Calogero

Biography

Calogero Joseph Salvatore Maurici (born 30 July 1971), known mononymously as Calogero (French: [kalɔʒɛʁo]; Italian: [kaˈlɔːdʒero]), is a French singer.

Early life

Calogero was born in Échirolles, Isère, to Sicilian-born Italian parents from Sommatino, Caltanissetta, Sicily.

Early years

By the age of six, Calogero had already taken an interest in music. He quickly learned to play several instruments, including the flute, piano, and bass

As part of Les Charts

In 1986 he became the lead singer and songwriter for a band called Les Charts he started with his brother, Gioacchino Maurici, and a childhood friend, Francis Maggiulli. Between 1989 and 1997, Les Charts released five albums, L'Océan sans fond (1989), Notre monde à nous (1991), Hannibal (1994), Acte 1 (1995), their most successful charting album, and Changer (1997).

Solo career

As the band began to lose its momentum, Calogero decided to launch himself as a solo artist and gathered important connections by writing songs and collaborating with already popular artists such as Zazie and Pascal Obispo. The latter helped produce Calogero's first solo album Au milieu des Autres×Au milieu des autres1 January 2000 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Devant toi4:512Prendre l'air3:413Dire3:384De cendre et de terre4:125Danser sur les braises3:476Sombre et sentimental4:187Un monde dans l'équilibre4:318Au milieu des autres3:229Pas un jour ne passe2:5110Le secret5:0611Je t'emmène ou je t'aime2:5212Un peu de vent dans l'oubli7:46 (2000). His second album, Calogero (2002), was a huge success, with the hit singles "En apesanteur×En apesanteur2002 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1En apesanteur3:232Une dernière chance4:473En apesanteur (version acoustique)3:124Aussi libre que moi (version acoustique)4:05" (In Weightlessness), "Aussi libre que moi×Aussi libre que moi2002 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Aussi libre que moi3:442Le Plus Beau Jour3:57" (As Free as Me), "Tien an men×Tien An Men23 January 2003 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Tien An Men4:472Je vis où tu m'as laissé4:433Tien An Men (music video)3:20" and "Prendre racine×Prendre Racine2003 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Prendre racine4:182À la gueule des noyés4:09" (To Take Root). Finally, in 2004, Calogero released 3, featuring "Face à la mer×Face à la mer22 June 2004 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Face à la mer3:432Qui parlait3:503Yalla (radio edit)3:48", a duet with French rapper Passi, and several other top singles, such as "Yalla" and "Si seulement je pouvais lui manquer×Si seulement je pouvais lui manquer2004 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Si seulement je pouvais lui manquer3:212Les électrochocs4:203Si seulement je pouvais lui manquer (live 2004)3:38" (If Only He Could Miss Me).
Calogero released his fourth studio album Pomme C×Pomme C12 March 2007 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Pomme C3:182Le Saut de l’ange4:493Game Over3:284Suis‐je assez clair4:015Drôle d’animal3:036Me dit‐elle4:387Sans l’amour5:288Danser encore3:099Mélodies en sous‐sol5:0910Je sais5:0311Hypocondriaque8:35 on 12 March 2007.

Collaborations as composer

Since the late 1990s, Calogero composed songs for many artists, often in collaboration with his brother Gioacchino. For example, he composed songs for Florent Pagny ("Châtelet-les-Halles"), Hélène Ségara ("Au Nom d'une Femme" and "Regarde"), Ismael Lo ("L'Amour a tous les droits" and "Faut qu'on s'aime"), Pascal Obispo ("Millésime"), Jenifer ("C'est de l'or"), Julie Zenatti ("La Vérité m'attire" et "Toutes les douleurs"), Patrick Fiori ("Que tu reviennes", "Être là", "Encore", "Tout le monde", "Tera umana" et "Il n'y a pas grand chose à dire"), Fred Blondin ("Je manque de toi" and "Perso et les Aimants"), Mario Barravecchia ("On se ressemble"). He also composed three songs for the musical The Ten Commandments: "Je n'avais jamais prié", "Une Raison d'espérer" and "Y'a tant d'amour".
Calogero also participates in numerous charities. He is currently member of Les Enfoirés; he also participated in the single "Noël ensemble", recorded by many artists in 2002; he sang for the Sidaction with Jenifer; and recently, he participated in the single "Douce France", led by Marc Lavoine, to fight discrimination and help young people to find work.
In 2008, Stanislas Renoult recorded a duet with Calogero entitled "La Débâcle des sentiments×La Débâcle des sentiments2009 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1La Débâcle des sentiments4:122L'Hiver5:06".

Musical style

Calogero describes his own musical style as "pop rock". He also said that he listens to the musical work of various artists, such as Barbara, William Sheller, The Cure and The Who, and that "words and melodies are very important to [him]".
He has a great admiration for the Beatles, especially for Paul McCartney, whose song "Live and Let Die" is covered on Live 1.0. Calogero said about McCartney, "Paul McCartney? A myth [legend]! For all bassists he is Uncle Paul". Between his first solo album and his last tour, the musical style evolved significantly to a more percussive rock, and he also said that his fourth album, Pomme C×Pomme C12 March 2007 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Pomme C3:182Le Saut de l’ange4:493Game Over3:284Suis‐je assez clair4:015Drôle d’animal3:036Me dit‐elle4:387Sans l’amour5:288Danser encore3:099Mélodies en sous‐sol5:0910Je sais5:0311Hypocondriaque8:35, had the closest sound to him.
Calogero is a bass player but he also plays keyboards and guitar. His initial musical training was on the organ. On his first solo album, he plays the guitar, while on the next two he plays bass. He is left handed and sings about this in the song "Conduire en Angleterre".

In Circus

Starting 2012, the French band Circus was established that included Calogero as well as Stanislas, Philippe Uminski, Elsa Fourlon and Karen Brunon, all already established artists. Their debut self-titled album Circus was released in 2012.

Studio albums

Au milieu des autres (2000)
Calogero (2002)
3 (2004)
Pomme C (2007)
L'Embellie (2009)
Les feux d'artifice (2014)
Liberté chérie (2017)
Centre Ville (2020)
A.M.O.U.R. (2023)
X (2024)

Live albums

Live 1.0 (2005)
Live symphonique (2011)
Live 2015 (2015)