Leroy's parents left Saint-Renan when she was four years old. After living in Paris, Lille, and Guingamp, her mother, Murielle, and her younger sister, Kay, settled with Leroy's grandparents in Saint-Yorre. Her mother divorced from her father, professional footballer Jean-Luc Le Magueresse, in 1993.
Nolwenn studied at the "Collège des Célestins" in Vichy. When Leroy was eleven, her music teacher noticed her musical talents and encouraged her to learn the violin. At the age of thirteen she won "Les écoles du désert", a contest sponsored by the Cora supermarket chain, which allowed her to travel with a humanitarian mission from Gao to Timbuktu, Mali; she later claimed this had a profound influence on her.
In July 1998, Leroy was awarded a scholarship by the Vichy Rotary Club to travel to Hamilton, Ohio, as an exchange student. While attending Hamilton High School, she took music lessons at the Performing Arts School and became fluent in English during her stay there.
When she returned to France, she began classical singing classes at the Vichy music conservatory.
In 2001, she enrolled in the University of Clermont-Ferrand to study law for a potential alternative career to music.
2002: Star Academy
After watching the first series of the television reality show, Star Academy, in 2001, Leroy was impressed by Armande Altaï, one of the show's judges, and decided to join Altaï's singing classes.[citation needed] In 2002, Nolwenn was selected for the second season of the show. She was declared the overall winner, ahead of her fellow finalist, Houcine,in December 2002.
2003–2004: Eponymous debut album
Leroy's first album, Nolwenn, was released in March 2003 and was certified platinum by November for sales exceeding 600,000 copies. In 2006, the album was certified two times platinum by the Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique for more than 800,000 copies sold. Four songs from the album, "Cassé", "Une Femme cachée", "Suivre une étoile" and "Inévitablement" were released as singles. Leroy went on tour in France, Belgium and Switzerland in late 2003 to promote songs from the album.
2005–2008: Histoires Naturelles
Leroy's second album, Histoires Naturelles, was produced by Laurent Voulzy. Five singles were released from the album. "Nolwenn Ohwo!", written by Alain Souchon and Voulzy, topped the French music charts.[7] The second single was the title track, "Histoire Naturelle". Music videos were made for both songs; the video for "Histoire Naturelle" expressed the main theme of the album with Leroy being portrayed as natural history museum exhibits. Of the other single releases, "Mon Ange" was distributed digitally while "J'aimais tant l'aimer" and "Reste Encore" were promotional-only. Songs from Histoires Naturelles and Nolwenn were performed on Leroy's second tour entitled "Histoires Naturelles Tour", which started in September 2006. Leroy's first live album was subsequently released in late October 2007.
2009–2010: Le Cheshire Cat & Moi
Le Cheshire Cat & Moi was a project that began in 2007, co-written by Leroy and Teitur Lassen, with contributions from Jonatha Brooke, Michelle Featherstone, Mike Errico and Rupert Hine. It was arranged and produced by Lassen, and recorded in Sweden and the Faroe Islands. Leroy was observed to feature "a lighter sound than on previous releases"and the album gave the opportunity for her to write all the lyrics.The album was released in December 2009. A tour entitled "Le Cheshire Cat & Vous" to promote the record was held in 2010.
2010–2012: Bretonne
Leroy performing at the 2010 Francofolies in Spa (Belgium).
Leroy released a fourth studio album, Bretonne, on 6 December 2010. Cover versions of traditional celtic songs such as "Mná na h-Éireann", and contemporary songs such as Christophe Miossec's "Brest" were included on the album. Most of the songs related to Brittany, the singer's birthplace, four sung in Breton. Leroy collaborated with Jon Kelly for the musical arrangements. The album topped the French album charts for 9 weeks.
The album was re-released in November 2011 as a Deluxe Edition which added 7 English language tracks, including "Amazing Grace", "Scarborough Fair" and two Mike Oldfield tracks, "Moonlight Shadow" and "To France".
2012–present: Ô Filles de l'Eau
Nolwenn Leroy will release her new album on the 26th of November 2012. In December 2012, as it sold more than 300,000 albums Ô Filles de l'Eau.
Leroy's music was studied for its neurological impact in geriatric populations. Researchers found that Leroy's recordings might have a more beneficial effect than other music, noting that: "the music of Nolwenn Leroy was found to be significantly superior to other music tested". To describe the phenomenon they coined the term the Nolwenn Effect, saying: "the music of Nolwenn Leroy appears to have a different effect on brain-based modulation of gait and stance than other music tested to date".
Mozart and Dutch and French singers were tested; only Mozart and Leroy's music were specified. The U.S. study was completed in February 2008, but no substantial results appear to be published
Endormie
Nolwenn Leroy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Paroles et musique : Julien Voulzy
Je le ferai
Je t' attacherai tout près de moi
Je te ferai voir le monde entier
En chemin, on toucherait
Les étoiles
En sucré d' orge
Étoffé de soie
Que l' on pourrait se partager
Et pour ne rien changer
Refrain
Endormie
Je ferai tomber les murs
Même endormie
L' amour donne un sens
A ma vie
Et mes nuits sont bien
Plus belles aujourd'hui
Et mon coeur bat même
Endormie
Sans le dire
On sent une force
Émaner de toi
Es-tu roi dans
Le monde entier?
Car rien n' est et
Ne se fait sans toi
J' avancerai
Les yeux fermés
Si tu veux de moi
Je veux croire que
Rien n' est figé
Et pour te le prouver
Refrain
The song "Endormie" by Nolwenn Leroy is a beautiful love song that speaks of the depth and power of love. The lyrics are about the singer's commitment to her lover, whom she promises to keep close to her heart and show the world. She talks about a journey together where they would touch the stars, and share a garden made of gold and silk. The chorus speaks of how love can break down walls and give meaning to life even in sleep. The singer says that her nights are more beautiful and her heart beats even in slumber.
The second verse talks about the power that the lover radiates and how everything revolves around him. The singer feels that she can move forward with her eyes closed as long as she has her lover with her. She wants to believe that nothing is set in stone and that she can prove it to her lover.
Overall, the song is an ode to the transformative power of love. The singer promises to never let go of her lover and to make their journey together magical and unforgettable. The lyrics showcase the trust and commitment that a true love entails and how love has the power to make everything beautiful.
Line by Line Meaning
Je le ferai
I will do it.
Je t' attacherai tout près de moi
I will tie you close to me.
Je te ferai voir le monde entier
I will show you the whole world.
En chemin, on toucherait
Along the way, we would touch.
Les étoiles
The stars.
Un jardin
A garden.
En sucré d'orge
With barley sugar.
Étoffé de soie
Lined with silk.
Que l' on pourrait se partager
That we could share.
Et pour ne rien changer
And to not change anything.
Endormie
Asleep.
Je ferai tomber les murs
I will make the walls fall.
Même endormie
Even when asleep.
L' amour donne un sens
Love gives meaning.
A ma vie
To my life.
Et mes nuits sont bien
Plus belles aujourd'hui
And my nights are much more beautiful today.
Et mon coeur bat même
Endormie
And my heart beats even when asleep.
Sans le dire
Without saying it.
On sent une force
One can feel a force.
Émaner de toi
Emanating from you.
Es-tu roi dans
Le monde entier?
Are you a king in the whole world?
Car rien n' est et
Ne se fait sans toi
For nothing is and nothing is done without you.
J' avancerai
I will move forward.
Les yeux fermés
With eyes closed.
Si tu veux de moi
If you want me.
Je veux croire que
Rien n' est figé
I want to believe that nothing is set in stone.
Et pour te le prouver
And to prove it to you.
Refrain
Chorus.
Contributed by Caroline O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.