Lavilliers' journey began at the age of 19. Escaping a seemingly dull future as an ouvrier at the local factory alongside his father, he fled to Brazil. From Rio to Salvador de Bahia to the Carribean, he worked odd jobs wherever he could, and when he returned to France in 1967 he began singing in cabarets in Paris. Bernard Lavilliers spent the next ten years developing artistically, recording for several labels, combining the poetic storytelling tradition of his idol, Léo Ferré, with the Latin American rhythms which had become a trademark.

By 1977, Lavilliers gave his first show at the Olympia theatre in Paris, marking the beginning of his stardom. In the 1980s, the hits were coming one after the other: "Stand the Ghetto", "La Salsa", "Betty", "Le Bal". However, Lavilliers felt burnt-out by the relentless performance schedule and decided that he would always take time out now and then to travel. Each voyage would bring new sounds, ideas, and stories for the next album…

In 1997, Lavilliers released "Clair-Obscur", an exuberant collection of textures and influences. The song "Préface", with lyrics written by Léo Ferré himself, begins the album. It is a battle cry for those who feel that art and artists must be free of social games and hypocrisies: "À l'école du poèsie et de la musique, on n'apprend pas/ On se bat!"

That song is followed by two reggae songs: "Audit" ("Au bout de compte - j'ai fait le compte des gens qui compte pour moi"); and "Le venin", with images of Cuba and Jamaica mixed with a fable about ill-fated lovers. "Romeo machado" is a fun samba, while "La machine" and "Chienne de guerre" are pure rock and roll.

The sounds on this album are sublime, and Lavilliers has assembled an impressive band as well. "Clair-Obscur" is an adventurous, literate, and well-rounded record from a seasoned storyteller.