Il a fait partie du groupe musical québécois Beau Dommage et poursuit une carrière solo.
Discographie
* 1977 : Méfiez-vous du grand amour
* 1979 : De Longueuil à Berlin
* 1983 : Sauvage
* 1985 : Bonsoir, mon nom est Michel Rivard et voici mon album double
* 1987 : Un trou dans les nuages
* 1989 : Michel Rivard
* 1992 : Le Goût de l'eau... et autres chansons naïves
* 1998 : Maudit Bonheur
* 2004 : Bonsoir... mon nom est toujours Michel Rivard et voici mon album quadruple (en spectacle intime...)
* 2004 : Simple
* 2006 : Confiance
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Michel Rivard (born September 27, 1951), is a singer-songwriter and musician from Quebec. He was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. His father was an actor, Robert Rivard. Michel began his career at an early age appearing in a Canadian television series (Rue des Pignons) and in TV commercials.
Rivard's career as a writer and composer began in earnest when he became a member of the theatrical group Quenouille Bleue, established in 1970. Later, he became a member of Théâtre Sainfoin, when it was founded in 1973.
Beau Dommage and beyond
Four years later, in 1974, Rivard and other members of Théâtre Sainfoin, formed the group Beau Dommage (an old Québécois expression meaning "certainly" or "damn right"). Rivard wrote and composed for Beau Dommage.
Beau Dommage became a very popular group, and as a result of his songwriting ability Rivard's popularity increase as well. Perhaps his most popular song from this era is "La complainte du phoque en Alaska". Although Beau Dommage disbanded in 1978, there were reunion concerts in 1984 and 1994, both of which Rivard participated in. Characteristic of Rivard's creative energy, he also put out his first solo album in 1977, Méfiez-vous du grand amour.
In 1978, as a sign of his increased prestige, Michel opened for Maxime Forestier and was accompanist for Forestier at the Olympia in Paris. Although an unlikely pairing, it resulted in a continued friendship. Rivard released his second LP, De Longueuil à Berlin, in 1979; that year also marked the beginning of Rivard's appearance in a series of concerts in Paris.
The 1980s
The following years saw Rivard involved in various collaborations, including film collaborations. These film collaborations included roles in Les Enfants de Kennedy, and Maria Chapdelaine. He also wrote scores for films, such as André Melançon's L'Espace d'un été, and Jean-Michel Ribes's Rien ne va plus. He also acted playing the lead Yves Simoneau's Pourquoi M. Zolock s'intéresse-t-il tant à la bande dessinée? (Why is Mr. Zolock so interested in Comic Strips?) (1982). He joined the LNI (Ligue nationale d'improvisation [National Improvisation League]) in 1980 and performed for several years. Not wanting to miss an opportunity for some political humour, Rivard was a candidate for the satirical Rhinoceros Party of Canada in 1980 when he ran against former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.
He returned to music in 1983 with the release of his third LP, Sauvage. This LP included "Schefferville, le dernier train", a tune that became quite popular and which was written for the film Le Dernier glacier. (Rivard also acted in this film). Rivard made a music video of another song on Sauvage: "Rumeurs sur la ville". It was directed by Louis Saia and André Gagnon and won the Félix Video Clip of the Year for 1985 – awarded at the ADISQ (Association du disque, de l'industrie du spectacle québécois et de la vidéo) award ceremonies.
During this time Rivard toured Quebec. He released a fourth LP, called Bonsoir... Mon nom est Michel Rivard et voici mon album double. This was a live recording made during his 1983–84 concerts. These live show recordings display his adeptness at comic improvisation as well as his musical creativity.
In December 1988 Rivard played the Convocation Hall in Toronto, Ontario. It was the first time in ten years that a Québécois sang in French there. Rivard continued to garner awards: In 1988 he won two more Félix awards "Concert of the Year" and "Male Singer of the Year." He also participated in concerts supporting political and humanitarian issues, among them: the Amnesty International concert "Human Rights Now!" along with Youssou N'Dour, Tracy Chapman, Bruce Springsteen, and others.
What was to become his most popular album, Un trou dans les nuages was issued in late 1987. It included songs that would be enduring hits for him: "Ma blonde et les poissons", "Libérer le trésor", "Je voudrais voir la mer", "Le privé", and "Un trou dans les nuages". Rivard received many awards for this album including the Charles-Cros Academie International Grand Prize.
Rivard released another album in 1989, Michel Rivard a compilation of greatest hits. He continued to perform concerts in Canada and Europe.
The 1990s
Rivard's seventh album Le goût de l'eau…et autres chansons naïves came out in 1992. It too became another award winning album for him and in 1993 Rivard performed at the Olympia theatre in Paris.
At this point in time Rivard's prominence as a creative musician and poetic lyricist with a broad humanitarian vision put him on a par with the two great performers of a previous Québécois generation, Gilles Vigneault and Félix Leclerc. Rivard's "Complainte du phoque en Alaska"' was one of the few songs recorded by Leclerc that Leclerc did not write himself. Rivard also shares with those two men, though more moderately, a concern and interest in Quebec's nationalist aspirations.
In 1998, Rivard released the haunting and personal Maudit Bonheur.
He had his own variety television show, Studio TV5, for a couple of years, where he invited musicians, songwriters, and singers that he enjoyed performing with and jammed with them.
[edit] The 2000s
Rivard's concert career continues and he also continues to perform in theatre. In 2002 his album Simple (a live concert album) came out, and in 2004 Bonsoir…mon nom est toujours Michel Rivard et voici mon album quadruple came out.
On August 5, 2007 Rivard performed the last show at the Montreal Spectrum. He had been the only act to perform over one hundred concerts at the venue.
Ma belle amour
Michel Rivard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Si ce soi je ne chante pas pour toi
Mon amour, pardonne-moi
Si y a des feuilles qui tremblent
dans le son de ma voix
L'univers entier me fait défaut
Si y avait juste une affaire que j'comprenais
J't'appellerais pour te l'dire aussitôt
Ma belle amour, y a des jours
Où je me sens si lourd,
où je me sens si laid
Ma belle amour, y a des jours
Où la planète m'apparaît
comme un gros boulet
Y a des jours où j'partira is
Comme on part
quand on a l'casque plein jusqu'au bord
Mais n'aies pas peur
A s G#m oir chus juste pas d'bonne humeur
Y a des gr G#m ands oiseaux noirs
qui m'chatouillent le coeu
Oh! mon amour, entre nous
Quand le soleil se cache,
quand il nous joue des tours
Ma belle amour, entre nous
Y a comme des terrains vagues
et des flaq Fues de boue
Y a des salles de danse abandonnées
Y a des romans fleuves
et des rivières qui gèlent
Y a d'la glace qui cra que sous nos pieds
Ma belle amour même si je sais
Que c'qui nous lie est plus grand
que le temps qui court
Ma belle amour même si je sais
Que c'qui nous lie est grand
et grandit Ftoujours
In Michel Rivard's song "Ma belle amour," the singer begins by asking for forgiveness from his beloved if he fails to sing for her. He explains that sometimes his voice trembles, causing leaves to shake. He goes further to state that the entire universe seems to fail him, and there is hardly any understanding of anything. Even if he knew one thing, he would call her immediately to share with her. Then, the singer goes on to say that he feels heavy and ugly on some days, and the world appears like a gigantic burden. He feels like leaving when his head is clogged up. But he tells his beloved not to worry, for he’s having a terrible mood. Then he highlights that there are large black birds that tickle his heart.
The singer goes on to paint a picture of their relationship, saying that when the sun disappears, they both wander through vacant lots and muddy puddles. There are abandoned dance halls and long novels, and the rivers freeze along with the ice that cracks beneath their feet. Nevertheless, the singer knows that their connection is more significant than the fleeing time. The relationship between the singer and his beloved is not immune to struggles, but his love runs deep, and he believes that it will keep growing forever.
Line by Line Meaning
Mon amour, pardonne moi
My love, forgive me
Si ce soi je ne chante pas pour toi
If tonight I do not sing for you
Si y a des feuilles qui tremblent dans le son de ma voix
If there are leaves that tremble in the sound of my voice
L'univers entier me fait défaut
The whole universe fails me
Si y avait juste une affaire que j'comprenais
If there was just one thing I understood
J't'appellerais pour te l'dire aussitôt
I would call you to tell you right away
Ma belle amour, y a des jours
My beautiful love, there are days
Où je me sens si lourd, où je me sens si laid
Where I feel so heavy, where I feel so ugly
Où la planète m'apparaît comme un gros boulet
Where the planet appears to me like a big burden
Y a des jours où j'partirais comme on part quand on a l'casque plein jusqu'au bord
There are days when I would leave like one leaves when they have their helmet full to the brim
Mais n'aies pas peur A s G#m oir chus juste pas d'bonne humeur
But don't be afraid, tonight I'm just not in a good mood
Y a des grands oiseaux noirs qui m'chatouillent le coeur
There are big black birds that tickle my heart
Oh! mon amour, entre nous
Oh! my love, between us
Quand le soleil se cache, quand il nous joue des tours
When the sun hides, when it plays tricks on us
Ma belle amour, entre nous
My beautiful love, between us
Y a comme des terrains vagues et des flaques de boue
There are empty lots and puddles of mud
Y a des salles de danse abandonnées
There are abandoned dance halls
Y a des romans fleuves et des rivières qui gèlent
There are sprawling novels and freezing rivers
Y a d'la glace qui cra que sous nos pieds
There is ice cracking under our feet
Ma belle amour même si je sais
My beautiful love even if I know
Que c'qui nous lie est plus grand que le temps qui court
That what binds us is greater than the passing of time
Ma belle amour même si je sais que c'qui nous lie est grand et grandit toujours
My beautiful love even if I know that what binds us is great and always growing
Contributed by Maria F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.