1. A French… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least seven artists using the name Niagara:
1. A French duo active from the early 1980s until the early 1990s
2. A Portuguese electronic trio releasing on the Lisbon labels Príncipe and Ascender.
3. A German jazz/funk-percussion group active in the early 1970s
4. A Ukrainian group
5. A Spanish hard rock band
6. The pseudonym of Lynn Rovner, who was the lead singer in the 1970s experimental band Destroy All Monsters.
7. An Italian progressive rock band
1. The French Niagara, who emerged from the thriving pop'n'rock scene in Rennes (France) in the early 80s, went on to become one of the best-selling duos of the decade. However, after years of chart hits and successful international tours, the duo finally went their separate ways in 1993. Muriel and Daniel have both launched solo projects, but these have failed to live up to the success of the Niagara years.
In the early 80s Rennes, a lively student town in Brittany, was the scene of a veritable music revolution. In 1982 Muriel met Daniel Chenevez, a talented young amateur musician who, after a brief spell studying sociology, had also launched a serious music career. Chenevez, who played guitar and keyboards, also kept up with all the latest music technology, experimenting with synthesisers and videos right from the beginning of his career.
Daniel and Muriel went on to start a relationship and would later get married, Muriel taking the name Muriel Moreno. Around the same time the pair decided to become musical partners, teaming up as a duo under the name Ombre jaune (Yellow Shadow). Daniel and Muriel made their public debut at the "Trans Musicales" festival in December 1982 and soon went on to make a name for themselves on the thriving Rennes scene, playing in clubs and concert halls throughout the Brittany region.
In February 1984 the duo changed their name to Niagara and the following year the cultural centre in Rennes offered to finance the release of singles for four local artists. Niagara was one of the lucky four chosen and the duo went into the studio shortly afterwards to record the single "Tchiki Boum", which proved an instant hit with record-buyers and within a few weeks of its release, Niagara went shooting into the Top 50, and many more hits were soon to follow.
Muriel and Daniel made a perfect duo - Muriel, definitely the more extrovert and flamboyant of the two, made a great frontwoman, dressing up in sexy Barbarella-style stage costumes and charming audiences with her sultry vocals. Meanwhile Daniel, the more shy and reserved of the duo, took a back seat during performances. As for the Niagara sound, this was produced through a fusion of sweet, carefree pop melodies and Afro-Cuban, funk and soul rhythms.
In 1986 the pair released their debut album, "Encore un premier baiser", scoring another huge hit with the French public. Videos were all the rage in the mid-80s and Niagara came up with consistently good visuals, Chenevez stepping behind the camera to produce the videos for "L'amour a la plage" and "Je dois m'en aller".
In 1988 Niagara were back at the forefront of the French music scene with their second album, "Quel enfer" (What a Hell). This album marked a definite shift in Niagara's image and their musical direction, a chang from a riot of multi-coloured psychedelia to black. Fans appeared to appreciate this change of style, however, and "Assez !" soon went rocketing to the top of the charts and proved a big hit in clubs up and down the country. By this point Niagara were at the height of their career and, shortly after the release of their second album, they set off on an extensive tour sponsored by MTV. Accompanied by a dozen musicians in their tour bus, Muriel and Daniel played to audiences in fifteen different countries over the next five months.
In April 1990 the duo returned to the spotlight with their third album "Religion", mixing hard rock with catchy pop melodies. Muriel's stage outfits changed accordingly, the sultry star appearing in concert dressed in full leather gear. Niagara's new image was supported by aggressive vocals and hard-hitting lyrics and new songs included "Pendant que les champs brulent" (While Fields Are Burning), "le Ciel s'est dechire" (The Sky Ripped In Two) and "Chemin de Croix" (Stations of the Cross). The group's new single "J'ai vu" (I Have Seen) was a powerful track about war.
By 1992 the Niagara craze was beginning to subside. Muriel and Daniel's relationship came to an end, but they decided to continue working together in their professional life. Recording kicked off in the ICP studio in Brussels (where Niagara had recorded their last three albums) and finished up in New York in August in the Electric Ladyland Studio. "La Vérité" was the biggest production of Niagara's career - in fact, no less than forty-five musicians worked in the studio with the duo. But this time round Niagara's rock sound failed to impress either the critics or the record-buying public.
On 25 March 1993 Niagara performed at Le Zénith in Paris, but later that year Muriel and Daniel finally decided to go their separate ways.
Subsequently, Moreno and Chenevez went on to put out a series of individual solo albums, none of which managed to achieve the same success as the Niagara records. Muriel experimented with electronic influences, Chenevez was also busy in the studio, working on his debut solo album, "Excentrique", released in 1996, which made as little impact as Muriel's solo album, however, neither the critics nor the record-buying public taking much interest in it.
Meanwhile, a compilation of the duo's greatest hits was released on 9 April 2002. Entitled "Flammes", the album proved a huge hit with the French public. Indeed, burgeoning sales meant the album went gold within two months of its release. But Muriel and Daniel refused to come out of Niagara "retirement" and promote their greatest hits compilation - as far as the duo are concerned their Niagara days are well and truly over.
2. Niagara is a Portuguese electronic trio releasing music on the Lisbon labels Príncipe and Ascender, the latter being their own imprint. Its members are Alberto Arruda, António Arruda and Sara Eckerson. They also record as Novo Mundo.
3. The German jazz/funk-percussion group, Niagara, existing between 1971-1973. The group featured artists including, on percussion: Klaus Weiss, Udo Lindenberg, Cotch Blackmon, Keith Forsey, Juan Romero, Danny Fichelscher, Joe Harris, George Green; on bass: Gary Unwin, Milan Pilar; on guitar: Paul Vincent; on horns: Ack van Royen; on sax & flute: Ferdinand Povel; on keyboard: Christian Schulze. They produced three albums: Niagara (1971), S.U.B. (1972) and Afire (1973). It is extremely difficult to find more information on the project, even in the official biographies of Klaus Weiss and Udo Lindenberg.
Seal
Niagara Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nothing rains but feeling smashed
Always at home, sweet home
lemons road in sugar tips
Always at home, sweet home
my cat is in love with a rat
and summer is gone
a fairy song has to play
going away you've been, too
basses starts to medicate
going away you've been, too
my eyes are telling you those lies
filled with the rain assasinations giants bloddy pools
going away you've been, too
and summer is gone
with all the love around
here sunset lights
am i on board?
here all around
here all around
here sunset lights
am i on board?
here all around
here all around
The lyrics of Niagara's song "Seal" are relatively abstract and open to interpretation. However, the general theme seems to center on feelings of being trapped, stuck in a cyclical routine, and lamenting the loss of love and the carefree days of summer. The repeated phrase "always at home, sweet home" is juxtaposed with descriptions of rats and smashed feelings, suggesting that perhaps the home represents a less than ideal or even toxic environment.
The lines "lemons road in sugar tips" and "fairy song has to play" invoke a sense of whimsy and a dreamlike state, which could represent a desire to escape and find something more magical or fulfilling. However, despite this yearning, the singer seems resigned to their situation- "nothing rains" and "my eyes are telling you those lies" suggest a sense of acceptance or even apathy towards their predicament.
In the final stanza, the imagery shifts to a sunset and the question "am I on board?," suggesting that perhaps the singer is questioning their place in the world and whether they are actively participating in their own life. The repetition of "here all around" implies a sense of stagnation or feeling stuck in one place.
Overall, the lyrics of "Seal" evoke a dreamlike, surreal state, but also convey the frustration and apathy that can come with feeling trapped in one's circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
Always at home, sweet home
I feel comfortable and secure in my own space.
Nothing rains but feeling smashed
I only experience negative emotions and feel defeated.
lemons road in sugar tips
There is sweetness in life, even if it's mixed with sourness.
my cat is in love with a rat
Even unlikely pairs can find love.
and summer is gone
A happy, carefree time has ended.
with all the love around
Despite the passing of good times, there is still love in my life.
a fairy song has to play
A whimsical, magical tune must be heard.
going away you've been, too
Someone important to me has left.
basses starts to medicate
The music is so powerful it can heal me.
my eyes are telling you those lies
I'm trying to hold onto a sense of normalcy, even if it means being dishonest.
filled with the rain assasinations giants bloddy pools
My thoughts are overwhelmed with dark, violent imagery.
here sunset lights
This moment is beautiful and peaceful.
am i on board?
I question whether I am fully present or engaged in my own life.
here all around
I am surrounded by the present moment.
here sunset lights
The beauty of this moment is particularly striking.
am i on board?
I am struggling to fully immerse myself in this moment.
here all around
The present moment is all-encompassing.
Contributed by Leo E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
s0xynette
Amazing song !
Kurtz1974
Ottimo lavoro ragazzi!
S.V
GRANDI!
Complimenti da Palermo!
Alessandro Sozzi
Great song and great video!!!
Demikel1
sublimi!! Vi ho visto questa estate all'Ypsig, veramente bravi
roberto bolognesi
quando la fantasia supera gli effetti speciali e vince 10 a 0, bel video
Frankie Dep
BELLISSIMA!
Kurtz1974
Che dire, rimango sempre affascinato dal questo video
marian alice
bellissimo il brano
Serj
davvero bella questa canzone