LOS ANGELES – “If someone had told me in 1979,” French-Canadian disco singer France Joli, 54, said, “when I was just 16 years old, that I would still be singing my first and biggest hit almost 40 years later, I would have thought they were crazy. But here I am—and very grateful for the continued love of diehard disco fans.”
Perhaps many readers of Instinct do not recognize Joli’s name, but trust this journalist at a young 51 years of age: “Come To Me” was a huge hit back in the summer of ‘79. (Yup, it's okay to do the math. I was 13.)
“Come To Me” sold three million copies around the world, rose to Numero Uno on the disco charts – and reached the Top 20 on Billboard’s influential pop chart, according to Joli's publicist.
“With most of my work taking me to New York from my home in Montreal these days,” Joli said, “it’s always a pleasure to perform for audiences in Southern California.”
Her two most recent gigs brought her to Palm Springs, a city she described as an “old friend,” as well as to Claremont, where the swanky and revered Claremont Colleges are (Pitzer, Scripps, Harvey Mudd, et al). The first involved singing at a benefit for Desert AIDS Project, the second, a private party thrown by one of Joli’s “biggest fans.” Apparently such a fan is not the first to lure the songstress from her Canadian enclave for a private, intimate concert. #MustBeNice
“Hopefully, on my next trip,” Joli said, “I can make a detour into L.A. to perform there. It’s been quite a while.” Hello! Promoters: what are you waiting for?
Joli’s additional hits include “Gonna Get Over You,” “The Heart to Break the Heart,” and “Feel Like Dancing.” And, what I consider to be a truly fresh slice of interpretive pop, in 2012, Joli recorded a dance version of Leonard Cohen’s classic “Hallelujah.” #Amen