The Rodeo is the stage name of French-Vietnamese musician and singer Dorothée Hannequin. Born and raised in France to a French father and a Vietnamese mother, Dorothée is also known as a talented actress, costume designer and film producer.
Portrait of the singer The Rodeo.
In 2023, Dorothée became one of the winners of the Villa Saigon residency program of the French Institute of Vietnam. She will spend six weeks in her S-shaped homeland, having the opportunity to collaborate with local artists and perform a tour in 5 major cities of Vietnam in June 2023.
The wild pop and rock night of the female singer The Rodeo was held on June 16 at IDECAF, HCMC.
“At first glance, she is a mixed-Asian beauty. Her songs are like pop candies with an irresistible sour taste. And then, after enjoying both sides (of the candy), we are enchanted by the brown-haired singer” [...] - Live interview on the En sol majeur program of RFI.
The Rodeo is highly appreciated by many prestigious music and entertainment magazines in France. Dorothée's compositions have more or less the sound of European pop in the 60s and 70s. However, "Say tinh", one of her hits, reminds listeners of the golden age of French songs, especially the legendary duo Michel Berger and France Gall. "The two songs 'Say tinh' and 'Côn gió' (by The Rodeo) embody all the most passionate and wonderful things about French pop" - Rolling Stone.
From a piece of scientific newspaper, a news story accidentally heard can also become a source of inspiration for Dorothée's works. Works such as 'Let My Memory Live Forever' or 'Hibernation' were born like that. If 'Let My Memory Live Forever' was composed by Dorothée based on the story of a Canadian researcher who invented a therapy that can erase part of memory... then 'Hibernation' was inspired by the story of a girl with a serious illness who wanted to be 'frozen in hibernation', hoping that one day modern medicine could cure her.
The lyrics used in Dorothée's songs have surprised many fans because of their unique content with many layers of meaning. Thérianthropie paradis, the artist's third album, talks about the ability of humans to "transform" into animals or vice versa. "Transformation" is the aspect that the artist wants to emphasize in this album. "Transformation" because the album starts with cheerful songs and ends with melancholy blue melodies. "Transformation" also in emotions because when immersed in "love", humans are more easily "closer" to animals. It is a dream world where we no longer know whether good or evil is dominating or both...
If the first two albums were sung in English, the third (Thérianthropie paradis) and the fourth (Arlequine) The Rodeo switched to singing in French. This created a “boost” for the band: “I realized that French was not a barrier, but (on the contrary) could give me an advantage when performing abroad…”
With her latest album, Arlequine, Dorothée “feminized” the character of Arlequin, making this character multifaceted, intelligent and sensitive. “Arlequine represents a series of portraits of women, both real and unreal… The women depicted in the album Arlequine are sometimes melancholy, sometimes strong, sometimes in love: all these characteristics can exist in the same person.”
Loved France Gall and can't stop listening to Hotel California? The Rodeo will surely captivate you with their smooth vocals and sweet bluesy melodies!
The tour in Vietnam will take place in 5 cities:
June 16, 2023 at IDECAF, Ho Chi Minh City
June 18, 2023 at Pho Ben Doi Creative Studio, Da Lat
June 21, 2023 at Polygon Musik – Complex 01, Hanoi
June 22, 2023 at Trung Vuong Cinema, Da Nang
June 23, 2023 at Hue Academy of Music
