Gavroche Duo brings a touch of France to Forest Hills
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A column in the Forest Hills/Rego Park Times by Michael Perlman
Among the latest addition to the Forest Hills arts scene are the young and talented musicians Valentine Biollay and Sunny Knable, known collectively as the Gavroche Duo.
On December 16, the duo performed their French jazz at La Boulangerie on 72nd Road, a two-hour engagement featuring Biollay on vocals and Knable on the accordion.
“Gavroche can change your mood from sadness to a smile with each song,” said fan Michele Dore. “You don’t need to understand the French lyrics, since their emotion will make you understand the meaning.”
Biollay formed the Gavroche Jazz Band in summer 2013. She later met Knable, and in spring of this year they began performing as the Gavroche Duo. However, they sound like they have been performing for decades, with the rich soul of Biollay’s vocals, Knable’s instrumentation, and their unique harmony as a duo.
Biollay, a native of Switzerland, trained as an actress and received an MA in theatre from La Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris, followed by a BFA in music from City College of New York. She first arrived in the U.S. in 2008 as an exchange student, and then returned in 2011, before settling in Forest Hills in July.
“I teach French music to children at TLB Music on the Upper East Side,” she said, “and I am hoping to bring my class to neighborhoods such as Forest Hills.” [FHT]
