Philippe Decourroux, real name Philippe Bieri, is a Swiss singer-songwriter of evangelical Christian rock, born in 1960 in Courroux in the Jura. A former mechanic turned drummer and then conservatory-trained singer, he has sold about 400,000 CDs and DVDs independently and given more than 1,500 concerts in some fifteen countries.
Philippe Decourroux was born on March 18, 1960, in the Swiss Jura under the name Philippe Bieri. Trained first in car mechanics, he turned to music through drumming, which he practiced from his teens in dance-hall bands, before earning a professional percussion diploma in La Chaux-de-Fonds and then training in classical singing at the Neuchâtel Conservatory. He took the stage name Decourroux, in reference to his home village of Courroux, and recorded his first album, Ambassadeurs, in 1993.
Since then, he has built a discography of around ten albums, including Tant qu'il y aura des hommes in 2002, which has sold more than 150,000 copies independently. A committed singer-songwriter, in 2008 he founded the association Espoir Diffusion to expand concerts in prisons and disadvantaged countries, and later collaborated with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Denis Mukwege in the fight against sexual violence and human trafficking.
- Origine
- Courroux, canton of Jura (Switzerland)
- Style
- evangelical Christian rock, worship and evangelism songs
- Actif depuis
- 1993 (first album Ambassadeurs)
- À connaître
- real name Philippe Bieri, about 400,000 CDs and DVDs sold independently, founder of the association Espoir Diffusion
How did Philippe Decourroux get started?
Nothing destined Philippe Bieri for the stage: he first trained in car mechanics. It was drumming, which he practiced from age fifteen in local dance-hall bands, that led him toward music. He continued his training at the Swiss Jazz School in Bern and then at the La Chaux-de-Fonds Conservatory, where he earned a professional percussion diploma and the Robert Faller prize.
He then trained in classical singing at the Neuchâtel Conservatory and played as a percussionist and choir singer alongside major orchestras, including the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. In 1993, under the stage name Decourroux, taken from his home village of Courroux, he recorded his first album, Ambassadeurs, marking the start of a career devoted to evangelical Christian song.
What makes Philippe Decourroux distinctive?
What sets Philippe Decourroux apart is the contrast between his classical training, taken all the way to opera, and the deliberate simplicity of his songs, written to speak of freedom, love and hope to an audience that doesn't necessarily attend church. His album Tant qu'il y aura des hommes, released in 2002, has sold more than 150,000 copies as a self-produced release, a rare achievement for an independent Christian artist in French-speaking Switzerland.
The other distinctive feature of his career is his social commitment: in 2008 he founded the association Espoir Diffusion to give concerts in prisons and in countries facing hardship, focused on preventing human trafficking. He continues this commitment alongside physician and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Denis Mukwege, with whom he founded the Collectif I Respect Women against violence toward women.
Where should you start with Philippe Decourroux?
To discover Philippe Decourroux, start with Tant qu'il y aura des hommes, his best-selling and most recognizable album, carried by a title that sums up his approach as both a committed artist and a believer. Au bout du compte, from the album Pour mieux t'aimer, offers a good entry point into his earlier repertoire, blending French chanson with Christian conviction.
His YouTube channel gathers a large part of his songs in videos and live recordings, from his early days in the 1990s to more recent albums like À contre-courant. His official website also features his news as a speaker and author, notably around his book Libéré.
songs
Tant qu'il y aura des hommes
Title track of his best-selling album, released in 2002, which sold more than 150,000 copies as a self-produced release.
Au bout du compte
Song from the album Pour mieux t'aimer, released in 1998.
À contre-courant
Title track of his 2007-2008 album, conceived as an evangelism record.
Discography
- 2007À contre-courant
- 2005Une autre terre
- 2003Pour toi mon Dieu (avec le Jurassic Praise Band)
- 2002Tant qu'il y aura des hommes
- 2001Pour toi
- 1998Pour mieux t'aimer
- 1997Comme avant
- 1995Entre le rose et le noir
- 1993Ambassadeurs
Read also
Frequently asked questions
Who is Philippe Decourroux?
Philippe Decourroux, real name Philippe Bieri, is a Swiss singer-songwriter of evangelical Christian rock born in 1960 in Courroux in the Jura. Trained in percussion and classical singing, he has recorded around ten albums since 1993 and sold about 400,000 CDs and DVDs independently.
What is Philippe Decourroux's best known song?
Tant qu'il y aura des hommes, the title track of his album released in 2002, remains his greatest success with more than 150,000 copies sold as a self-produced release. It is today the song most identified with his career.
Where can you listen to Philippe Decourroux's albums?
His YouTube channel gathers a large part of his songs in videos and filmed concerts, from his beginnings in the 1990s to more recent albums like À contre-courant. His official website also presents his discography and news.
Is Philippe Decourroux an evangelical Christian?
Yes. Philippe Decourroux presents himself as a singer-songwriter of evangelical Christian music, and his songs, centered on freedom, love and hope, are conceived as a tool for evangelism as much as for worship.
What is Philippe Decourroux's social commitment?
In 2008 he founded the association Espoir Diffusion to give concerts in prisons and in countries facing hardship, focused on preventing human trafficking. He also collaborates with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Denis Mukwege within the Collectif I Respect Women.
How many albums has Philippe Decourroux recorded?
Since his first album, Ambassadeurs, released in 1993, Philippe Decourroux has recorded around ten studio and live albums, up to À contre-courant in 2007-2008, for a total of about 400,000 CDs and DVDs sold independently.