Bet.e & Stef

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Bet.e & Stef
Bet.e & Stef photographed in Laval, Quebec, Canada at Maison des arts de Laval.
Bet.e & Stef photographed in Laval, Quebec, Canada at Maison des arts de Laval.
Background information
OriginMontreal, Quebec, Canada
GenresBossa Nova, Jazz
Years active1995–2017
LabelsBet.e and Stef Records, Verve Records (Universal Music Group), EMI Music Japan, Compost Records
MembersÉlizabeth Provencher (Bet.e)
Stéphane Carreau (Stef)
Websitehttp://www.beteandstef.com

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.

History[edit]

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[edit]

  • 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[edit]

  1. ^ "Canada's Bet.e & Stef Serve Up Their Own Brand of Bossa Nova". Billboard, April 14, 2001. p. 52.
  2. ^ "Bet.e & Stef renaît". La Presse, August 12, 2013.
  3. ^ a b "Bet.e & Stef". theaudiodb.com. The Audio DB. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  4. ^ "Bet.e & Stef - Jazz Bossa Nova". discogs.com. Discogs. 1998. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  5. ^ a b c "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.
  6. ^ "Bet.E & Stef – Wish You Well". discogs.com. Discogs. 25 July 2001. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  7. ^ "Bet.e and Stef – Day By Day". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  8. ^ Robbins, Li (24 February 2003). "Canada's turbo-powered bossa duo". The Globe and Mail. The Globe & Mail. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  9. ^ "Bet E & Stef Remix Deluxe". allmusic.com. AllMusic. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  10. ^ "Bet.e & Stef renaissent de leurs cendres". Voir, Catherine Genest. 11 September 2013
  11. ^ "Le retour de Bet.e & Stef". Journal de Montréal, 26 February 2014 Fabien Boileau
  12. ^ "Bet.E & Stef – It's All Right". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  13. ^ "Review: BET.E & STEF It’s All Right" Archived 2017-01-09 at the Wayback Machine. No Dice Mag,
  14. ^ "Bet.E and Stef – Seeds". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  15. ^ "The duo of Bet.e and Stef returns after long hiatus" Archived 2016-08-21 at the Wayback Machine. The Guardian, May 2, 2015.
  16. ^ "Les 15 chansons québécoises de l'été 2015 (VIDÉOS)". Le Huffington Post Québec , Samuel Larochelle, 15/07/2015
  17. ^ "A photo tour of world music artists at the Montreal International Jazz Festival". World Music Central, July 18, 2015 Madanmohan Rao
  18. ^ [1]. info-culture.biz, November 18, 2017. Nathalie Méthot, 20/05/2018
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