Bet.e & Stef
Bet.e & Stef was a Canadian bossa nova and jazz group from Montreal, Quebec, consisting of vocalist and percussionist Elizabeth Provencher (Bet.e) and vocalist and guitarist Stéphane Carreau (Stef).[1] They are best known for their 2002 album Day by Day, which sold 200,000 copies,[2] and were nominated as Juno Award for New Group of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2003.
Bet.e & Stef | |
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Background information | |
Origin | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
Genres | Bossa Nova, Jazz |
Years active | 1995–2017 |
Labels | Bet.e and Stef Records, Verve Records (Universal Music Group), EMI Music Japan, Compost Records |
Members | Élizabeth Provencher (Bet.e) Stéphane Carreau (Stef) |
Website | http://www.beteandstef.com |
History
Bet.e & Stef came together in the mid-1990s. Stef is a Montreal native who spent two years playing in Paris before returning to Montreal to study music. Bet.e, who is from Trois-Rivières, had studied modern dance before becoming a singer. The two performed for the first time when they were asked to sing at a wedding; they then became active in the Montreal club scene.[3] The duo released two independent demo cassettes before releasing their debut album, Jazz/Bossa Nova, in 1997.[4][5] They toured to support the album as an opening act for Holly Cole, and the album was eventually certified gold for sales of 50,000 copies.
In 2001, after Bet.e & Stef were discovered by Toshiba-EMI Music Japan, that label released a version of "Jazz/Bossa Nova" called "Wish You Well", which sold well in Japan.[3][6] They then signed to Verve Records[5] and followed up with Day by Day in 2002;[7][5] Day by Day also attained gold certification in Canada.[8] In 2003, the duo stopped performing and recording together, and worked on separate projects for about ten years.
In 2013 Bet.e & Stef reformed, and released the album Remix Deluxe,[9] which contained new versions of some of their previously released material, and once again began performing in Montréal.[10] In 2014 they performed at the Montréal en lumière festival,[11] and released It's All Right, a double album which was a mixture of remixes, previously released tracks and new material.[12][13]
In 2015, Bet.e & Stef released the album, Seeds, with eight new compositions.[14][15][16] That year they also performed at the Montreal International Jazz Festival.[17]
In 2017, Provencher joined a trio called Eliza Eleven.[18] Carreau has launched a solo career and works in film and television.
Discography
- Jazz/Bossa Nova (1997), Independent
- Wish You Well (2001), EAU/EMI Records
- Day by Day (2002), Verve/Universal
- Remix Deluxe (2013), Verve/Universal
- It's All Right (2014), Compost Records
- Seeds (2015), Verve/Universal
References
- "Canada's Bet.e & Stef Serve Up Their Own Brand of Bossa Nova". Billboard, April 14, 2001. p. 52.
- "Bet.e & Stef renaît". La Presse, August 12, 2013.
- "Bet.e & Stef". theaudiodb.com. The Audio DB. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
- "Bet.e & Stef - Jazz Bossa Nova". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
- "Bosses of the bossa nova: New CD from locals. Word of mouth leads to Bet.e, Stef's Day by Day". Montreal Gazette, September 28, 2002.
- "Bet.E & Stef – Wish You Well". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
- "Bet.e and Stef – Day By Day". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
- Robbins, Li (24 February 2003). "Canada's turbo-powered bossa duo". The Globe and Mail. The Globe & Mail. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
- "Bet E & Stef Remix Deluxe". allmusic.com. AllMusic. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
- "Bet.e & Stef renaissent de leurs cendres". Voir, Catherine Genest. 11 September 2013
- "Le retour de Bet.e & Stef". Journal de Montréal, 26 February 2014 Fabien Boileau
- "Bet.E & Stef – It's All Right". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
- "Review: BET.E & STEF It’s All Right" Archived 2017-01-09 at the Wayback Machine. No Dice Mag,
- "Bet.E and Stef – Seeds". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
- "The duo of Bet.e and Stef returns after long hiatus" Archived 2016-08-21 at the Wayback Machine. The Guardian, May 2, 2015.
- "Les 15 chansons québécoises de l'été 2015 (VIDÉOS)". Le Huffington Post Québec , Samuel Larochelle, 15/07/2015
- "A photo tour of world music artists at the Montreal International Jazz Festival". World Music Central, July 18, 2015 Madanmohan Rao
- . info-culture.biz, November 18, 2017. Nathalie Méthot, 20/05/2018