French jazz singer and recording artist Raquel Bitton is recognized as the foremost singer of French Jazz music in America today and has been internationally reviewed as the greatest interpreter of the music from the Edith Piaf repertoire.
Raquel was Born in Marrakesh, Morocco. In 1970, as a teenager, Raquel and her family moved to San Francisco where she began her American career, focusing on the songs from the French l’Age d’Or.
She discovered her French repertoire by dusting off her father’s old records that he brought with him to America. Raquel was drawn to the passionate melodies and lyrics of the romantic period of the 1930’s and 40’s.
Raquel’s insatiable appetite for songs of the heart led her to the Edith Piaf songbook. Raquel became not only an expert historian on the life and songs of Edith Piaf, but also a renowned interpreter of her music, singularly able to capture the complete essence of one of the great vocalists of the 20th Century.
Raquel has performed her hit show, “Raquel Bitton sings Piaf- her story, her songs” to sold-out performances at notable concert halls across North America including Carnegie Hall 3x “PIAF- her story, her songs” celebrates the extraordinary life of the legendary Piaf through her songs. A 20-piece orchestra backs Bitton’s one-woman tribute to the “little sparrow.” Bitton’s unique, heartfelt renditions (sung in French) and her powerful delivery take her audience on an intensely moving and emotional journey.
In addition, Raquel performs several other elegant French-themed presentations including “Pops goes to Paris” (for symphony pops) “A Little Bit Of Paris” and now her newest show “Boleros” Where Passion Meets Romance to support her new French/Latin Jazz CD release “Boleros”.