Garou

Garou, born Pierre Garand, is a Québécois singer known for his distinctive gravelly baritone voice, one of the most recognizable in French-language popular music. He first reached wide audiences through the musical Notre-Dame de Paris, where his portrayal of Quasimodo — and the song «Belle», performed with Daniel Lavoie and Patrick Fiori — became a defining moment of late-1990s French pop, topping charts across the French-speaking world.

He launched his solo career in 2000 with the album Seul, which established him as a major artist in his own right, moving between pop and rock-leaning ballads with a raw, soulful edge that stood apart from more polished contemporaries. Songs like «Sous le vent», a duet with Céline Dion, «Criminel», and «Que l'amour est violent» showcased his range, from tender duets to driving rock-inflected pop.

Garou has remained a fixture of French and Québécois popular music for over two decades, continuing to release albums and collaborate widely. He has also been a longtime member of Les Enfoirés, the French charity supergroup that performs annual benefit concerts, reflecting his integrated place within the francophone entertainment world well beyond his musical-theatre origins.