Cherie

Doe-eyed, 19 year-old nightingale, (whose childhood friends warmly dubbed her “Cherie,” a French term of endearment,) is ready to conquer America. Having recently finished school, and ready to meet the world, her forthcoming, self-titled album on Lava Records is choc full of youthful exuberance. For Cherie, each moment of every single day yields a new wonder: the wonder of life. “When I hear music, when I am singing, I am happy,” she says em-phatically. “I am growing up and music is, for me, where all of the emotions and things which I am feeling come together.”

Born in 1984 in Marseille, France, Cherie is about to embark on a journey that will likely make her a household name. A mesmerizing beauty and chanteuse-in-the-making, Cherie can belt out a song like contemporaries Pink, Shakira and Amy Lee from Evanescence. “I was always singing; I don’t remember a time when I was not singing. I sang for my parents, for my family; for my friends at school.” Her talents were recognized early on. Cherie began singing professionally at the age of 9 and won the French National Vocalist award at age 12. A magnificent feat for a mere child.

In selecting songs for her self-titled debut, it was serendipitous for her to choose a song like her soaring signature ballad “Older Than My Years.” “When I heard ‘Older Than My Years,’ she lifts her head up, speaking softly, “I knew it was for me. I have always felt this way. Growing up singing you are always surrounded by adults. And it’s about a girl telling her older boyfriend, ‘My love is older than my years / It’s wiser than your fears’ even though she is losing him. It’s a beautiful song; it’s very sad. I understand it and put myself into it.”

Cherie becomes animated, almost effervescent when talking about music. “I love music and dancing.” Though her native tongue is French, Cherie sings in three additional languages including English, Italian, and Spanish. “Music is the way to communicate what you feel inside, what’s in your heart. It is the same in any language.

For me, I am still young, but not so young. The song ‘I’m Ready,’ is really about me! I’m ready for love and life and all that it has to offer.” The song, featuring the familiar guitar lick from Foreigner’s “Urgent,” is really a spirited dance number, which truly captures the warm spirit of Cherie as a young adventurer. “That’s the fun part,” she says, “to think that I could make someone feel good, or want to dance, that’s the best feeling.” “I’m Ready” garnered huge exposure in the Disney film “Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen” featuring tween sensation Lindsay Lohan.

As a young girl, Cherie would sing at dancehalls and recitals and at school. “One of my teachers would have me sing in front of the class when they didn’t want to work.” Cherie’s smile is infectious as she tells the story. “Hey, Cherie–please sing us a song.” Like a muse, perhaps? “Maybe,” she says coyly. “I was performing in school from when I was 10 until I was 18… we were all together, in the same school, and they all knew that I could sing…”

Cherie especially enjoys singing in the kitchen. “I like to make cookies for my family and friends, especially macaroons. I like to sing while I bake,” she laughs. “Of course, I sing in the shower, too. For me, singing is a natural thing, because I didn’t think that I could really do it, now I cannot stop. Once I was on stage, for the first time, and I could see the reaction of the people, what I felt on stage- those emotions… then I realized that I should do it. And I wanted to do it-now I can’t stop.” Soon Cherie was singing in cabarets and nightclubs. “I would go out to dance and my friends would tell the DJ that I was a singer, and he would put me on the microphone and have me sing over a dance song.”

Since landing a recording contract, Cherie has left the cabaret and nightclubs back home and accomplished a great many things. Cherie has recorded several tracks at a variety of studios in the UK, Miami and Los Angeles and is working alongside some of today’s top name producers including Mark Taylor (Cher, Andrea Bocelli); Corey Hart (Celine); Kara Dioguardi (Enrique Iglesias, Kylie Minogue); Rhett Lawrence (Mariah Carey), Cliff Magness (Avril Lavigne) and Humberto Gatica (Josh Grobin, Celine). Coos Cherie: “Ooh, it is a lot of hard work, you know, but it’s fun! To collaborate with these people, who have worked with artists who have inspired me is a dream come true.”

With her first major-label release on Lava Records coming in August 3rd, 2004, Cherie is poised to become the muse of a new generation of music-lovers. When she is not recording, Cherie spends her time with her family, working on her craft and learning the language of life, Still she says, “I love to sing; I would sing anywhere. For me, singing is the most beautiful feeling in the world.”