Izia
Encyclopedia
Izïa Higelin more commonly known by her stage name Izia, is a French rock
singer
and guitarist
. She comes from a family of musicians; her father is Jacques Higelin
and her brother is Arthur H
. She released her first extended play
in 2006, and her debut studio album
, Izia, was released in June 2009, reaching a peak position of #31 on the French albums chart
.
, France
on 24 September 1990. She was influenced by music from an early age when her father, singer Jacques Higelin
, introduced her to jazz and British pop music
. At the age of seven, she formed a duo with her father; she provided the vocals while he played piano. When she was 13, Izïa started to take an interest in rock bands such as Nirvana
and Led Zeppelin
. At this time, she wrote her first song, titled "Hey Bitch", which later featured on her debut album.
A year later, she met Caravan Palace
bassist
Antoine Toutsou through her parents and the pair played their first live show in 2004. Six months later, her backing group was expanded to three people when Izïa and Toutsou were joined by Sébastien Hoog and Vincent Polycarpe. She left school at the age of 15 in order to concentrate on a career in music.
In 2006, Izïa released her first extended play
and the following year she opened for Iggy & the Stooges at the Printemps de Bourges
music festival
. She consequently embarked on a tour of France, which consisted of over thirty dates. On 8 June 2009, her eponymous debut studio album
, Izia was released in France. In some reviews, the album garnered comparisons to Janis Joplin
. The album performed reasonably well in the French albums chart
, achieving a peak position of #31 and staying in the top 100 for 17 consecutive weeks.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
and guitarist
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
. She comes from a family of musicians; her father is Jacques Higelin
Jacques Higelin
Jacques Joseph Victor Higelin is a French pop singer who rose to prominence in the early 1970s. Early in his career, many of Higelin's songs were effectively blacklisted from French radio because of his controversial left wing political beliefs, and his association with socialist groups...
and her brother is Arthur H
Arthur H
Arthur Higelin , better known under his stage name Arthur H , is a pianist, songwriter and singer. He is best known in France for his live performances - four of his albums were recorded live - and remains relatively little-known in the English-speaking world.-Career:He is the son of the French...
. She released her first extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
in 2006, and her debut studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
, Izia, was released in June 2009, reaching a peak position of #31 on the French albums chart
Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique
The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry...
.
Biography
Izïa was born in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on 24 September 1990. She was influenced by music from an early age when her father, singer Jacques Higelin
Jacques Higelin
Jacques Joseph Victor Higelin is a French pop singer who rose to prominence in the early 1970s. Early in his career, many of Higelin's songs were effectively blacklisted from French radio because of his controversial left wing political beliefs, and his association with socialist groups...
, introduced her to jazz and British pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
. At the age of seven, she formed a duo with her father; she provided the vocals while he played piano. When she was 13, Izïa started to take an interest in rock bands such as Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
and Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
. At this time, she wrote her first song, titled "Hey Bitch", which later featured on her debut album.
A year later, she met Caravan Palace
Caravan Palace
Caravan Palace is a French Electroswing band based in Paris. The current band line-up consists of Sonia Fernandez Velasco , Arnaud Vial , Hugues Payen , Camille Chapelière , Charles Delaporte and Antoine Toustou...
bassist
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Antoine Toutsou through her parents and the pair played their first live show in 2004. Six months later, her backing group was expanded to three people when Izïa and Toutsou were joined by Sébastien Hoog and Vincent Polycarpe. She left school at the age of 15 in order to concentrate on a career in music.
In 2006, Izïa released her first extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
and the following year she opened for Iggy & the Stooges at the Printemps de Bourges
Printemps de Bourges
Le Printemps de Bourges is an annual music festival that is held in Bourges, France, during five days. It is now a major event in France and Europe....
music festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
. She consequently embarked on a tour of France, which consisted of over thirty dates. On 8 June 2009, her eponymous debut studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
, Izia was released in France. In some reviews, the album garnered comparisons to Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
. The album performed reasonably well in the French albums chart
Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique
The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry...
, achieving a peak position of #31 and staying in the top 100 for 17 consecutive weeks.