Michel de Senarclens was born in Paris on 17 June 1951. However young Michel, who was born into an aristocratic family, would actually grow up in Switzerland. His father, a prominent lawyer, decided to move back to his homeland in 1957 for professional reasons.

Sarclo spent his teenage years in Geneva where he quickly developed an interest in acting. But in the end Sarclo's love of music, and in particular, his guitar, would win out over his drama talent. Sarclo (better known as Sarcloret in the early days of his career) gained his first precious musical
experience playing with local groups by night while studying architecture at the Ecole Polytechnique in Lausanne by day. In 1977 the budding young musician performed one of his very first gigs, playing in the courtyard outside the newly-built Pompidou Centre in Paris with a band called La Bande en l'air.

Meanwhile, Sarclo was busy forging a solid reputation back home on the live circuit in Switzerland. After making a name for himself playing in local culture centres, the budding
young star went on to perform a series of concerts all over Switzerland, bringing the house down when he appeared at the "Festival du Bois de la Bâtie" in Geneva.

In spite of his increasing prominence on the music scene, Sarclo never abandoned his architecture studies. And on 24 September 1980 Michel de Senarclens was presented with his
architecture diploma. September 24th provided double cause for celebration as later that same day the singer/newly-qualified architect went on to get married.

The following year Sarclo concentrated on his music career, putting the finishing touches to his debut album. The album, rather humorously entitled "Les plus grands succès de Sarcloret" (Sarcloret's Greatest Hits), was released on Sarclo's own label, Côtes du Rhône. In 1983 Sarclo followed this up with a second album entitled "Les premiers adieux de Sarcloret" (Sarcloret's First Goodbye"!) The ironic titles of Sarclo's first albums signalled the arrival of an authentic
music rebel and Sarclo wasted no time in establishing himself as a radical anti-conformist. Writing songs that took listeners well off the beaten track, Sarclo expressed his rage and joy with equal emotion, using hard-hitting lyrics that never wasted time beating about the bush.

In 1983 the Swiss rebel with a cause set off on an extensive tour of France, winning over new audiences with songs which revolved around everyday realities and social and political
commitment. Sarclo was not to mainstream tastes, however, and for a long time the singer was little known outside a loyal but small following of fans. Although music critics frequently
gave Sarclo's albums rave reviews, the singer was never wholly appreciated by the media. (Maybe this had something to do with the day Sarclo asked a friend of his to ring round
various newspapers and announce that he had died!)

Sarclo soldiered on regardless, however, and in 1985 brought out a new album entitled "Les Pulls de ma poule". The singer appeared on the cover of this new album dangling his newborn
daughter, Coline, under his arm. Sarclo's second daughter, Chloé, was born in 1987 - an event which inspired one of the singer's most famous lyrics "J'aime la vie, je fais des bébés, je suis un con multiplié" ("I love life, I go round making children, I'm a bloody idiot in multiple!") These memorable lyrics featured on Sarclo's new album "Les Mots, c'est beau", which was released later that year. "Les Mots, c'est beau" included four new versions of Sarclo classics and a dozen
tracks recorded live in concert. This new album hit new heights of Sarclo irony with songs such as "Tous les chanteurs sont des crétins"("All Singers Are Cretins") and various references to one of the singer's pet subjects: the torments of love c.f. "On est pas assez beau pour les filles qui sont belles" (You're Never Handsome Enough For Beautiful Girls) "Pas si elles sont pas d'accord" (Not If Women Don't Agree) and "Encore une fille qui passe"(Another Girl Goes By).

Meanwhile, the mid-80s also found Sarclo turning his attention to his alternative profession and putting his architectural skills to good use. After renovating "La Couronnette" (a house in Rolle in the Swiss canton of Vaud), Sarclo would go on to complete the "Villa Charles" in Geneva in 1991.

After bringing out his album "Les Mots, c'est beau" in 1987, Sarclo flew out to Quebec to make his first appearance at the city's famous summer festival. Sarclo's concert proved a huge success and in the course of his career the singer has returned to play at the Festival d'été de Québec several times. In April and May '89, much to the delight of his French fans, Sarclo went on to perform a series of gigs at Le Tourtour in Paris, before heading back to Switzerland where he
toured extensively throughout the autumn. Many of the venues Sarclo performed in were relatively small and obscure. Indeed, several Sarclo gigs attracted barely more than a dozen fans - but the singer always gave the same superb performance, delighting his audience with well-chiselled lyrics and witty, barbed monologues between songs.

In June 1990 Sarclo gained major critical acclaim, winning one of the top awards at the "Journées Georges Brassens" held in the town of Sète in the south of France. 1990 proved to be a
triumphant year in Sarclo's career, for three months later the Genevan rebel went on to perform at the legendary Olympia in Paris, bringing the house down with tracks from his new album
"L'amour comment procéder?" Sarclo delighted his audience by inviting numerous guest stars up on stage with him at the Olympia, paying homage to various musician friends including Xavier Lacouture, Boris Santeff and the talented Quebecois artist Jim Corcoran. Sarclo was the undoubted star of the evening, however, creating a vibrant atmosphere with bass, drums, two keyboard-players and himself on guitar.

In 1990 Sarclo returned to Quebec to perform two mini-tours, stopping off to make a welcome second appearance at the city's Festival d'Eté. The following year Sarclo headed back to Canada to perform at the famous "Francofolies" music festival in Montreal.

In 1992 Sarclo was back in the music news with a rather whimsical live album entitled "Une tristesse bleue et grise" (Blue and Grey Sadness). The songs on this new album revolved
around one of the singer's favourite themes: love. But this time the Genevan rebel indulged his more melancholy side, writing lyrics such as "Reviens de temps en temps/ reviens juste un moment / Je voudrais pleurer dans tes bras". (Come back from time to time/ Back for just a moment/ So you can hold me while I cry). Sarclo's new album also featured "Mon papa", a moving homage to his father (to whom he has remained very closely attached all his life). Later that year Sarclo also devoted much time and energy to his live performances, appearing at the Théâtre de 10 heures in Paris for a two-month run, then embarking on a mini-tour of France. In July of that year Sarclo was also invited to perform at Avignon as part of the festival's Swiss line-up.

Sarclo spent most of '93 touring France and Quebec, but he also managed to find time to release a new album, "Sarclo Solo", on his label Côtes du Rhône. This album, which featured live extracts from several different concerts, was humorously subtitled "extracts from shows, improbable songs and various gibberish"! "Sarclo Solo" captured the live ambience of Sarclo's concerts perfectly, including several extracts where the singer introduces his songs with witty, ironic monologues. 1993 also saw the release of "Idiotensichergesammeltewerke", a boxed 5-CD set, featuring no less than 87 Sarclo tracks recorded between 1985 and 1993.

1993 proved to be a busy year for Sarclo for he also staged a special tribute show to pay homage to the legendary Swiss singer Gilles (best known in France for having written "Les Trois cloches" - a song which was immortalised by Edith Piaf and Les Compagnons de la Chanson). Sarclo would collaborate with another well-known Swiss artist, Michel Bühler, on this special "Hommage à Gilles".

Between the 6th and 10th of December 1994 Sarclo returned to Paris to perform at Le Sentier des Halles, a small, intimate venue which perfectly suited the ambience of his new show "l'Amour de l'amour". Sarclo also performed numerous concerts in Belgium and Quebec. But the highlight of Sarclo's career in 1994 was when he teamed up with his friend Jim Corcoran, and toured a new show ("Sarclo and Co") in French-speaking Switzerland. The following year Sarclo embarked on a new collaboration, inviting Jean-Michel Kajdan to accompany him on stage when he performed at the Petit Palais des Glaces in Paris (28 March - 15 April). 1995 also saw the release of a new Sarclo compilation "T'es belle comme le petit Larousse à la page des avions" (You're As Beautiful As The Airplane Page In Le Petit Larousse) .

Meanwhile, Sarclo celebrated two happy events in his personal life: two new children born in 1995 and 1997.

Sarclo was back in the music news in 1996 with a new album entitled "L'Amour de l'amour" (et la chair à saucisse)" (Love of Love and Sausage Meat). This new album, produced by Jean-Michel Kajdan, featured 15 new songs including "Le Bonheur" and "L'Amour, quel bordel". The new album was in Sarclo's usual vein, oscillating freely between barbed irony and softer, more sensitive lyrics.

In 1996 French singer Renaud invited Sarclo to accompany him on an extensive tour of France (80 dates in all including 5 in Paris at the legendary Olympia). Sarclo was on stage each evening for just 20 minutes but, accompanied by his loyal guitarist Denis Margadant, he appeared to have no trouble at all winning the audience over with his new show ("Ce soir, on fait des nouilles").

Sarclo's performance at the Olympia was recorded and included on a new live album, "Sarclo", released at the start of '97. This CD album also featured extracts from Sarclo's series of concerts at the Théâtre d'Ivry Antoine Vitez (where the singer performed between 14 January and 2 February). These concerts were organised during Sarclo's 'artist-in-residency' experience at the Théâtre d'Ivry when, together with his guitarist Denis Margadant, accordionist Marc Berthoumieux and comedian and theatre director Yannick Jaulin, Sarclo created a one-off show, with the support and encouragement of his French friend Renaud.

Sarclo, now a proud father of four, is currently based in the French town of Vulbens (close to the Swiss border) where, in 1981, he set up the headquarters of his record label Côtes du Rhône. The two latest additions to Sarclo's family actually feature on the cover of his new album "On leur doit des enfants si doux" (We Owe Them Such Sweet Children), the cover photo of the album showing a smiling Sarclo posing with a bare-bummed baby under each arm.

Following the release of his new album, Sarclo set off on an extensive Swiss tour (between December '98 and February '99), stopping off for a quick series of concerts in Paris at the Café de la Gare (26 - 30 January '99). In July '99 Sarclo proved to be a big hit at the "Festival d'Eté" in Quebec. He then went on to bring the house down at the Nyon Festival in Switzerland.

Two years later, keeping up his usual fecund output, Sarclo released a no-less-than-18-track album entitled "l’Amour est un commerce mais la décharge est municipale" ("Love is a business but dumping is municipal"). Like most of his albums, this one is also endowed with a seriocomic tone and mingles irony with delicacy and cynicism with generosity. His main emphasis is on love which he confronts with problem news items such as pedophilia in "le Pédophile de Kreuzlingen" or, one of his classic themes—war and its absurd and violent blindness—in "Faut-il apprendre a nos enfants?" (Should we teach our children?).

Closely following the release, the singer went on to promote the album. He made an appearance on the tiny stage of the Parisian Point Virgule Theatre, and he followed up at the end of October with a 40-gig tour around Switzerland.

October 2001