Martin Meissonnier

Martin Meissonnier
Martin Meissonnier in the 1990s
Background information
Origin	Paris, France
Occupation(s)	Musician, record producer, film director
Instruments	Guitar, keyboards
Years active	1975–present

Martin Meissonnier is a French journalist, producer, director and composer. Formerly a journalist for Libération, he has made a specialty of discovering new types of music.

In the 1970s brought numerous jazz musicians to France, such as Don Cherry,the Art Ensemble of Chicago, John Lee Hooker and Dizzy Gillespie.He also promoted concerts for artists like Nass EL Ghiwane, Franco & OK Jazz, Nana Vasconcelos, Turkish band Oriental WInd, Han Bennink & Peter Brötmann, Art Blakey,Sun Ra, Chico & Von Freeman, Albert Collins, Lounge Lizards, Defunkt, Old d& New Dreams, Art Pepper, Moondog, the Slits, Taj Mahal, Pharoah Sanders Gil Evans, Egberto Gismonti...

In the early 1980s, he became the producer of Fela Kuti,King Sunny Ade, in 1984 Ray Lema, the Malopoets from South Africa Manu Dibango in 1986 Papa Wemba, and Wasis Diop. In 1986, he organised the first raï festival in Bobigny. He worked with Khaled,Safy Boutella, Amina, Arthur H, in 1994 Robert Plant & Jimmy Page, and Alan Stivell.

In 1989 to 1994, he directed Megamix for la Sept on France 3 and then Arte, world music magazine which ran for six years on French television and other many countries. Since, he directed documentary films for Arte and Canal+, including several programmes about History, the Internet, digital art, rap, and the techno movement. In 2001, his book about depleted uranium entitled Uranium appauvri : la guerre invisible was published by Robert Laffont.

Martin Meissonnier's work as a filmmaker has a strong global flavor. His producing and directing credits include major documentaries and documentary series in finance, politics and history. They include, 'Web Site Story', 'McWorld', 'Music Is My Drug', 'On the Trail of the Queen of Sheba', 'The Life of Buddha', 'On God's Right', "Vraie Jeanne, Fausse Jeanne" and 'The Genie of Electricity'.