Julien Jacob arrived in France during his early childhood. His West-Indian parents settled in the South of France. For him, who was born in Benin, Africa, it was the encounter with a new culture. But he kept from his native country the imprint of African chants and rhythms.
H was passionate about music from his early childhood. Julian listened to Jazz, Motown music, mystical Asian chants, ethnic songs and dances. All these seeds enriched his artistic talent
In 1977, he performed on stage for the first time as lead singer for a rock band at the age of 17. After a few years, he decided to go his own way and left the group in 1983. From then on, he concentrated on composing his own music. But during this period, he also worked backstage at concerts by world renowned artists like David Bowie and Miles Davis. Backstage, he had intense artistic encounters, in particular a fabulous evening with Fela Kuti and his musicians.
In 1993, he left the south of France and settled in Paris, a time during which his artistic identity affirmed itself . Inspiration pushed him to sing in a mysterious language which he found within himself. An unknown language which everybody can understand because the words only find their meaning in the emotions they carry. From then on, Julien would sing in his own language.
At the same time, he started writing books. He has forever followed an internal quest and he writes about what he perceives of the invisible life. Music and writing are for him two different ways to express his quest.
In 1995, Julien finally found his adoptive home in Brittany. And from then on, everything moved faster. One year after self-producing a 4 track record, he recorded his first album, Shanti (Warner), and got on the road for 4 years full of stage experiences in France and abroad.
Julien Jacob’s second album, Cotonou, was released worldwide in February 2005 by British label Wrasse Records. To introduce his intimate afro-pop, Julien surrounded himself with his loyal producer and sound magician Ghislain Baran, the talented and famous percussionist Steve Shehan and the master of mandola lute Akim Hamadouche. His friend Rachid Taha a lent him his voice and sings the chorus on the track “Yacob”.
Discography:
Shanti (Warner)
Cotonou (Wrasse Records)
Barham (Volvox Music, 2008)
Sel (Volvox Music, 2010)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
