Martin Meissonnier

Martin Meissonnier
Origin	Paris, France
Occupation(s)	Musician, record producer, film director
Instruments	Guitar, keyboards
Years active	1975–present

Martin Meissonnier is a French journalist, producer, director and composer. Formerly a journalist for Libération, he has made a specialty of discovering new types of music.

Biography

In the 1970s brought numerous jazz musicians to France, such as Don Cherry,^[1] the Art Ensemble of Chicago, John Lee Hooker^[2] and Dizzy Gillespie.He also promoted concerts ^[3] for artists like Nass EL Ghiwane, Franco & OK Jazz, Nana Vasconcelos, Turkish band Oriental WInd,^[4] Han Bennink & Peter Brötmann, Art Blakey,Sun Ra, Chico & Von Freeman, Albert Collins, Lounge Lizards, Defunkt, Old d& New Dreams, Art Pepper, Moondog, the Slits, Taj Mahal, Pharoah Sanders Gil Evans, Egberto Gismonti...

In the early 1980s, he became the producer of Fela Kuti,^[5] King Sunny Ade,^[6] in 1984 Ray Lema,^[7] the Malopoets from South Africa ^[8] Manu Dibango ^[9] in 1986 Papa Wemba, and Wasis Diop. In 1986, he organised the first raï festival in Bobigny.^[10] He worked with Khaled,^[11] Safy Boutella, Amina, Arthur H, in 1994 Robert Plant & Jimmy Page,^[12] and Alan Stivell.

In 1989 to 1994, he directed Megamix for la Sept on France 3 and then Arte,^[13] world music magazine which ran for six years on French television and other many countries.^[14] Since, he directed documentary films for Arte and Canal+, including several programmes about History, the Internet, digital art, rap, and the techno movement. In 2001, his book about depleted uranium entitled Uranium appauvri : la guerre invisible was published by Robert Laffont.^[15]

Martin Meissonnier's work as a filmmaker has a strong global flavor. His producing and directing credits include major documentaries and documentary series in finance, politics and history. They include, 'Web Site Story', 'McWorld', 'Music Is My Drug', 'On the Trail of the Queen of Sheba', 'The Life of Buddha', 'On God's Right', "Vraie Jeanne, Fausse Jeanne" and 'The Genie of Electricity'.

Albums (producer)

• Don Cherry - Music/Sangam (album, 1979, Europa Records) (as co-producer with Pierre Lattès)^[16]
• Okay Temiz - Zikir (album, 1979, Sun Records/King records)
• Fela Anikulapo Kuti - Black President (album, 1981, Arista), Original Suffer Head (album, 1981, Arista)
• King Sunny Adé & his African Beats - Juju Music (album, 1982), Synchro System (album,1983), and Aura (album, 1984)^[17]
• Manu Dibango - Abele Dance (single, 1984) and Manu Seventies (album, 1988)
• Ray Lema - Medecine (album, 1985, Celluloid)
• Tony Allen - Too Many prisoners (album, 1987, Barclay)
• Afrika Bambaataa - U don't have to be a star (single, 1987, Nova) (co-producer with Yasuaki Shimizu)
• Khaled / Safy Boutella - Kutche (album, 1987, Pomme Music-Sony)
• Yasuaki Shimizu -Subliminal (album, 1988, JVC)
• Wasis Diop - Soweto Dal (single, 1988, Nova)
• Carmel - Sally remix (single, 1988, London records)
• Papa Wemba - Esclave (album, 1989, Celluloid)^[18]
• Amina - albums Yalil (1990), Wadiye (1992) and two songs on Annabi (1999)
• Arthur H - Arthur H (album, 1990, Polydor) (as co-producer with Arthur H)
• Alan Stivell - Brian Boru (album, 1995, Dreyfus)
• Robert Plant & Jimmy Page - No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded (preproduction on the songs Yalla & A wonderful One) (1996, Mercury)
• Bigmen - Reggae + Rai (album, 2001, Virgin) featuring Gregory Isaacs, Sly & Robbie, Sugar Minott, Chaka Demus & Pliers, Cheb Anouar, Cheb Tarik, Khaled, etc...^[5]
• Seun Kuti & Fela's Egypt 80 - Many Things (album, 2008, Tôt ou Tard - Disorient Records)^[19]
• Khaled - Liberté (album, 2009, Universal)^[20]
• Louis Bertignac - Grizzly (ça c’est vraiment moi) (album, 2010, Polydor)^[21]
• Aziz Sahmaoui - University of Gnawa (album, 2011, General Pattern)^[22]

Soundtracks (composer)

• Les cercueils de monsieur Kani Kwé by Thierry Secrétan (1987, La Générale de Production cinématographique)
• Kaltex en Chine (1988, Kaltex)
• Music of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville - « Victoire de la Musique » 92 - « Prix de la Musique Symphonique Légère de la SACEM »
• Joe et Marie by Tania Stöcklin (1993)
• Peintres de Kumasi" by Thierry Secrétan (1995, Online/Arte)
• Les Guignols de l'Info, TV serie (1995–2010, Canal+)
• Tripalium by Christophe Loizillon (1996 – Vertigo productions)
• Les 100 photos du Siècle, documentary (1998, Capa)
• Spin Doctors, documentary by Luc Hermann & Gilles Bovon (2001, Canal+)
• République Atomique documentary by David Carr Brown (2001, Artline/ARTE)
• Inside Broadmoor, documentary by David Carr Brown (2002, Psychology News UK/Channel 5 UK)
• l’Affaire Clearstream, documentary by Denis Robert (2003, The Factory/Canal +)
• Death of Diana, documentary by David Carr Brown (2003, Psychology News UK/ABC-Channel 5 UK)
• The Great Match, film by Gerardo Olivares (2006, Wanda Films) (in competition at Berlinale 2006)
• Reporters, serie directed by Suzan Fenn & Ivan Straburg (2007–2009, Capa Drama/Canal+)
• Unter Bauern, film by Ludi Boeken (2009, Acajou Films, Pandora, Filmforum)
• Rose, c'est Paris, film by Bettina Rheims & Serge Bramly (2010, Arte/Productions Campagne Première)

Collaborations on soundtracks

• O.C. & Stiggs, film by Robert Altman, collaboration with King Sunny Adé as producer/manager (1984, MGM)
• Black Mic-Mac film by Thomas Gilou, collaboration with Ray Lema as musical director (1985, Barclay)
• Arizona Dream film by Emir Kusturica, collaboration with Goran Bregovic and Iggy Pop (1991, Mercury)
• Dirty Pretty Things film by Stephen Frears with the song Life is Good by Martin Meissonnier/Larbi Dida/U-Roy (2002)

Documentary films (director)

• Music is my Drug/Psychedelic Trance (1996, 52', Compangnie des Phares et Balises/Canal+)
• Internet - un monde digital with Alvin Toffler, Louis Rosetto (1996, 120', Série Limitée/Arte)
• Time Guardians (1997, 60', The Factory/Canal+)
• The Wheel of Destiny on Astrology around the world, shot in India, Hong Kong, Guatemala, Mali... (1998, 2x52', The Factory/Arte)
• www.monde with Jean-Marie Messier, Serge Tchuruk, Michael Bloomberg about the Net Economy and banking (1998, 110', Gaumont Television/Arte)
• Web Site Story (1999, 4x26', Gaumont Television/European Community/Arte) (compilation of www.monde & Internet : un monde digital).
• In the Footsteps of the Queen of Sheba shot in Yemen, Ethiopia & Israel (1999, 2x52', Gaumont Television/Arte/SBS/AVRO)
• Invisible War, Depleted Uranium and the Politics of Radiation (2000, 64',Canal+) ^[23]« Grand Price » of the Sinergie scientific film festival 2001
• Paroles de Juges with judges Eva Joly, Renaud Van Ruymbecke, Gerardo Colombo etc... (2000, 90', Tetra Media/Arte)
• Une Europe sans Loi with judges Eva Joly, Renaud Van Ruymbecke, Gerardo Colombo etc... (2000, 52', Tetra Media/la Cinquième)
• Mc World - Brand Culture featuring Benjamin Barber, Eric Schlosser, Dan Wieden... (2002, 90', Sodaperaga/Arte) « Prix Leonardo » for best European production 2002 - Italy
• The Life of Buddha (2003, 90', General Pattern/Infine films/Buddhist Broadcasting Foundation/Arte/SBS)
• On God’s Right, in collaboration with Roger Trilling (2004, 55', Productions Campagne Première/Canal+/SBS Australia)
• Africa Live - Roll Back Malaria, five concert films, featuring Youssou N'Dour, Tiken Jah Fakoly, Corneille, Awadi & others (2005, 300', Antelope Films/Ideale Audience/Flotow Productions/Xippi)
• Vraie Jeanne Fausse Jeanne (Inquest on Joan of Arc) (2007, 90', Arte/Productions Campagne Première)
• Poubelle la vie, co-directed by Pascal Signolet (2010, 90', Productions Campagne Première/France 3/RTBF)
• "Dancing City Johannesburg" (2012 Campagne Première/France O/Voyage)
• "La fée Electricité" co-directed by Pascal Signolet (2012 Campagne Première/France 5)

References

1. Eliane Azoulay "Don Cherry & Latif Khan - Music/Sangam", Télérama, April 25, 2009
2. "Meissonnier, le moissonneur. - Libération". Liberation.fr. Retrieved 2014-07-15.
3. "Trois batteurs au Bataclan". Lemonde.fr. Retrieved 2014-07-15.
4. "Martin Meissonier, l'hédoniste". RFI Musique. 2001-12-24. Retrieved 2014-07-15.
5. Zwerin, Mike (2001-11-07). "Rai Meets Reggae - Where the Action Is". NYTimes.com. Retrieved 2014-07-15.
6. Robert Palmer "Past and present fuse in African pop", The New York Times, October 10, 1982
7. "Lema - Biography". RFI Music. Retrieved 2014-07-15.
8. "LE PRINTEMPS DE BOURGES La France découvre Sotho Malopoet". Lemonde.fr. 2014-06-15. Retrieved 2014-07-15.
9. "Tam-Tam Pour L'Éthiopie". Lemonde.fr. 1985-04-22. Retrieved 2014-07-15.
10. "Khaled and the myth of rai". Mideast.foreignpolicy.com. 2010-09-10. Retrieved 2014-07-15. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
11. Robin Denselow "Khaled, Liberté", The Guardian, May 8, 2009
12. J.D. Considine "Page and Plant shake the Led out on their latest tour", The Baltimore Sun, March 19, 1995
13. "Archives magazine Histoire d’un rendez-vous manqué". Technikart. Retrieved 2014-07-15.
14. Serge Bressan "Martin Meissonnier", L'Express, April 7, 1994
15. Editions Robert Laffont "Uranium appauvri : la guerre invisible"
16. "Music/Sangam". Les Inrocks. Retrieved 2014-07-15.
17. "L'arrivée du " Roi Soleil " de la musique africaine". Lemonde.fr. Retrieved 2014-07-15.
18. "MUSIQUE. Invité au Festival d'Angoulême, le Zaïrois Papa Wemba aux deux visages. La rumba de Wemba. - Libération". Liberation.fr. Retrieved 2014-07-15.
19. "CG: Seun Kuti & Egypt 80". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 2014-07-15.
20. Robin Denselow (2009-05-07). "World review: Khaled: Liberté | Music". The Guardian. Retrieved 2014-07-15.
21. "Musique: Louis Bertignac, le grizzly sort les riffs (interview)" (in French). leJDD.fr. Retrieved 2014-07-15.
22. Neil Spencer. "Aziz Sahmaoui: Aziz Sahmaoui & University of Gnawa – review | Music | The Observer". Guardian. Retrieved 2014-07-15.
23. "America's big dirty secret - Le Monde diplomatique - English edition". Mondediplo.com. Retrieved 2014-07-15.