Born on 16 March: Guesch Patti, the star who made music dance

It was on 16 March 1946 that Patricia Porasse, better known as Guesch Patti, was born in the heart of Paris.

At the age of nine, as a prodigy, she became a "petit rat" at the Paris Opera. The following years of her life were devoted to honing in this talent with hard work and at times, pain. She lived, breathed and dreamed about dance. It was at this point that she chose a new name: she would henceforth be known as Guesch Patti, Patti as a diminutive of Patricia and Guesch because her Basque grandfather had given her that nickname. She also made her first appearances on television, notably accompanying Nana Mouskouri or Sylvie Vartan. It was a choreographer friend who first encouraged her to move behind the microphone. She recorded several 45s with Yves Gilbert, her husband at the time, under the name "Yves and Patricia".

In 1987, she enjoyed solo success with "Etienne", selling over a million and a half copies! While the video and lyrics were sultry, her relationship with her manager (who inspired the title) was strictly platonic. A year later, her album "Labyrinthe" was released, featuring another standout track. "Let Be Must The Queen", this time in the language of Shakespeare, also climbed high in the charts and earned her a Victoire de la Musique award in the Revelation of the Year category. The following album didn't achieve the same success and the third, although recorded in the Prince legendary studio in Minneapolis, was a commercial failure. However, she set off on tour again, blending dance, song and painting in an innovative show that showcased all of the singers' artistic facets.

The following albums brought her some wonderful encounters, such as Matthieu Chedid, Etienne Daho and Françoise Hardy on her album "Blonde" (1995). Meanwhile, filmmaker Peter Greenaway chose three of her songs as the soundtrack to his film "The Pillow Book" (1996). At the beginning of the 2000s, Guesch Patti distanced herself from music after releasing her last album ("Dernières nouvelles"), to return to her first loves. She resumed her career as a dancer but also tried her hand with brilliance in theatre and cinema. A polymath, the artist continues to work on shows. "Dance will always have first place in my life, it's my foundation," she confided in an interview.

(MH with CMa - Photo: © Etienne Tordoir)

Photo: Guesch Patti on stage in Amsterdam (Netherlands) at the end of the 1980s