Martin Meissonnier

Journalist, producer, director and composer, formerly a journalist for Libération, has specialised in discovering new types of music. In the 1970s he organised the concerts of numerous jazz musicians such as Don Cherry, the Art Ensemble of Chicago, John Lee Hooker and Dizzy Gillespie. In the early 1980s, he became the producer of a number of African singers including Fela Kuti, King Sunny Ade, Salif Keita, Ray Lema, Papa Wemba, Manu Dibango and Wasis Diop, helping them to launch international careers. In 1986, he organised the first raï festival in Bobigny, opening the borders of France to Arabic music. He produced Khaled's first album with Safy Boutella, co-composed two albums with Amina, then produced Arthur H's first album and an album for Alan Stivell. In 1989 he directed Megamix for la Sept on France 3 and then Arte, a music magazine which ran for six years with over 220 broadcasts. In 1992, he was advisor to Philippe Decouflé and composed a large part of the music for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympic Games in Albertville. Between 1994 and 2000 he directed numerous documentary films for Arte and Canal Plus, including several programmes about the Internet and numeric art, rap, and the techno movement. In 2001 his book about depleted uranium entitled "Uranium appauvri: la guerre invisible" was published by Robert Laffont.