BIOGRAPHY OF ALEXANDRA AND TONY
Alexandra
spent her early years between lake Constance and Wales; later the family moved to Paris.
She went to boarding school in Summerhill, the famous free school of A.S. Neill, thereafter studying Theatre and Art in Colchester Institute.
Back in Paris at 18 she began acting, touring around France and the "Festival d'Avignon"; at the same time working as a model.
She then dedicated herself to singing which had always been her passion, training her voice first with Nariné Simonian (lyrical technique) and continuing with Joel Mitchell and at the same time singing in "musicals" with the american company "International Players".
She sang in many parisian clubs with pop-rock groups "Al Phil & Friends" and "Eric Henry-Gréard" and was also the singer of the evergreen quartet "This Girl's in love with you".
Meeting the musician Tony Ballester her partner in love and music and their common vision of the world, naturally led them to composing together an album of acoustic pop songs: "Play of Love".
Tony
Born in Montauban, Tony started playing the guitar at age 11 and was drawn to bass guitar at 18; later to double bass.
In 1970 he begins playing in Pop groups in the Toulouse region; accompanying the french singer "Antoine" with one of the groups.
In '74 he moves into a farmhouse in the countryside of Le Mans, to study music, in particular with musicians and singers "Richard & Samuel" two brothers.
Around 1980 he turns toward jazz music, thanks to the pianist Philippe Duchemin.
He moves to Paris when Alain Guerrini director of the famous Jazz school "CIM", offers him a job as a teacher; thereafter he wrote a bass tutor book published by Salabert : "La Basse Eclectique".
He then has the opportunity to "tour" with many great jazz soloists: Kenny Clarke, Roger Guérin, Jean-Loup Longnon, Jean-Claude Forenbach, Joe Newman, Benny Powel, Benny Bayley, Harold Danko, Michel Devillers, Jacques Thollot.
Meeting the guitar player Gilles Grignon pushes his interest towards "Jazz fusion"; together they create the group "Graffic" (Patrick Villanueva, Eric Toth, Hugue Hervé, Albin Delasimone). They play in many places and fetivals: Avril Swing en mai, Jazz Vallée, Festival du marais, Rencontres du Perreux, Festival International de Jazz d'Amiens, Le Sunset, Le Petit Journal Montparnasse, Le New Morning. They release an LP with Eric Barret as a guest, then a CD: "Seuls les Tilleuls mentent".
Thereafter he plays with other musicians such as: Louis Winsberg (Radio France, New Morning), Maxime Goetz, P. O. Govin (tour in ex- Yougoslavia), Jean-Pierre Como, Gilles Rennes.
He went touring in Canada and the States with Haitian singer Emeline Michel, and then with the Golden Gate Quartet soloist Clyde Wright.
Tony always loved songs and life has enabled him to accompanny many singers: Gilbert Montagné, Yannick Noah, Mireille Mathieu, Karim Kacel, Joël Daydé….
In 1993 he gets back to his latin roots joining Manuel Malou, singer, musician and producer, with whom he collaborates for a long period, playing concerts at: Ronnie Scott, Elysée Montmartre, New Morning, Bataclan, Petit Journal Montparnasse. Festivals: Francofolies, Womad, Paleo, Bratislava, Musicolors, TV shows and various CDs: the original soundtrack for the film "Gazon Maudit", "Corazon Caliente".
He joined various groups: "La Tortuga Caliente" of Patrick Villanueva with Daniel Garcia, Khalil Chahine's group, the Didier Makaga quintet with Sylvain Luc and Christophe Nègre, the trio of Di Giusto with Minino Gary, Alejandro Barceloa's troup " Vientos de Inverno" with Nilda Fernandez, Lio, Wasis Diop, Lydia Poli.
Since 1995 he tours the world with "Chico & The Gypsies" group from the founder of the Gypsy Kings : Tokyo, New York, Bangkok, Moscou, Pékin, Caracas, Paris Olympia….
In 1999 he records for various albums in the famous studio "Musitron" in Madrid, one of them being "Alma" from Jose el Frances, Vincente Amigo, Mino Cinelu.
He also creates music for films, and recently for a documentary "Tara, Prisonniers Volontaires de la Banquise" from Bruno Vienne. Sometimes he creates music for ad spots (Rover).
The decisive meeting with Alexandra, his partner in love and music, revealed him as a composer and producer; so they just produced their first album "Play of Love".
Selective Recordings :
ALEXANDRA CHERRINGTON : « PLAY OF LOVE » (Indie)
ENZO ENZO : «CHANSONS D’UNE MAMAN » (Naïve)
KARIM KACEL : «UNE AUTRE » ( zanzibar), "KARIM KACEL CHANTE REGGIANI"
CHICO & THE GYPSIES : « FREEDOM» « VAGABUNDO » NOMADE » (EMI)
JOSE EL FRANCES/VICENTE AMIGO : « ALMA » (BMG)
HAKIM : « EL VOLCAN DE TUS DESEOS » « COMO SUENA » (Sony Music)
MALOU : « CORAZON CALIENTE » (WEA)
JEAN BAPTISTE MARINO : « WORLD FLAMENCO ORCHESTRAL » (Wagram)
PATRICK VILLANUEVA : « LA TORTUGA CALIENTE » (Night and Day)
GILLES GRIGNON : « SEULS LES TILLEULS MENTENT » (Harmonia Mundi)
DIDIER MAKAGA : « SECRET PLEASURE » (Columbia)
GRAPHIC : LP « GRAPHIC INVITE ERIC BARRET » (OMD)