Mil Mougenot

Born in Longwy, Meurthe-et-Moselle, on January 15, 1960, Jean Louis Christian "Mil" Mougenot began playing piano and guitar in his teens, then composed his first songs while exploring the field of lutherie, through the sitar and the baroque lute. He studied briefly at the Nancy School of Fine Arts, where he met CharlElie Couture, before devoting himself to music. His first self-produced album, À Victor Jara (1979), was quickly followed by Aux Charnières des Deux Mondes (1980). Winner of TF1's Découvertes TV talent show in 1981, Mil Mougenot surrounded himself with musicians for Paris concerts at Golf Drouot and Rose Bonbon, and, after a live recording with the group Look de Ville, produced the album Minimal (1983) for Philips, which brought him to the attention of a wider audience. He signed with various independent labels for the following Histoires Américaines (1984), Appaloosa (1986), then Sang Neuf (1992) and 63, Rue du Caire (1995) published by Dixiefrog. He broke away from the pop-rock and blues universe of Latin tendencies for Poèmes, Prières et Souvenirs d'Armes (2003), imbued with folk and spirituality, then Back to My Heavy Roots (2004), for music with a Christian consonance, from Kyrie Eleison (2006) to Messe au Christ Sauveur (2016). At the same time, the artist who renames herself Mil Marie Mougenot develops her knowledge of traditional medieval music and records, accompanying herself on the hurdy-gurdy or other instruments, the albums Le Parvis des Gentils (2012), Mille Terres, Mille Mers (2014), Escale au Café du Port (2015), Le Vielleux des 4 Saisons (2017) and Renouveau du Folk Norman (2017). Based in the Manche region of France, in 2020 he formed the alternative country duo Reload with his English partner Sarah Newton.