#Biography Jann Halexander

Jann Halexander (born Aurélien Makosso-Akendengué on September 13, 1982 in Libreville, Gabon) is a French-Gabonese singer, songwriter, and director.

Biography

Grand-nephew of Gabonese folk singer Pierre Akendengué, he started playing piano at an early age, before turning in 2003 to performing arts – where his debut earned him a comparison to Jean Guidoni. He has released a dozen albums – first on his own, then under different labels since 2008. On March 22, 2013, he marks the 10th anniversary of his career at l'Auguste Théâtre (formerly l'Espace la Comedia), in Paris. Best known for his song 'À table´ (French for 'Dinner is served'), he's quite the performer – with shows in France, Belgium, and Germany. Biracial identity development, family dynamics, traveling, and belonging are among the topics he tackles.

In 2006, he plays Baron Statross The Magnificent, alongside Pascale Ourbih, in Rémi Lange's eponymous short. In 2008, he composed the score for another film – 'Devotee' – from the same director.

Régis Dubois penned a paragraph about him in his book Blacks in French Cinema (2012, Book Edition). There's a whole page devoted to him in Bernard Violet's biography of Yannick Noah – Yannick Noah, The Peaceful Warrior (2009, Fayard Edition). In 2010, biographer and lyricist Alain Pozzuoli devoted two pages to him and his song J'aimerais J'aimerais (French for 'I'd like, I'd like') in his book on eroticism in song Sexy Songs (Didier Carpentier Editions).

On November 28, 2010, he opened up for France 3 – on the set of L'Amour en Tous Genres (French for 'All Manners of Love') – about how his unusual perspectives set him apart within the musical field and from mainstream society.

On January 21, 2017, he performed Aucune Importance and Papa, Mum at Café de la Danse, in Paris, alongside other Gabonese artists - Tita Nzebi, JeaRian, and François N'Gwa - as part of the 'A New Dawn Rises' show for raising awareness on the lack of democracy in Gabon. On February 3, 2018, he's back to Café de la Danse in an opening gig to Tita Nzebi's show 'Clair de Lune' (French for 'Moonlight'). On February 14, 2018, he gave a 30-minute interview on Afronight (a Télésud Network program), in which he reflected upon the way his family and his homeland Gabon impact his career. July 20, 2018, marks the digital release of C'était à Port-Gentil (French for 'It happened in Port-Gentil'), a song recalling his childhood in Libreville.

Discography

• Halexander Songs (2005) / 10 self-produced tracks
• The Marginal (2008) / 21 tracks – produced by Apoplexia/ Midi 52, distributed by Socadisc
• A good singer is a dead singer (2013) / 13 tracks – produced by Label TH
• They sing Jann Halexander (2015) / 21 tracks – produced by Label TH
• Affidavit (2016), 14 tracks – produced by Label TH / Lalouline Editions
• To You I'd Say (2017) / 10 - produced by Label TH / Lalouline Editions
• It happened in Port-Gentil (2018) / 4 tracks - produced Label TH / Lalouline Editions