:LiLi Roquelin

Roquelin was born in Toulon, France, and grew up on The French Riviera (known in French as La Côte d'Azur), learning music at a very young age. She played several gigs as a teenager, both solo and in various bands. She then left France to pursue a career in the United States.{{cite web |last=Warner |first=Annette |date=3 January 2009 |title=Madalyn's Blog – a social networks resource plus helpful tips for musicians & biz peeps – social media, marketing, success, motivation, promotions |url=http://madalynsklar.blogspot.com/2009/01/gogirls-interview-with-lili-roquelin.html |accessdate=5 May 2011 |publisher=Madalynsblog.com}} She moved to the Cleveland-Akron area of Northeast Ohio, and fronted Phizzy Lager{{cite web |last=Bracelin |first=Jason |title=Hate Dies Hard, Locals Only, Cleveland Scene |url=http://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/hate-dies-hard/Content?oid=1493937 |accessdate=5 May 2011 |publisher=Clevescene.com}} and then the alternative hard-rock Kent, Ohio band Hate Dies Hard, and released with them in 2006 an album entitled Neverending Sundown and engineered by Bill Korecky (Mushroomhead's Producer).{{cite web |last=Gott |first=Gabe |date=2006-02-23 |title=Hate Dies Hard rocks with new material |url=http://kentwired.com/hate-dies-hard-rocks-with-new-material/ |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130127032946/http://kentwired.com/hate-dies-hard-rocks-with-new-material/ |archivedate=27 January 2013 |accessdate=2012-09-17}}{{cite web |last=Ferris |first=D. X. |title=Got Your Numbers |url=http://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/got-your-numbers/Content?oid=1492119 |accessdate=28 April 2017 |work=clevescene.com}}

Roquelin was introduced to producer Sean Bilovecky (Disengage), who collaborated with her on "I Saw You". Later that year, Roquelin moved to New York City. The music video for "I Saw You" was included in her self-titled EP and won Best Music Video at the Queens (NY) International Film Festival in November 2008 and Best Music Video at the 2009 Indie Gathering Film Festival.{{cite web |last=Razzano |first=Tiffany |date=22 February 2006 |title=Queens Chronicle – Roquelin breaks barriers of language and sound |url=http://www.qchron.com/qboro/stories/roquelin-breaks-barriers-of-language-and-sound/article_706a2554-b6b8-5a07-ae67-fc573f9e51e7.html |accessdate=5 May 2011 |publisher=Zwire.com}}

Roquelin recruited Marc Urselli to mix and master the recordings from her EP and launched an online crowdfunding campaign to help cover the expenses of the EP, a recording of down-tempo, trip hop songs composed by Roquelin with lyrics in English and French accompanied by her piano arrangements.{{cite web |last=Razzano |first=Tiffany |date=8 January 2009 |title=Roquelin breaks barriers of language and sound |url=http://www.qchron.com/qboro/stories/roquelin-breaks-barriers-of-language-and-sound/article_706a2554-b6b8-5a07-ae67-fc573f9e51e7.html |accessdate=28 April 2017 |work=qchron.com}} "Blues Alone" received an Honorable Mention at the 2009 John Lennon Songwriting Contest.{{Cite web |title=Lili Roquelin's New Album |url=https://home.nestor.minsk.by/jazz/news/2010/05/3102.html |access-date=2024-01-23 |website=home.nestor.minsk.by}}{{Cite web |title=John Lennon Songwriting Contest |url=https://jlsc.com/winners/2009a/hms.php |access-date=2024-01-23 |website=jlsc.com}}

Roquelin released a full-length album Will you hate the rest of the world or will you renew your life? and a music video for "Should You Get Mad" in February 2010. The video was directed by Arnaud Muller (U2) at RNO Pictures and was in the official selection of ZFF Film Festival (London, Miami, LA).{{cite web |last=Pfeiffer |first=John |date=24 November 2010 |title=Shoreworld: Joe Whyte, Motorcycle Charity Run And Lili Roquelin |url=http://www.theaquarian.com/2010/11/24/shoreworld-joe-whyte-motorcycle-charity-run-and-lili-roquelin/ |accessdate=5 May 2011 |website=The Aquarian Weekly |publisher=}} It was runner-up in the Best Music Video in pop category at the 2010 Indie Gathering Film Festival and Convention.{{cite web |author=Ray Szuch |title=2009 Winners |url=http://www.theindiegathering.com/2010winners.htm |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100617192654/http://theindiegathering.com/2010winners.htm |archivedate=17 June 2010 |accessdate=5 May 2011 |publisher=The Indie Gathering}} The album also includes a cover of Danny Elfman's "Sally's Song" (from Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas){{cite web |last=Pfeiffer |first=John |date=25 March 2010 |title=Shoreworld: Third Cape May Singer-Songwriter Conference and Stokefest, The Aquarian Weekly |url=http://www.theaquarian.com/2010/03/25/shoreworld-third-cape-may-singer-songwriter-conference-and-stokefest/ |accessdate=5 May 2011 |publisher=Theaquarian.com}}{{cite web |last=Gavin |first=Michael |date=22 October 2018 |title="Nightmare Before Christmas" celebrates 25 years of Jack Skellington's holiday crossover |url=https://insidethemagic.net/2018/10/jack-skellington-nightmare-before-christmas-celebrates/ |website=insidethemagic.net}} in French.{{cite web |last=Nguyen |first=My |date=30 November 2010 |title=new music: Lili Roquelin |url=http://reviewermag.net/press/?p=3363 |accessdate=28 April 2017 |work=reviewermag.net}}

Her music was listed as credit on the soundtrack of Attack of La Nina by Matchstick Productions.{{Cite web |last=Joergangeli |first=Von |title=Review: Attack Of La Nina |url=https://www.freeskiers.net/freeskiers-net-media/review-attack-of-la-nina.html |access-date=2024-01-23 |website=www.freeskiers.net |language=de}}

LiLi Roquelin released an album, Beautiful Sun, in December 2012. On 31 January 2013 she premiered the music video for her song "Thank You". There is a mini-documentary on the making of "Beautiful Sun".{{Cite web |last=Dilson |first=Jacob |date=2013-02-11 |title=Astoria musician treats fans to new material at club gig – QNS.com |url=https://qns.com/2013/02/astoria-musician-treats-fans-to-new-material-at-club-gig/ |access-date=2024-01-24 |website=qns.com |language=en-US}} Some of the musicians on the album are cellist Christopher Marion, guitarist and bassist Askold Buk (Hayley Westenra, Hugh Masekela).{{cite web |last=Pfeiffer |first=John |date=2013-03-06 |title=Shoreworld: Lili Roquelin – Beautiful Sun |url=http://www.theaquarian.com/2013/03/06/shoreworld-lili-roquelin-beautiful-sun/ |accessdate=28 April 2017 |work=theaquarian.com}} She composed and arranged all of the music on the album and recruited Grammy winning mixing engineer Marc Urselli and Roman Vail, mastering engineer at JLM Mastering Studios (Moby, Sinéad O'Connor, The Black Crowes).{{cite web |url=http://arainofthought.blogspot.com/2013/06/Lili-Roquelin-New-Album-Beautiful-Sun-and-Independent-Artist-Success3.html |title=Lili Roquelin on Her New Album "Beautiful Sun" & Success as an Independent Artist | a rain of thought |accessdate=2013-06-16 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140217134944/http://arainofthought.blogspot.com/2013/06/Lili-Roquelin-New-Album-Beautiful-Sun-and-Independent-Artist-Success3.html |archivedate=17 February 2014}}

On 21 November 2013 she premiered her new music video for "The Only One" at a Music & Film event that she presented.{{cite web |url=http://weheartastoria.com/events/music-film-event-presented-by-lili-roquelin-featuring-the-premiere-of-her-new-music-video-the-only-one/ |title=Music & Film Event presented by LiLi Roquelin, featuring the Premiere of her new Music Video "The Only One" |accessdate=2013-12-05 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212044918/http://weheartastoria.com/events/music-film-event-presented-by-lili-roquelin-featuring-the-premiere-of-her-new-music-video-the-only-one/ |archivedate=12 December 2013}}{{cite web |last=Kawaii |first=Mart |date=22 November 2013 |title=LiLi Roquelin with brand new video for The Only One |url=http://www.flowersinagun.com/lili-roquelin-with-brand-new-video-for-the-only-one/ |accessdate=28 April 2017 |work=flowersinagun.com}} It is a one-shot music video where Roquelin walks down a path while various men appear around her. At the end of the video, the guy she runs into turns out to be 'The One'.{{Cite web |date=2013-11-14 |title=Tribune epaper 111413 by Michael Nussbaum - Issuu |url=https://issuu.com/queenstribune/docs/tribune_epaper_111413 |access-date=2024-01-23 |website=issuu.com |language=en}} It was directed by Kyle Lavore, who has worked on films The Amazing Spider-Man and Men in Black III. "The Only One" is track number 5 on album "Beautiful Sun", a Rock song with alternative guitars, inspired in part by her past Rock music experience.

On 2 May 2014 she performed as the opening act for Bruce Sudano (producer for Michael Jackson, Dolly Parton and his wife Donna Summer) at The Bitter End.{{cite web |author= |date=2014-04-01 |title=LiLi Roquelin Band to Perform at The Bitter End, 5/2 |url=http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/LiLi-Roquelin-Band-to-Perform-at-The-Bitter-End-52-20140401#.U3QBl4FdV8G |accessdate=28 April 2017 |work=broadwayworld.com}}

In December 2014 Roquelin released a new Music Video "Like a Feather" animated by Indie Venture. The video was shown at a private Music, Film and Animation event that she presented in New York City with support from Asifa-East (International Animated Film Association, East Coast Chapter). In March 2015, she released an indie-pop single entitled "Smile".{{cite web|url=http://www.asifaeast.com/lili-roquelin-music-video-premiere-and-film-screening-event/|title=Lili Roquelin Music Video Premiere and Film Screening Event - ASIFA-East|work=asifaeast.com|date=23 November 2014 |accessdate=28 April 2017}}{{cite web |last=Kawaii |first=Mart |date=3 March 2015 |title="Smile" and "Like a feather": LiLi Roquelin with new song and video |url=http://www.flowersinagun.com/smile-and-like-a-feather-lili-roquelin-with-new-song-and-video/ |accessdate=28 April 2017 |work=flowersinagun.com}}

Four of Lili Roquelin’s songs were on Dance Moms (LifeTime TV); one of them was chosen for a Solo Number by dancer/actress Maddie Ziegler, who has performed in several videos by singer Sia Furler.

Her "Like a Feather" Music Video was in the official selection of several Film Festivals, it received a Nomination for Best Short Film at the Golden Door International Film Festival{{Cite web |last= |date=2015-11-22 |title=Taking it personally - Hudson Reporter Archive |url=https://archive.hudsonreporter.com/2015/11/22/taking-it-personally/ |access-date=2024-01-23 |language=en-US}} and won "Rising Star Award" at the 11th Canada International Film Festival in April 2016.{{cite web|url=https://www.canadafilmfestival.com/2016|title=Canada International Film Festival - Screenplay Contest - 2016|work=canadafilmfestival.com|accessdate=28 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170410214232/https://canadafilmfestival.com/2016/|archive-date=10 April 2017|url-status=dead}}

Roquelin released a new album "Be Inspired" on 6 December 2018, with a red-carpet event and live performance at The Bitter End in New York City with a band.{{cite web |last=Musbach |first=Julie |date=20 November 2018 |title=LiLi Roquelin's New Album BE INSPIRED Celebrates Red Carpet Release Party |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/article/LiLi-Roquelins-New-Album-BE-INSPIRED-Celebrates-Red-Carpet-Release-Party-20181120 |website=broadwayworld.com}}{{cite web | url=https://frenchmorning.com/lili-roquelin-concert-a-the-bitter-end/ | title=LiLi Roquelin en concert à the Bitter End | date=4 December 2018 }} She also released a Documentary offering a behind the scenes look into the work she put into producing the record. The album has a more upbeat mood and features piano, ukulele and four songs in French.{{Cite web |last=O’Connell-Domenech |first=Alejandra |date=2018-11-17 |title=Astoria artist's newest album offers quick pick me ups for dark winter days – QNS.com |url=https://qns.com/2018/11/astoria-artists-newest-album-offers-quick-pick-me-ups-for-dark-winter-days/ |access-date=2024-01-23 |website=qns.com |language=en-US}}{{cite web |date=14 June 2019 |title=Power to Move You - the Wave |url=https://www.rockawave.com/articles/power-to-move-you/ |website=rockawave.com}}{{cite web |last=Carson |first=Ron |date=18 January 2019 |title=LiLi Roquelin Returns to the WSBS Airwaves |url=https://wsbs.com/lili-roquelin-returns-to-the-wsbs-airwaves/ |website=wsbs.com}}

She selected and directed a total of 12 people while creating and managing the album. Brian Scheuble (Elton John, Sheryl Crow, Liz Phair) mixed the album and Grammy-nominated Joe Lambert (Moby, Sinéad O'Connor) was the mastering engineer. She emphasized in interviews the fact there are less than 10% of record producers who are women and her goal is to encourage other women to follow their vision.

In June 2019, she performed the American National Anthem at Citi Field, New York Mets. A few weeks later she also performed Live on Ukulele/piano accompanied by guitar and drums at the 13th annual Rockstock & Barrels surf, skate and music festival on Rockaway Beach, New York City.{{cite web |date=24 May 2019 |title=A Rockaway Original - the Wave |url=https://www.rockawave.com/articles/a-rockaway-original |website=rockawave.com}}

She participated alongside Julian Lennon on a spoken-word track called "Voices of the People," which is part of the soundtrack album featuring Quincy Jones for the movie "One Little Finger", directed by Rupam Sarmah and released in fall 2019.{{cite web | url=https://nitelifeexchange.com/profile-lili-roquelin-goes-deep-with-songwriting-and-a-pop-rock-career/ | title=Profile: Lili Roquelin Goes Deep with Songwriting and a Pop-Rock Career | date=18 November 2019 }}{{cite web | url=https://whitefeatherfoundation.com/news/julian-lennon-contributes-to-one-little-finger-film-for-ability-in-disability-awareness/ | title=Julian Lennon Contributes to Film for Ability in Disability Awareness | date=27 April 2019 }}

On 28 February 2020, before New York City's public health crisis and COVID-19 pandemic confinement, she shot with her team the music video "Feel Good" which was then officially released on 5 May 2020 with the deluxe edition of “Be Inspired”.{{cite web |last=Phoenix |first=Will |date=2020-05-05 |title='Something' in Music 52 - HVY Journalists |url=https://www.hvy.com/wsp2469/something-in-music-52 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200507200516/https://www.hvy.com/wsp2469/something-in-music-52 |archive-date=2020-05-07 |website=www.hvy.com}}

In August 2020, in an interview on "How Did I Get Here?", the podcast of Johnny Goudie, she talked about her latest album, "Be Inspired", and the need for a positive message during these uncertain times.{{Cite web |last=Goudie |first=Johnny |date=4 August 2020 |title=Episode 957: LiLi Roquelin |url=https://howdidigethere.podbean.com/e/episode-957-lili-roquelin/ |website=howdidigethere.podbean.com}}

In November 2021, she was featured in the conclusion of The New York Times article “To Breed or Not to Breed” with her song “Childree” and discussed what women go through because of their choice to not have children. The song has become the “anthem” for childfree women and her goal is to support their freedom.{{Cite web |last=Barnes |first=JJ |date=2022-01-12 |title=Songwriter Interview - LiLi Roquelin – |url=https://www.thetablereadmagazine.co.uk/songwriter-interview-lili-roquelin/ |access-date=2024-01-23 |website=www.thetablereadmagazine.co.uk |language=en-GB}} The song uses a cover art where it shows as many as 50 faces of women who are happy without having children.{{Cite web |last= |date=2023-02-09 |title=Seperti Gitasav, Musisi Cewek Ini Juga Gak Mau Punya Anak & Bikin Lagu 'Childfree' - Indozone Music - Halaman 2 |url=https://music.indozone.id/k-pop/971233601/seperti-gitasav-musisi-cewek-ini-juga-gak-mau-punya-anak-bikin-lagu-childfree |access-date=2024-01-23 |website=Seperti Gitasav, Musisi Cewek Ini Juga Gak Mau Punya Anak & Bikin Lagu 'Childfree' - Indozone Music - Halaman 2 |language=id}}

On Bastille Day 2023, she performed at New York’s Gantry Plaza State Park under the Gantry Towers at a free event that she co-organized with New York State Parks.{{Cite web |last=Cuvelier |first=Gwendoline |date=2023-06-21 |title=14 juillet 2023 : Lili Roquelin en concert gratuit au cœur d'un parc new-yorkais |url=https://lesfrancais.press/14-juillet-2023-lili-roquelin-en-concert-gratuit-au-coeur-dun-parc-new-yorkais/ |access-date=2024-01-23 |website=LesFrancais.press |language=fr-FR}}

• Neverending Sundown (with Hate Dies Hard) (2006)
• Will you hate the rest of the world or will you renew your life? (2010) - Includes "Renew", "Keep This For You", "Sally's Song", "Should you Get Mad"
• Beautiful Sun (2012) - Includes "Thank You", "Like a Feather", "The Only One"
• Be Inspired (December 2018)
• Be Inspired (Deluxe Edition) (May 2020)

• LiLi Roquelin (2008) - Includes "Blues Alone", Music Video of "I Saw You"
• 2008 EP (Deluxe Edition) (2020) - Includes Exclusive Bonus Track dreamy acoustic version of "Blues Alone"

• "I Saw You" (2008)
• "Bliss of My Soul" Feat. R.e.a.P (Hip-Hop Remix) (2014)
• "Smile" (LiLi Roquelin & Peter Lobo) (2015)
• "Abolitionistas", "Liberty" (2015)
• "Don't You Know It's Christmas" (2017)
• "Childfree" (2021)

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.liliroquelin.com Official website]
• {{youTube|user=liliroquelin}}
• {{SoundCloud|id=liliroquelin}}

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Category:People from Astoria, Queens

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century American singer-songwriters

Category:French emigrants to the United States

Category:American women rock singers

Category:French women singers

Category:Musicians from Manhattan

Category:American women singer-songwriters

Category:American women pianists

Category:Singers from New York City

Category:Musicians from Toulon

Category:American trip hop musicians

Category:21st-century American guitarists

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Guitarists from New York City

Category:21st-century American women singers

Category:American alternative rock singers

Category:21st-century American pianists

Category:21st-century American women guitarists

Category:Singer-songwriters from New York (state)