Pierpoljak, a French reggae star who has become known as … Read Full Bio ↴Pierpoljak
Pierpoljak, a French reggae star who has become known as the White Rasta, has not always espoused Rastafarism. Far from it, in fact. The singer has followed a fairly tortuous path to fame, with many ups and downs in his personal life, before achieving his current success.
Born in Paris on 7 September 1964, Pierpoljak (whose real name is Pierre) grew up in Colombes in the Paris suburbs. Pierre was a difficult adolescent who got into all sorts of trouble and in the mid-70s he got involved in the punk/skinhead movement. It was around the same time that he took his first steps as a musician, playing bass with a local band called Samu 92. Pierre’s passion for punk eventually led to him moving to London in 1981 where he threw himself into the violent, aggressive sound of the "No future" movement. Living in a squat in Stockwell, in south-west London, Pierre gradually came to discover reggae through his Jamaican-born neighbours, listening to the likes of Desmond Dekker and Toots and the Maytals. This proved to be a big musical revelation for him.
Pierre eventually returned to France and got into trouble with the authorities, ending up serving time in Fleury-Mérogis prison. When he got out of jail, the young adventurer decided to take to the high seas, travelling round the Caribbean. Pierre signed up as a member of the crew of a cargo ship and spent the next few years sailing round the French West Indies and the Dominican Republic (an island he grew particularly fond of).
On his return to France, Pierre took up his old musical activities once again and began to make a name for himself on the Paris underground scene, performing under the pseudonym Brada Peter, then Peter Pan. He managed to get two of his earliest tracks onto the 1994 compilation "Earthquake", an album which also featured up-and-coming reggae stars such as Saï Saï and Tonton David.
Success story
By 1991, Pierre - who, by that point, had changed his stage name to Pierpoljak - was living in the countryside with a wife and child to support. He had started writing and composing his own material in his home studio and his songs soon came to the attention of a major label, Barclay, who offered him a recording contract in 1995.
1996 saw the release of Pierpoljak’s debut album, entirely recorded in the comfort of his own home. One of the songs on it, "La Music", ended up remixed by legendary reggae producer Clive Hunt and this boosted the success of Pierpoljak’s album, giving it a second lease of life. A few months later, a new version of the album was released as "En Jamaïca", featuring a number of Jamaican DJs toasting on several tracks including "Annie" and "Touriste à Babylone." Meanwhile, Pierpoljak threw a great deal of time and energy into the live circuit, performing a hectic round of concerts and appearing at the famous Transmusicales festival in Rennes in 1997.
After the experience he had acquired in the studio and on the live circuit, Pierpoljak decided the time had come to fulfill one of his oldest dreams and he flew out to record a new album in Jamaica with Clive Hunt. Working in the legendary Tuff Gong studios in Kingston Town, the French reggaeman teamed up with some of the hottest names on the local music scene including drummer Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace and guitarist Earl "China" Smith.
Pierpoljak’s second album, "Kingston Karma", released in June 1998, featured fourteen tracks with superbly-crafted lyrics. It also included an extraordinary reworking of John Lennon’s "Instant Karma", characterised by Pierpoljak’s signature vocal drawl. The first single release from the album, the catchy "Je sais pas jouer", set the tone for what was to come, proving that French reggae could finally branch out onto the musical mainstream and follow rap to the top of the charts
Pierpoljak set off on an extensive national tour in 1998, taking his infectious reggae sound up and down the country. He put in a number of appearances at major French music festivals during the tour and appeared at the Printemps de Bourges in April 1999.
After his own personal breakthrough on the French music scene, Pierpoljak embarked upon a collective project in 2000, aimed at demonstrating that Gallic reggae had now emerged in a league of its own. With a helping hand from Jamaican drummer Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace, Pierpoljak got a number of young up-and-coming reggae stars such as Flamengo, Asher, Dynamik and Mathieu Ruben together with a bunch of reggae veterans including Daddy Yod, Supa John, Daddy Mory (a former member of Raggasonic) and Pablo Master. And the whole crew went into the studio together to record "+2coeur=soleil", a personal homage to Pierpoljak’s favourite sound.
Pierpoljak returned to the studio almost immediately afterwards on his own account to begin work on his next solo album, "Je fais c’que j’veux." Once again, he headed out to Kingston, Jamaica, to work with his old friend, Clive Hunt. But he took a very different approach from his first album, arriving in Jamaica with his songs already written this time. Musically speaking, Pierpoljak’s second album was a pure reggae affair, but in terms of the lyrics "Je fais c’que j’veux" drew heavily on the singer’s own personal experiences with a number of openly autobiographical songs such as "Né dans les rues de Paris" (Born on the streets of Paris) and the first single release, "Dépareillé" (The odd one out).
This second album proved to be a huge hit, earning Pierpoljak a double gold disc in sales. But, unfortunately, the singer fell ill while he was out on the road promoting "Je fais c’que j’veux" and underwent a prolonged stay in hospital. At this point, Pierpoljak began seriously questioning whether he had any kind of future in the music business at all. Beset by doubts, he decided to take to the seas once again, setting sail from the Martinican capital Fort-de-France and stopping off at the Canaries and Cape Verde along the way. It was while enjoying another brief stop in Grenada (the Windward Islands) that Pierpoljak happened to hear a burst of local ragga playing on someone’s radio. The experience rekindled his musical spark and, after not picking up his guitar once in four months, the White Rasta was suddenly motivated to start singing and playing again.
Back in Paris, Pierpoljak surrounded himself with positive vibes and threw himself back into songwriting with a vengeance. This proved to be a highly productive period for the singer. Finally, at the beginning of 2003, Pierpoljak headed out to the Tuff Gong studios once again to begin work on a new album.
Resolutely roots
September 2003 saw the release of Pierpoljak’s fourth album, "Stim Turban." This was intended to be a resolutely authentic ‘roots’ affair with no added effects or embellishments. This time round, Pierpoljak did not work with producer Clive Hunt, but took care of everything himself (from the songwriting and the arrangements to the final mix). In the making of this fourth album, the French reggaeman worked with the ‘crème de la crème’ of Jamaican musicians, forming a band called Stim Turban - after whom this fourth album was named. Following the release of the album, "Général PK" embarked upon an intensive series of concerts and performed at a number of major French and international music festivals.
After a trip to Tahiti, Pierpoljak was invited to perform at the Reggae Donn Sa festival in Mauritius in August 2005. He returned to the Indian Ocean region in November of that year for a concert in La Réunion.
In January 2006, Pierpoljak took part in a special ‘Francophone reggae’ night organised at the Elysée-Montmartre, in Paris. On this occasion Pierpoljak shared the stage with the likes of Tonton David and the Ivorian reggae star Tiken Jah Fakoly. And he teamed up with the latter for a live version of "Si Si", a duet which featured on his album "Je blesserai personne" released in March 2006.
Working with an artistic director for the first time in his career (despite the fact that he had publicly ridiculed the profession of artistic director on his hit "J'sais pas jouer"), Pierpoljak recorded a number of new songs for his new album in France with French musicians. Then he headed off to Jamaica, where he hooked up with producer Clive Hunt once again and worked in a recording studio owned by Shaggy. Pierpoljak’s new album, "Je blesserai personne", was much more musically diverse than his previous work and less obviously formatted Kingston reggae-style. In fact, "Je blesserai personne" seemed to mark a major turning-point in the French reggae singer’s career, its release coinciding with him cutting off his dreadlocks and breaking away from his Jamaican look.
Another Pierpoljak album, entitled "Chéper", was released later that same year and sold exclusively at the singer’s concerts and via his website. Meanwhile, Pierpoljak appeared on the reggae compilation "Il est cinq heures, Kingston s'éveille" (performing his own reggae-fied version of "J'ai encore rêvé d'elle" by the group Il était une fois). He also recorded a duet with the Japanese artist Tomuya which featured on Tomuya’s album "Un Japonais à Paris" (released in March 2007).
July 2007 saw the release of "Tuff Gong Blues", an album distributed in Germany but not in France. In fact, the album was released in Germany not under Pierpoljak’s name, but under the pseudonym Pekah. The songs on the album (almost all of them in English) had been recorded around the time of "Je fais c'que j'veux" and were produced by Clive Hunt. The majority of them were written by Doniki (a singer who appeared on Pierpoljak’s first Jamaican album in 1997). "Tuff Gong Blues" featured seven duets with Jamaican artists such as Horace Andy and Anthony B as well as an interesting reworking of Dennis Brown’s reggae classic "Money In My Pocket." Coinciding with the release of "Tuff Gong Blues" in Germany, Pierpoljak performed a concert in Berlin at the end of July
Papa du week-end
Pierpoljak Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ces enfants qui nous aiment, ces tout petits coeurs qui saignent, et qui se disent déjà "j'ai pas beaucoup de chance" Loin des yeux, près du coeur.
Il n'y a pas un jour où je ne pense à toi.
Et quand arrive l'heure, de te prendre des mes bras; c'est la fête à papa.
Les papas du week-end n'ont que faire de la haine, après tant de guerres passées, ça n'a plus d'importance.
Sa petite main dans la mienne, fait briller mon soleil.
Mais quand vient le dimanche à minuit, je n'ai pas sommeil.
Loin des yeux, près du coeur.
Et quand arrive l'heure de te prendre dans mes bras, c'est la fête à papa.
Les papas du week-end, sont souvent désespérés, manquerait plus qu'ils se jettent de tout en haut d'une grue.
Les papas du week-end, pas juste des semeurs de graines.
The song "Papa du week-end" by Pierpoljak is a heartwarming ballad that paints a picture of the emotional turmoil experienced by fathers who only get to spend time with their children on weekends. The lyrics describe the sadness that these fathers feel during the week when they are separated from their kids, and the joy that they experience when they are finally reunited on the weekends or during vacations. The song captures the depth of these fathers' love for their children, even in the face of difficult circumstances.
The first verse of the song speaks to the emotional pain that these fathers experience when they are away from their children. The lyrics describe the children as "tout petits coeurs qui saignent" (tiny hearts that bleed), illustrating the deep love that they have for their dads. Even though the fathers are not physically with their children, they are always thinking about them and missing them. When the fathers finally get to spend time with their kids, it is a joyous occasion, like a "fête à papa" (daddy's party).
The second verse of the song talks about how these fathers are not interested in holding onto anger or resentment after "tant de guerres passées" (so many wars have passed). They just want to be with their children and enjoy their time together, holding their child's hand and feeling the warmth of their love. Even though the fathers may feel a sense of desperation at times, they remain committed to their children and will do whatever it takes to show them how much they are loved.
Overall, "Papa du week-end" is a touching tribute to fatherhood and the special bond between fathers and their children. The song captures the complex emotions that fathers feel when they are unable to spend time with their kids on a daily basis, and the overwhelming joy that they experience when they are finally reunited. It is a song that will resonate with anyone who has experienced the heartache of being away from their loved ones.
Line by Line Meaning
Les papas du week-end sont tristes la semaine, et retrouve le sourire la moitié des vacances.
Fathers who only see their children on the weekends are sad during the week and smile only half the time during holidays.
Ces enfants qui nous aiment, ces tout petits coeurs qui saignent, et qui se disent déjà "j'ai pas beaucoup de chance" Loin des yeux, près du coeur.
These children who love us, these little hearts that bleed, and who already say to themselves "I don't have much luck" - Far from sight, close to the heart.
Il n'y a pas un jour où je ne pense à toi. Et quand arrive l'heure, de te prendre des mes bras; c'est la fête à papa.
There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of you. And when the time comes to take you in my arms, it's a dad's celebration.
Les papas du week-end n'ont que faire de la haine, après tant de guerres passées, ça n'a plus d'importance.
Weekend dads have no concern for hatred, after so many past wars, it no longer matters.
Sa petite main dans la mienne, fait briller mon soleil. Mais quand vient le dimanche à minuit, je n'ai pas sommeil.
Her little hand in mine makes my sun shine. But when Sunday midnight rolls around, I can't sleep.
Loin des yeux, près du coeur. Il n'y a pas un jour où je ne pense à toi. Et quand arrive l'heure de te prendre dans mes bras, c'est la fête à papa.
Far from sight, close to the heart. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of you. And when the time comes to take you in my arms, it's a dad's celebration.
Les papas du week-end, sont souvent désespérés, manquerait plus qu'ils se jettent de tout en haut d'une grue.
Weekend dads are often desperate, it would be worse if they threw themselves from the top of a crane.
Les papas du week-end, pas juste des semeurs de graines.
Weekend dads are not just seed planters.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bubuj3803
Force a tous les papas du week-end ✊🏼 et merci pour tout nos grands-parents qui eux ont su surmonter les problèmes et être ensemble jusqu'au dernier souffle ! Au jour d'aujourd'hui en un claquement de doigt tout se termine.. monde éphémère ou plus rien ne compte et du chaqun pour soit...
@kayarun7521
Force également à toutes Les mamans qui lâches rien pour leurs enfants 👊💪🌹
@MrChristion03
magnifique morceaux !! ça met la larme à l'oeil ,un chef d'oeuvre....
@yliamlerude
Christian Wilk : c'est vrai !
@ironmanstark6444
Même si maman nous empêche de vous voir elle ne pourra jamais m' empêcher de vous aimé ! Je vous aiment mes petits trésors
@splaylisten6839
Bon bah j'ai pas tenu ma virilité longtemps... Chanson magnifique, droit au coeur.
@martius1974
Que de vérités, une réalité qu'il faut qu'on accuse. Les pères qui en font de plus en plus aujourd'hui et qui n'ont toujours pas de reconnaissance au niveau sociale. On parle d'égalité des sexes mais sur ce point encore beaucoup d'efforts sont à fournir!
@fabricedubois4202
chanson terrible qui retrace exactement la vie dun papa du weekend .ils devraient revoir leur jugement et arrêté de créer leur désordre sentimental !!
@fabricedubois4202
chanson terrible qui retrace exactement la vie dun papa du weekend .ils devraient revoir leur jugement et arrêté de créer leur désordre sentimental !!
@liliancalvez
tout a fait d accord avec toi , l egalité oui mais une vrai egalité pour tout et pour nous ca passe par une équité pour la garde de nos enfants , mais aujourd hui si tu n es qu un papa tu n a pratiquement aucune chance d avoir la garde sauf si sa mere veu te les laisser ...