Manu Le Prince - . . . Bio . . .

BIO
Rocked by the jazz of her childhood (her English mother used to sing her "cheek to cheek" to help her sleep !), Manu started to sing in London when she was nineteen years old.
Back in France, Manu sings with several bands, "Magma", the famous French jazz-rock setup of the legendary Christian Vander, or as solo /soprano vocalist with Urban Sax at "le Sommet de Versailles" broadcast in Eurovision. She also sided with french star singer Bernard Lavilliers at the Olympia in Paris, and also performs as the singer of "Boto e Novos Tempos" band, as part of the big "Brasil Stars" show with Chico Buarque, Vinicius Cantuaria etc. From then on she creates her own band, and after a long stay in Brazil and her first son's birth, Manu works on developing her own musical style with original work, writing songs with Daniel Goyone, Francis Lockwood, and finally records her album AGORA (1991). ON her second stay in Brazil she meets her wonderful friends Hermeto Pascoal, Robertinho Silva and others, and in Paris the great trombonist Raul de Souza. Totally in love from then on with brazilian music, Manu sings mostly bossa nova in France, Europe and Brazil.
Between 1992 and 1996, Manu performes with the big Band "Mister Bouff" all around France in large brazilian events and Carnivals.
Bresil Sur Scene" : during all the year 1998 Manu organizes and also takes part of many Brazilian shows, with famous special guests of Paris or renowned brazilian musicians passing through Paris on the Six / Huit Club on a boat in St Michel (Paris's "quartier latin")
In June 98 Manu Le Prince is selected by the state transport authority RATP to represent Brazil for the World Cup in four big shows at the Place de la Concorde in Paris.
In march 98, she goes on her second tour in Brazil across all the state of Sao Paulo in several Since then, Manu performs in Brazil every year.

2003 / 2005 EVENTS :

Manu starts 2003 with a short Tour in Brazil through February and March (Brasilia, Rio and Sao Paulo), shortly followed by the Antalya (Turkey) Jazz Festival, with Raul de Souza (June 2003), and a short stay in Lebanon four concerts in one of Beyrout's most outstanding Clubs, the BO 18. Since 2003 Manu also teaches Master Classes in jazz music schools, like the Bill Evans Piano Academy in Paris. In September 2003, She records her new album Madrugada in Paris and Rio de Janeiro. Stylistically at the crossroads between Jazz and brazilian music, it features some famous standard songs arranged in her unique way as well as some original compositions, recorded with her current : Francis Lockwood (piano), Carlos Werneck (bass), Tatau Caetano (drums) and Cacau de Queiroz (flute and saxophone).

Manu also invited on her album many of her numerous friends, featuring notably as special guests, Raul de Souza (trombone), Stephane Belmondo (flugelhorn), Luiz Carlos de Paula & Robertinho Silva (percussions) etc. Last but not least the great Hermeto Pascoal himself plays on the album a piano duet "Coraçao", and Manu also wrote lyrics on his famous tune "Bebê". Celebrating the album release, an important showcase is organized at the Latina Cafe on the Champs Elysees, featuring much of the musicians involved in the recording (October 2003). This event is shortly followed by guest appearances in several radio shows, notably a live performance in the famous program "Le Fou du Roi", on the main French national public radio "France Inter". As one of the twelve most programmed artists on Paris's main private jazz radio "TSF", she is invited in December to perform live at the TSF Jazz Festival in Paris's renowned "New Morning" jazz venue.

All these events are followed by several concerts and festivals. One of Manu's original song on the album, "E bom", co-written with Francis Lockwood, is selected by Air France and broadcast on all long courier flights throughout November 2004.
In February 2006 the MADRUGADA album undergoes a change in distribution and is re-released through the well known french record label NOCTURNE, with a whole new artwork and featuring an extra track, a really original version of the mythical song Nature Boy.