Who was Catherine Ribeiro? Iconic French singer dies at 82

French singer-songwriter Catherine Ribeiro died on August 22, 2024, at 82 in a French retirement home in the city of Martigues. The singer's representatives confirmed the news to the Agence France-Presse, as reported by Le Monde.

Ribeiro was best known for her work as a ye-ye singer in the 60s, when she recorded many singles. She also released multiple albums with her band, Ribeiro+Alpes. Her debut album, Catherine Ribeiro + 2Bis, came out in 1969 in collaboration with instrumentalist Patrice Moullet.

The singer's other notable albums include N°2 in 1970 and Paix in 1972. During the 1970s, Ribeiro also released multiple solo works. Her work has since then attained a cult fanbase of its own and is widely appreciated for its avant-garde style.

The singer released her last album with her band, La Déboussole, in 1980, but continued releasing some solo work in the 1980s and 1990s.

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Catherine Ribeiro featured in Jean Luc Godard's 1963 film Les Carabiniers

Born in 1941 to Portuguese parents, Catherine Ribeiro began her career in singing in the 1960s. Before becoming a singer, Ribeiro appeared in iconic French director Jean Luc Godard's 1963 film, Les Carabiniers.

The singer played the role of Cleopatra in the film, which focuses on the story of two poor men who are called up to take part in war and promised riches. Ribeiro played the role of one of the man's wives, who encouraged her husband to go to war.

Subsequently, Ribeiro also appeared in multiple other films in the 1960s, including Buffalo Bill, l'eroe del far west (1964), We Are All Naked (1966), Happening (1968), Ne (1975), and Les écrans déchirés (1976).

She began her career as a singer by forming her band Ribeiro + Alpes. The band initially called themselves 2Bis but eventually changed their name to Alpes. Together with Ribeiro, they worked on some psychedelic rock albums. Some of their songs dealt with sensitive topics, including the Vietnam War and Palestine.

Multiple esteemed people have praised Ribeiro's work over the years, but Kim Gordon and Weyes Blood in particular have been appreciative of her work. Speaking to The Quietus in 2018, Kim Gordon described the singer's voice as "amazing", admitting that he relates to her music. He said,

“Catherine Ribeiro’s voice is so amazing and the music sounds so—I hate to use the word organic, but I just kind of relate it to the music. She is definitely an influence on me.”

Meanwhile, Weyes Blood has also been vocal about her appreciation for the French singer, and described her voice as an “extremely powerful, wild, improvisatory voice”. In September 2018, three of Ribeiro's albums, namely N°2, Âme Debout, and Paix, were reissued by Mexican Summer imprint Anthology Recordings.