| Bet.e & Stef | |
| Origin: | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Genre: | Bossa Nova, Jazz |
| Years Active: | 1995–2017 |
| Label: | Bet.e and Stef Records, Verve Records (Universal Music Group), EMI Music Japan, Compost Records |
| Associated Acts: | Eliza Eleven |
| Website: | http://www.beteandstef.com |
| Current Members: | Élizabeth Provencher (Bet.e) Stéphane Carreau (Stef) |
Bet.e & Stef was a Canadian bossa nova and jazz group from Montreal, Quebec, consisting of vocalist and percussionist Elizabeth Provencher (Bet.e) and vocalist and guitarist Stéphane Carreau (Stef).[1] They are best known for their 2002 album Day by Day, which sold 200,000 copies,[2] and were nominated as Juno Award for New Group of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2003.
Bet.e & Stef came together in the mid-1990s. Stef is a Montreal native who spent two years playing in Paris before returning to Montreal to study music. Bet.e, who is from Trois-Rivières, had studied modern dance before becoming a singer. The two performed for the first time when they were asked to sing at a wedding; they then became active in the Montreal club scene.[3] The duo released two independent demo cassettes before releasing their debut album, Jazz/Bossa Nova, in 1997.[4] [5] They toured to support the album as an opening act for Holly Cole, and the album was eventually certified gold for sales of 50,000 copies.
In 2001, after Bet.e & Stef were discovered by Toshiba-EMI Music Japan, that label released a version of "Jazz/Bossa Nova" called "Wish You Well", which sold well in Japan.[3] [6] They then signed to Verve Records[5] and followed up with Day by Day in 2002;[7] [5] Day by Day also attained gold certification in Canada.[8] In 2003, the duo stopped performing and recording together, and worked on separate projects for about ten years.
In 2013 Bet.e & Stef reformed, and released the album Remix Deluxe,[9] which contained new versions of some of their previously released material, and once again began performing in Montréal.[10] In 2014 they performed at the Montréal en lumière festival,[11] and released It's All Right, a double album which was a mixture of remixes, previously released tracks and new material.[12] [13]
In 2015, Bet.e & Stef released the album, Seeds, with eight new compositions.[14] [15] [16] That year they also performed at the Montreal International Jazz Festival.[17]
In 2017, Provencher joined a trio called Eliza Eleven.[18] Carreau has launched a solo career and works in film and television.