Pierre Gage, of both Jamaican and Haitian origins, was born on January 3rd 1977 in Montreal. In high school, he passed an audition for an amateur version of Starmania, where the acclaimed author of the Luc Plamondon show noticed him. He there obtained the role of Johnny Roquefort. This experience allowed him to discover his talent for singing. He later met Corneille and Gardy Martin, who were part of the group O.N.E., while studying theatre at Concordia University. And so began Gage’s career. His participation with O.N.E. lasted three years, during which the track Zoukin ranked Number One on the charts across Canada, and helped him establish a good reputation among Soul and World Music lovers. In addition, O.N.E. opened for prominent singers such as Isabelle Boulay and Kelis (Virgin USA). The group later separated since each member wanted to pursue a solo career. Corneille became hugely popular in France and Gage sang by his side at the Paris Casino. He later opened for Corneille during his Quebec and European tours, totalling over 40 concerts. In 2004, Gage released his first single, entitled “Trop fresh” (“Too Fresh”) and managed to reach an even larger audience. In 2005, his album entitled “Soul Rebel”, produced entirely by Corneille, was released on the market. Titles such as “Pense à moi” (“Think of Me”) and “Je t’aime quand même” (“I Still Love You”) were well received by the media and the public alike. The CD “Soul Rebel” also seduced the French public, where it went gold with over 150 000 copies sold. Gage is considered, among others, as a pioneer of French reggae and thus redefined this musical style within the Francophone music world. One can actually notice the reggae flavour in certain tracks such as “Demain” (“Tomorrow”). On June 30, 2008, Gage launched his second album, entitled “Changer le monde” (“Change the World”). Personal topics such as the absence of his father, love and break-ups are highlighted. The single “Tu peux choisir” (“You Can Choose”) was one of the hit singles of last summer. It is also important to mention that this artist produced eye-catching videos from these two albums. In the fall of 2008, Gage began touring in France. In concert, he demonstrates excellent charisma. He has beautiful stage presence and a way of communicating with his audience. Over the course of his career, he performed in prestigious venues such as the Bataclan and the Zénith in Paris. In Montreal, he performed at the FrancoFolies festival and at Club Soda.
Translated from French by Murielle Swift, BSc., MEd.