Francis Cabrel

Francis Cabrel (born 23 November 1953 in Agen, France) is a French singer-songwriter and guitarist. Inspired heavily by Bob Dylan, he has released a number of albums falling mostly within the realm of folk, with occasional forays into blues or country. Several of his songs, such as "L'encre de tes yeux" and "Petite Marie" have become enduring favourites in French music. Others, such as "C'était l'hiver", about the suicide of a young girl, have since been covered by other artists such as Canadian Isabelle Boulay.

Cabrel was born into a modest family, his father was employed as a blue-collar worker and his mother was a cashier. He has a sister, Martine, and a brother, Philippe.

Among Francis Cabrel's many recordings since 1977, Hors-Saison (Out Season) remains his classic. Paced easily and intently on groove figures and melodic folk and rock songs, in 1999, Cabrel arrived at the epitome of his art. Using the same quartet that recorded Sabarcane with Manu Katchie on drums and percussion, bassist Bernard Paganotti, Gerard Bikialo on Hammond organ and Wurlitzer, with Denys Lable on acoustic guitar and the percussion stylings of Denis Benarrosh, Cabrel has created an immediate, spare, direct emotional statement of melancholy and simplicity.

Cette compilation de Francis Cabrel intitulée L'Essentiel 1977-2017 rassemble les meilleures chansons qui sont parues entre 1977 et 2017. Elle est sortie afin de célébrer les 40 ans de carrière de Francis Cabrel, vingt ans après la précédente compilation Cabrel 77-87, dix ans après L'Essentiel 1977-2007, dont les deux cds sont d'ailleurs repris.