Albin de la Simone

A French pianist, composer, and performer, Albin de la Simone was born in Picary on December 14, 1970. Best known for his collaborations with such musical mainstays as Vanessa Paradis, Feist, Mathieu Boogaerts, and Salif Keita, de la Simone has also managed a respectable solo career, releasing a number of albums of his own. The first of his long-players, Albin de la Simone, emerged in 2003. A follow-up appeared in 2005 -- Je Vais Changer -- the same year that he managed to score a nomination for a Prix Constantin. A tour would soon follow, and as 2005 gave way to 2006, de la Simone decided to pursue inspiration for his next work by secluding himself on the island of Bali. The resulting work would not see the light of day for a few years, but de la Simone kept himself busy, collaborating on the soundtrack to the nature documentary Symphony Animale and joining the aforementioned Paradis on her 2007 tour. The work developed in Bali finally hit the streets in the spring of 2008, entitled Bungalow! A tour in support of the album rounded out that year for the up-and-coming musician. ~ Chris True