Portrait: Catherine Lara

By Contributing Writer on Sunday, March 29, 2009 - 13:21

By faith

To write about Catherine Lara  (born Catherine Baudet on May 29, 1945) as a non-French woman seems somewhat blasphemous. After all, there are few women in recent French history that have had such an impact on music, especially the classical, as Lara. Violinist, singer and out lesbian, Catherine Lara, easily recognized by her white spunky hair and ever-present sunglasses, is a woman whom never abided to social and musical boundaries.

At age eleven Lara became interested in the violin, an instrument her father played as well. Entering various conservatoires and winning awards even at a young age, Lara seemed to be heading towards a classical career. During the 70’s Lara, whom had always felt that the classical field was too narrow to quench her musical thirst, begun to experiment with various music styles. By 1979 her album ‘Coup d’feel’ came out, on which Lara adopted a love for rock. Even now this album is considered to be one of the most perfect albums she’s ever made. She got into singing and songwriting. Writing her own music and lyrics, she also asked writers to fit songs to her. These decisions would later prove a turning point for Lara.

Catherine started turning out CD’s. By the 1980’s she had nine CD’s to her name, although none garnered her commercial success. Then, quite suddenly, the general public took notice. Lara remained stoic in the face of this new praise. She continued making albums, getting her music and her message out there. As her success grew, so did her confidence. In fact, for her 1980’s album ‘Geronimo’, Lara posed topless, with a raised fist for the cover art. Speaking openly about her feminism and sexual preference, Lara was a rare sight amongst her peers.

In a recent interview with Nordeclair, Lara was asked if she considers herself a role model for lesbians. She answered that she doesn’t want to wear this flag at all. “I’m in this society like everyone else,” she says. “For fifteen years I lived a love story and I didn’t tell anyone. I prefer to talk about love instead of sex. After coming out I realized that if it could do good to someone, man or woman, who feels outcast by society, fine.”

In the same interview she was asked if she regretted never having children. She answered she grew up in a loving home with parents who had been in love for more than 67 years. While she would have liked to have a child, she says she had long decided that she would only have a child if she were in a relationship with a man. “It’s more balanced,” she adds. “Even though I think it’s better to have a child grow up in a family with two loving men or two loving women who help a child live, than in a heterosexual family which makes the child unhappy.”