Tanis (musician)

Tanis Tian-Xi Chalopin is a French and English music artist, singer, songwriter, photographer and composer.^[1] Half-Singaporean and half-French, and based out of Paris, she was born to writer-producer Jean Chalopin^[2] and one of Singapore’s first supermodels, Ethel Fong.^[1] Tanis gained recognition when, at the age of 14, she wrote the theme song for the Disney Asia movie, ‘Trail of the Panda’ (2009) during her stay in Beijing.^[3]

Growing up in Paris, Tanis learnt to play the piano at the age of 5, and spent time in the Bahamas, Switzerland, China, and England.^[3] She went on to study music composition with a concentration in film scoring at the New York University (Steinhardt).^[4] Tanis’ music has been described as calm, alternative pop, mixing acoustic piano with electronic sounds.^[3]

Work

Tanis released her debut EP, Blackout, in 2016.^[1] The six-track album comprises both English and French songs written, composed, performed and produced by Tanis.^[3] The album was greeted as a break away from status quo in her style with minimalist eloquence and a breath of fresh air in an industry full of dance music and pandering pop performances.^[2]

The Blackout EP comprises the leading track, ‘Blackout’, which goes beyond love to touch emotions buried deep inside in the darkness of a total blackout when all excessive technologies are down. ‘Losing My Mind’ shares a message of the deteriorating world and the need to take action. Another track, ‘Child in the Empty Forest’, evokes a personal search of identity while on a different path from everyone else.^[1] The title of the album was chosen to reflect something both dark and pure and a search of light and hope from inside the darkness and confusion we are living in.^[5] Prior to her Blackout EP, Tanis released her debut French single, Ce N'est Pas Moi (It's Not Me).^[3]

Influence

Tanis is an admirer of Rihanna as an icon, and is also a fan of Bon Iver and Coldplay.^[1] Her own songs carry a European acoustic influence along with electro and adding at times instruments from Asian cultures. ‘Losing My Mind’ was borne out of witnessing the death of a child who needed heart transplant when she was volunteering at an orphanage in Beijing.^[6]

Tanis grew up in six countries and speaks French, English and Chinese. Her passion for film-scoring was fostered when she attended a concert by Ennio Morricone at the age of 13. This multi-cultural influence forms her DNA, filling her music with meetings, cultures and colors as a global citizen, artist and humanist.^[7]

Tanis describes her music as visual. When she writes a song, she visualizes the images, probably because of her photography. She thinks, dreams and writes in both French and English, and is considering writing songs in Chinese too.^[5]

Critical reception

Tanis has been called the belle with an air of mystery^[7] who writes and composes her own songs.^[8] She is a new talent and a culture of many countries. Her music has a rich universe, like a mix of meetings, background and passions,^[9] a wonderful ambassador to unite mankind under one banner.^[10]

Charity

Tanis is actively involved in charity work through her music and photography.^[11] She works with Blue Sky Healing Home and supports Project Aware for marine conservation^[6]

References