Martin Meissonnier


Main image

Journalist, producer, director and composer, formerly a journalist for Libération, has specialised in discovering new types of music.

In the 1970s he organised the concerts of numerous jazz musicians such as Don Cherry, the Art Ensemble of Chicago, John Lee Hooker and Dizzy Gillespie.

In the early 1980s, he became the producer of a number of African singers including Fela Kuti, King Sunny Ade, Salif Keita, Ray Lema, Papa Wemba, Manu Dibango and Wasis Diop, helping them to launch international careers.

In 1986, he organised the first raï festival in Bobigny, opening the borders of France to Arabic music. He produced Khaled's first album with Safy Boutella, co-composed two albums with Amina, then produced Arthur H's first album and an album for Alan Stivell.

In 1989 he directed Megamix for la Sept on France 3 and then Arte, a music magazine which ran for six years with over 220 broadcasts.

In 1992, he was advisor to Philippe Decouflé and composed a large part of the music for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympic Games in Albertville.

Between 1994 and 2000 he directed numerous documentary films for Arte and Canal Plus, including several programmes about the Internet and numeric art, rap, and the techno movement.

In 2001 his book about depleted uranium entitled Uranium appauvri: la guerre invisible was published by Robert Laffont.

ALBUMS


Aziz Sahmaoui & University Of Gnawa
Poetic Trance
2019, CD, Promo, Blue Line Productions
Maïa Barouh
Kodama
2014, ,
Electro/Folk
Aziz Sahmaoui & University Of Gnawa
Aziz Sahmaoui & University Of Gnawa
2011, CD, ,
Raï/Tribal/Folk
Khaled
Liberté
2009, ,
Raï
Seun Kuti + Fela's Egypt 80*
Many Things
2008, ,
Afrobeat
Seun Kuti + Egypt 80
Think Africa
2007
Various
The Celluloid Years - 12"es And More...
2006, 2x CD, ,
Cut-up/DJ/Electro/Hip Hop
Jimmy Page & Robert Plant
No Quarter: Jimmy Page & Robert Plant Unledded
2004, ,
Electric Blues/Acoustic/Classic Rock
Amina
Nomad - The Best Of Amina
2003
Big Men
Raï Meets Reggae
2001, ,
Reggae/Raï
Amina
Annabi
1999,
Odieu
T'es Qui Toi?
1996, CD, Album, Disques Dreyfus, Disques Dreyfus, ,
Pop Rock
Alan Stivell
Brian Boru
1995, CD, Single, Disques Dreyfus
Alan Stivell
Brian Boru
1995, CD, ,
Folk Rock
Alan Stivell
Let The Plinn
1995
Alan Stivell
Mairi's Wedding
1995
Jimmy Page & Robert Plant
No Quarter: Jimmy Page & Robert Plant Unledded
1994, ,
Electric Blues/Acoustic/Classic Rock
Goran Bregović
Arizona Dream (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
1993, CD PRS, ,
Folk Rock/Pop Rock/Reggae-Pop/Downtempo/Soundtrack
Amina
Atamé
1992,
Amina
Wa Di Yé
1992
Various
Go-Man-Go
1992,
Amina
Ma Tisane Bout
1991, 7", Single, Philips, ,
Synth-pop
Various
Eurovision Top 12
1991
Various
Les Tubes 8
1991, ,
Chanson
Amina
Le Dernier Qui A Parlé...
1991, ,
Downtempo
Various
Possetively 4th Street
1990, ,
Reggae/Soul/Disco
Arthur H
Arthur H
1990
Various
Promomix
1989, 12", Promo, PolyGram
Amina
Belly Dance
1989, ,
Breakbeat
Amina
Yalil
1989
Amina
Le Cercle Rouge
1989
Various
Ethno Beats (Rhythms... From The Jungle And The Desert To The Dance Floor...)
1988, ,
House/New Beat/African/Balearic
Cheb Khaled* & Safy Boutella
Chebba / La Camel
1988
Cheb Khaled* / Safy Boutella
Chebba / Baroud
1988
Cheb Khaled*, Safy Boutella
La Camel
1988
Cheb Khaled*, Safy Boutella
Kutché
1988
Papa Wemba
Papa Wemba
1988, ,
African
Zebra Crossing (7) Featuring Tony Allen
Too Many Prisoners
1987, ,
Europop
Carmel
Sally
1986
Malopoets
Sound Of The People / Sanibonani
1985, 7", Single, Ltd, Promo, EMI America, ,
African
Malopoets
Sound Of The People
1985
Malopoets
Malopoets
1985
Ray Lema
Medecine
1985, ,
Afrobeat
Various
New Africa
1985, Vinyl, ,
Electro/African/Afrobeat/Dub
Various
Spin Cycle
1984, LP, Promo, Smplr, Celluloid, ,
Electro
Ray Lema
Iyolela - Dansometer
1984, 12", Celluloid, ,
African/Dub/Electro
Manu Dibango
Abele Dance
1984, ,
Dub/Electro/Jazzdance
King Sunny Ade And His African Beats*
Aura
1984, ,
Afrobeat
King Sunny Ade & His African Beats
Ase
1984
King Sunny Adé & His African Beats*
Synchro System
1983
King Sunny Adé and His African Beats*
Synchro System
1983
Various
Mighty Reel
1982, Cass, Comp, New Musical Express, ,
Reggae-Pop/Dub/Disco/New Wave/Electro/Synth-pop/Funk/Cool Jazz
Various
Sound Proposition
1982, Cass, Comp, M/Print, Island Records
Don Cherry / Latif Khan*
Music / Sangam
1982
King Sunny Adé And His African Beats*
Juju Music
1982, ,
Afrobeat
King Sunny Adé & His African Beats*
Ja Funmi (Remix)
1982
King Sunny Ade & His African Beats
Ma Jaiye Oni / 365 Is My Number/The Message
1982
Oriental Wind Featuring Okay Temiz
Zikir
1979
Haruomi Hosono
Omni Sight Seeing
1994
Amina
Le Dernier Qui A Parlé... (Remix DNA)
1991
Yasuaki Shimizu
Subliminal
1987
Seun Kuti + Egypt 80
A Long Way To The Beginning
2014, ,
Afrobeat
Papa Wemba
Papa Wemba
1995
Papa Wemba
M'Fono Yami / Hambayi Ede
1988
Papa Wemba
Siku Ya Mungu
1987, 12", Nova Scratch
Miko & Mubare
One Tongue
1986
Starvation / Tam-Tam Pour L'Éthiopie*
Starvation / Tam Tam Pour L'Éthiopie / Haunted
1985, ,
Afro-Cuban/African
Tam Tam Pour L'Éthiopie
Tam Tam Pour L'Éthiopie
1985, ,
African/Pop Rock

APPEARANCES +


Sankayi*, Konono Nº1, Orchestre Bambala, Orchestre Bana Luya
Kinshasa 1978 (Originals and Reconstructions)
2019
DAF*
Brothers
1986
Boris Bergman
Ses Interprètes
2016, 3xCD, Comp, Universal Music France, ,
Chanson/Pop Rock
Various
Les 50 Ans De Saravah
2016, ,
Chanson/Trip Hop/Blues Rock/Indie Rock/Cabaret
Various
Change The Beat (The Celluloid Records Story 1979 - 1987)
2013, 2x CD, ,
Electro/Hip Hop/New Wave/No Wave/Synth-pop/Funk/African/Leftfield/Dub
Louis Bertignac
Grizzly (Ca C'est Vraiment Moi)
2011
Sunil Dev
The Music Of Sunil Dev
2009
Various
Poplife™ Presents Poplife Sucks
2008, CD, Mixed, 541, N.E.W.S., ,
Ambient/Big Beat/Breakbeat/Disco/Dub/EBM/Electro/Experimental/Funk/Gangsta/Glam/House/IDM/Industrial/Jazzdance/Leftfield/Minneapolis Sound/New Beat/New Wave/No Wave/Pop Rock/Synth-pop/Trip Hop
Mick Csáky
Africa Live: The Roll Back Malaria Concert
2006, DVD-V, NTSC, Idéale Audience International, ,
African/Reggae
Various
Musiques - Une Rentrée 2001
2001, CD, Comp, Les Inrockuptibles
Various
Nigeria 70 (The Definitive Story of 1970's Funky Lagos)
2001, ,
Highlife/Afrobeat/Funk
Various
Club Wave 2
1999, 2xCD, Comp, ARS Productions, ,
House/Electro/Synth-pop/New Beat/New Wave/Disco
Jimmy Page, Robert Plant
No Quarter: Jimmy Page & Robert Plant Unledded
1994
關淑怡*
製造迷夢
1992, Vinyl, ,
Electro House/Ballad/Cantopop
Amina
Wa Di Yé
1992, ,
Tribal/Chanson/Downtempo
Hosono, Haruomi*
Omni Sight Seeing
1989, CD Digipak, ,
Downtempo/Synth-pop/Ambient
Shango
U Don't Have To Be A Star
1987, 12", Maxi, Nova Scratch, ,
Electro/Synth-pop
Manu Dibango
Pata Piya (Full Length Extended Version)
1985, ,
Dub/Electro
Various
New Africa
1985, CD, ,
Dub/Electro/Afrobeat/Jazzdance/African
Alpha Blondy
Cocody Rock!!!
1984, Vinyl, ,
Reggae
Les Rois Faineants
Tome 2
1983
Don Cherry / Latif Khan*
Music / Sangam
1982
Masahiko Togashi With Don Cherry & Charlie Haden
Session In Paris, Vol. 1 "Song Of Soil"
1979, ,
Free Jazz
Jeanne Folly, J.L Hennig*, VXZ 375, Hektor Zazou*, Bazooka
La Perversita
1979, ,
Experimental/New Wave/Leftfield/Minimal Techno
Goran Bregović
Arizona Dream (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
2017, ,
Folk Rock/Pop Rock/Reggae-Pop/Downtempo/Soundtrack
Jeanne Folly, J.L Hennig*, VXZ 375, Hektor Zazou*, Bazooka
La Perversita
2013, ,
Experimental
Jimmy Page & Robert Plant
No Quarter: Jimmy Page & Robert Plant Unledded
,
Electric Blues/Acoustic/Classic Rock