Michel Michelis
- Actor
Michel Michelis is an eclectic artist, author, singer, interpreter and
actor. Born in Montpellier, south of France, he lived in Narbonne until
age 17 when he set out on his own to pursue the muse and went to Paris.
For more than thirty years he was collabored on many different kinds of
projects and with widely talented actors, directors, musicians, circus
troup and radio or voice over producers. In the 70's, Michel was on the
stage of the Theater Workshop René Simon in Paris. In the years that
followed, he continued to act in both stage and film productions in
France and Italy. In the mid 80's, he returned to perform in the
theater of the Avignon Festival and in different classical repertory
plays in Paris. In 1984, Michel began a new adventure in radio - the
"Radio Libres" - where he brought a unique and controversial style; and
the nick name; Saga. He devoted much of his time to Parisian radio
until he left the FM frequency for a long voyage around the world. It
was then that he discovered his nomadic soul. The 90's; freedom, the
road again, America and the blues. In the 90's, Michel settles in San
Francisco. This is the beginning of a love story. In this city of
immigrants he finally feels he is home. The blues will make the rest.
In 1995, he has the opportunity to return to Paris to write and record
his first album "Photos Floues" and he create the group "Octobre". With
this first album Michel expresses his own style of blues. Michel
Michelis This first CD was successful on French radio and the band set
out to tour. Surrounded by renowned musicians, he zig-zagged through
France and rediscovered his love for the stage. In 1998, Michel
returned to California began his solo musical endeavors. With different
American musicians, he set out to discover whether there was a place
for a French blues singer in America - the home of the blues. In 1999,
Michel released his first solo album in the United States - "Face a
Face" recorded in the "Penny Lane" studios in Paris. In November 2000
Michel created the group "Saga Tribe" in San Francisco. Many concerts
followed for this blues trio in and around the Bay Area. 2003, Michel
put his musical endeavors on hold to devote himself only to his small
daughter Luna. In the spring of 2006, he teams up again to create the
Cd "Le monde est têtu". 2007 is the year for France. Michel was on tour
in France from 2007 to 2008, with the band "Saga and No Name Blues".
This tour wrapped up in California during the spring 2008. Michel feels
that his biggest accomplisment from this Cd was the recognition of one
song in particular "Petite Fee Clochette" land its airtime by 400 radio
stations around America ! At the end of 2008 Michel discovered in Paris
a very old musical instrument from the XIX called an "Orgue de
Barbarie" he fell in love imediatly for this magic box and asked the
famous french specialist of the old instruments, Emmanuel Odin, to
create for him a unique copy of this kind of mechanical instrument.
Michel brought his new "friend" home to California to share with
everybody his passion for this magical instrument and this kind of
music that is so full of nostalgia. 2009 Michel teams up again to
create the Gypsy Jazz band "Rue Manouche" in San Francisco. 2 Many
concerts followed for this Gypsy Jazz band in and around the Bay Area.
In 2010, more musicians joigned "Rue Manouche" to be part of the Gypsy
Jazz & Musette musical tour. At the end of 2010, Pixar Studio with John
Lasseter, Denise Ream and Brad Lewis, gave him the opportunity to do a
new character voice on the movie Cars 2, for a french car, of course !
Currently Michel is teaming up again to create a new blues band "Saga &
Jefferson Ray" and is recording a new Cd called "La Trace" for the
French market.
