Coulais began his musical education on the violin and piano, aiming to become a composer of contemporary classical music. However, a series of acquaintances gradually re-oriented him towards film music. Coulais was particularly influenced by director François Reichenbach, who asked him in 1977 to write the soundtrack to his new documentary Mexico Magico. The first full-length production he composed the score for was the 1986 film La femme secrète by Sébastien Grall. Until the end of the 1990s, he remained low-profile, composing mainly for television. His name can often be found from TV films by Gérard Marx and Laurent Heynemann. He also composed the soundtracks for Christine Pascal's 1992 film Le petit prince a dit, and Agnès Merlet's Le fils du requin in 1993.
In 1994, he met the television producer Josée Dayan, who let him write a theme for the TV series La rivière Esperance, aired on the France 2 network in autumn 1995. He worked with Dayan again with other major productions such as Le comte de Monte-Cristo, Balzac, and Les nuiteux.
The largest turning point of his career came in 1996, when he worked with directors Claude Nuridsany and Marie Pérennou of the documentary Microcosmos. This single film, which gave a great significance to the music in it, was a great success and made Coulais one of the most wanted composers of French film music. In 1997, he won the César award for the best musical score in a film, as well as a Victoire de la Musique. His reputation was confirmed by the soundtracks to Himalaya (1999) and Les rivières pourpres (2000), and after that Bruno Coulais's name was to be found on most new French blockbusters, such as Belphégor and Vidocq.
After producing the soundtrack to Winged Migration in 2001, Coulais announced that he wanted to significantly reduce his contributions to film music, and instead concentrate on other projects, such as the creation of an opera for children, and collaborations with Akhenaton, Akhenaton's group IAM and the Corsican group A Filetta, with whom he had worked since he had made the soundtrack for Jacques Weber's film Don Juan in 1998.
In 2002, his name was found on the ending credits of the animation L'enfant qui voulait être un ours, and in 2004, on Frédéric Schoendoerffer's Agents secrets. The same year, he wrote the soundtrack to the film Les choristes by Christophe Baratier, which subsequently became an international hit. The music for this film received as great praise as the film itself, and it won Coulais his third César award. Since then, Coulais's collaborations in cinema seem to be limited to works by directors with whom he already shares some history, in particular Jacques Perrin, Frédéric Schoendoerffer, and James Huth.
Bruno Coulais's musical style may vary significantly between different projects, but there are some constant factors visible: his taste for opera and for human voice (in particular that of children), for a search for original sonority, for world music and mixing different musical cultures, and finally, a certain tendency to give preference to the ambience created by lighting rather than the film's narration.
Kite
Bruno Coulais Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Volant au vent
Ne t'arrête pas
Vers la mer
Haut dans les airs
Un enfant te voit
Voyage insolent
Troubles enivrants
Suivent ta voie
Suivent ta voie
En volant
Cerf-volant
Volant au vent
Ne t'arrête pas
Vers la mer
Haut dans les airs
Un enfant te voit
Et dans la tourmente
Tes ailes triomphantes
N'oublie pas de revenir
Vers moi
The Bruno Coulais' song "Kite" is a beautiful and poetic hymn that celebrates the freedom and the wanderlust that a kite has. The lyrics capture different stages of a kite's journey, which starts from soaring high in the sky and heading towards the sea, followed by an innocent and reckless adventure that ensues it. The kite becomes a symbol of timeless joy and the wonder that comes with experiencing the beauty of nature. The connection of the kite with the child reflects the innocence and purity that the childlike heart carries, leading a joyful and carefree life being in perfect harmony with the world around them.
As the song continues, the lyrics convey the message of how the kite is a rendition of transcending boundaries and experiencing the unknown. The child watches the kite, which seems to be on its own journey of discovery, leading to joy and revelry. The kite's adventurous journey is a metaphor for leading a life of freedom, excitement, and passion, and the song hints at how the world can often be unmerciful, meaning the kite should always remember to return to the child and find its way back home.
Overall, "Kite" is a beautiful manifestation of how something that may seem trivial and insignificant can have a deeper meaning if we take the time to look closer at it. It is a reminder of how we must never stop seeking new skies and horizons in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Cerf-volant
This line simply means 'Kite' and is used as the title of the song.
Volant au vent
This line means 'flying in the wind', which talks about how the kite is soaring and moving in the wind.
Ne t'arrête pas
This line means 'don't stop', which signifies that the kite should keep flying without any pause or interruption.
Vers la mer
This line means 'towards the sea', which could be interpreted as the direction to move towards or simply as a symbol of vastness and openness.
Haut dans les airs
This line means 'high in the air', which denotes the altitude and height the kite reaches while flying.
Un enfant te voit
This line means 'a child sees you', which portrays the innocent joy and fascination a child feels while watching a kite fly.
Voyage insolent
This line means 'impertinent journey', which speaks about the daring and bold nature of the kite's flight.
Troubles enivrants
This line means 'intoxicating troubles', which could be a reference to the challenges that the kite might face while flying, but also highlighting the rush and excitement that comes with it.
Amours innocentes
This line means 'innocent loves', which could be interpreted as the pure and sincere affection a child might have towards a kite or the happiness and simplicity that the kite brings to people.
Suivent ta voie
This line means 'follow your path', which could be a message to people to find their own path and fly like a kite in their own unique way.
Suivent ta voie
This line is repeated for emphasis and reinforces the message to follow your path.
En volant
This line means 'while flying', which concludes the song with a reminder that the kite keeps flying and exploring new horizons.
Cerf-volant
This line is repeated again to end the song with the same title that started it all.
Et dans la tourmente
This line means 'and in the turmoil', which could refer to the difficulties the kite might face while flying, but also hinting at the metaphorical turbulences people might encounter in their lives.
Tes ailes triomphantes
This line means 'your triumphant wings', which could be interpreted as a sign of resilience and strength, demonstrating that the kite keeps flying even in the midst of chaos.
N'oublie pas de revenir
This line means 'don't forget to come back', which could be seen as a calling to return to one's roots or a reminder to stay grounded even when things seem to be going well.
Vers moi
This line means 'towards me', which could be a poetic way of expressing the importance of staying connected to oneself or to the people who matter.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRUNO COULAIS, CHRISTOPHE BARRATIER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gene Bard
Thank you for this. Thank you Mr. Coulais and Ms Kraulik. It was splendid.