SummerStage: Fete de la Musique: CharlElie Couture / Yael Naim / General Elektriks / La Femme

Born in Nancy, France, in February 1956, and graduate of the Fine Arts school, CharlElie is a multidisciplinary artist, whose work covers the exploratory fields of image, writing and music.Since his signature on Island Records by the notorious Chris Blackwell, the success of his poetic-rock-blues music albums has not stopped him from continuing his exploration in painting, sculpture and photography.

Music is anything but a job to Yael Naim and David Donatien. It’s entwined in every aspect of life for these musical and romantic partners, who recorded their third album together, 2010’s She Was a Boy, in their family home on the outskirts of Paris. “We never agree when we work, we always fight. It’s intense,” says Naim, 37. “Sharing a creation is one of the more difficult things you can do,” adds Donatien. 

Having left his adopted land of California for the city of Berlin, French singer, keyboard-player, and producer Hervé Salters released To Be A Stranger, his 4th album as General Elektriks, in February 2016. Clearly high on the radical streak that permeates the German capital, this new record conjures up a brash array of funk keyboards, hip hop beats, pop melodies and vibrant tones. 

“We became friends with some Californian surfers who were in Biarritz for surfing contests. We wanted to travel and play outside France so our new friends helped us make connections; we earned a little money with summer jobs and flew to California a few months later. It was crazy; we ended up doing 27 gigs in 3 months!” Since hitting the west coast, La Femme’s reputation for finely tuned and taught stark anthems has spread like sea spray.