Bireli Lagrene

Bireli Lagrene,

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About Bireli Lagrene

Since the 1980s, Bireli Lagrene has reigned as one of the world's undisputed masters of jazz guitar.

In the early 1980s, Lagrene emerged as a child prodigy - a true “wunderkind” - transforming raw talent into profound artistry. Born in 1966 in Saverne, in France's Alsace region (the heart of the Gypsy community), he grew up in a family of musicians. His father and brother introduced him to the guitar at an early age, and he was soon spotted by Matelot Ferré, a close companion of Django Reinhardt.

Heavily influenced by Django in his formative years, Lagrene immersed himself in the master's recordings, first recreating choruses verbatim before forging his own distinctive voice. This evolution shines through in his early trilogy: Routes to Django (1980), Bireli Swing '81 (1981) and Fifteen (1982) - a bold "free manifesto" echoing the Manouche spirit of unbound liberty. As Lagrene has said, "Django helped me go and see what is happening elsewhere," with jazz representing limitless freedom.

Full Biography

Awards

  • "Django d’Or" for "French Musician" (1993 and 2002)
  • "Les Victoires de la Musique" in the category of "Jazz Album" for the album Front Page (2001)
  • "Les Victoires de la Musique" nomination in the category of "Jazz Album" for the album Gypsy Project and Friends (2003)
  • "Django d’Or" for "French Musician" (2002)
  • "Django d’Or" for "Balkan/Gypsy" guitar (2007)
  • Medal of "Chevalier des Arts & des Lettres" of France as presented by Frédéric Mitterrand, Minister of Culture and Communication (2012) for significant contributions to the arts and literature