Pascal of Bollywood

Pascal of Bollywood (born Pascal Heni in 1963) is a French actor and singer who gained fame in India as the first Westerner to reinterpret the songs of Indian cinema in Hindi, Tamil and Bengali.[1] He is best known for his Hindi and French cover of Edith Piaf's La Vie en rose.

Pascal of Bollywood
Pascal of Bollywood at Tharangambadi- Tamil Nadu, India
Background information
Birth namePascal Heni
Born1963
Batignolles, Paris, France
GenresBollywood music
Years active1990–present

Biography

Pascal Heni was born in Paris in 1963 into a family of pied-noirs.[2] His artistic career began at the age of 15 years with courses in drama and theater. While traveling in Malaysia in 1987 he heard the Hindi song "Zindagi Ek Safar Hai Suhana" from the film Andaz and became fascinated with Bollywood music. Upon his return to France he began studying Indian languages and emulating the style of Kishore Kumar, his favorite singer.[3]

In 2001, he went to India where he sang the popular Indian standard repertoire of the 1950s through the 1970s and embarked on an India-wide concert tour. He recorded his first album with a large Bollywood orchestra in Bombay. Indian composer Pyarelal Sharma of the Laxmikant Pyarelal duo, served as the musical director for the resulting album, Pascal of Bollywood. It was released by Naïve Records in France in October 2004 and was followed by numerous concerts around the world.

The "Frenchman", as The Times of India nicknamed him, returned to Europe on tour to introduce Bollywood music to the West. He has contributed greatly to the growth of Bollywood in France and Europe.

In 2009, Pascal Heni released a French-language album entitled Retour au nom de jeune homme. The music was composed by himself and arranged by three young Indian musicians, Dominique Blanc-Francard and Pyarelal.

Personal life

Heni has been in a relationship with French botanist Patrick Blanc since 1985.[4][5]

Discography

Albums
  • 1990 N'êtes pas très bavard ce soir
  • 1993 La vie c'est mouvant
  • 1997 Casino des Trépassés
  • 1998 Paradiso, canto XXXIII
  • 2000 Hôtel de Bondeville
  • 2002 Concerts Evolutifs
  • 2003 Zindagi ek safar hai suhana
  • 2004 Pascal of Bollywood
  • 2005 Les Amours Jaunes
  • 2007 Folies Musicales
  • 2009 Retour au nom de jeune homme
  • 2010 Pascal of Massilia
  • 2011 Purgatorio, canto XVII
  • 2011 An Evening in Paris Remix

Compilation albums
  • 2004 Indomania by Béatrice Ardisson (France)
  • 2005 The Best Of by Claude Challe (France)
  • 2005 High Society, Amor (Italy)
  • 2006 City Hippy by Pathaan (England)
  • 2007 Francophonic GM record (Poland)
  • 2007 Musique fantastique by DJ Guuzbourg (Netherlands)
  • 2007 Pieprz i Wanilia by Stanisław Trzciński (Poland)
  • 2008 Various Kampengrooves 2 (Germany)
  • 2008 Cafe Latino Vol. 6 a Special Night Lounge
  • 2009 Love from Jaipur by Béatrice Ardisson (France)
  • 2011 Original Chill Lounge Session
  • 2013 Montecarlo Nights New Classics Vol.6 (Italy)
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References
  1. Iain Millar (9 August 2006). "Asian Culture Is Celebrated". Bloomberg. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  2. "Pascal of Bollywood". RFI (in French). November 11, 2004. Retrieved September 19, 2012.
  3. Torcato, Ronita (22 May 2005). "A Frenchman in Bollywood". Times of India. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  4. Hohenadel, Kristin (3 May 2007). "All His Rooms Are Living Rooms". New York Times.
  5. Quinn, Karl (18 July 2008). "Blanc Canvas". The Age.
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