvre Léger charity in Quebec.
Discography
- 2002: Ima
- 2005: Pardonne-Moi si je t'aime
- 2007: Smile
- 2009: A la vida!
- 2009: Christmas
- 2011: Precious