French tennis champion Yannick Noah to release Bob Marley tribute 'Hommage' [Video]

Legendary French tennis champion and multi-platinum selling recording artist Yannick Noah to release new album Hommage, A Tribute To Bob Marley on October 9th

First video "Redemption Song" out now!

Yannick Noah is a household name in France; in fact, he recently topped the annual list of the "Top 50 Most Popular French Personalities" in his homeland for the eighth year in a row.

A onetime tennis champion whose winning of the French Open in 1983 brought the trophy home for the first time in four decades, and was the first time ever by a black man, he remains the last Frenchman to have won the French Open Men's Singles title.

Noah transitioned to his second love when retirement beckoned. His music career began in 1991 with Black or What!, and over the last two decades Noah has released ten albums, which have sold a collective 10 million copies, and he has performed throughout Europe.

Now Yannick is proud to announce the US release of his eleventh album, Hommage, which will be available on October 9, 2012 on RED/Sony Music France, with sales and marketing management by Creative Entertainment Network.

A life-long Bob Marley fan, Hommage, which is a collection of eleven new takes on Marley classics, is his tribute to the legend - a dream Noah had of creating for his idol for years.

On Hommage, Yannick worked with young multi-instrumentalist / songwriter Simeo and together the pair worked on new and innovative covers of his favorite Marley tracks including "Redemption Song," "Buffalo Soldier," "Jammin'," and "I Shot the Sherriff." He also incorporated his hope for world peace into the project by including the Marley songs most associated with that issue, "War" and "Africa Unite."

Yannick Noah - Redemption Song video:

Bringing his own relaxed touch to the album, Noah avoids sounding like a gawking fan attempting to copy his favorite artist, and is able to reach a state of intimacy with the music by approaching it in a new and refreshing way.

While speaking about the new album he is full of enthusiasm and emotion. "When I sing Bob Marley's songs, I'm speaking from the heart, conveying something that only he managed to fully express. As a performer, it's an incredible feeling to be at the microphone and sing those words that have been a part of my life for so long. I've never experienced anything so beautiful, so intense. Not 'intense' as in 'powerful,' more in the sense of 'delicious'. So this venture is a very important one."

Once a gladiator on the tennis courts, (during his career, which spanned almost two decades, he captured a total of 23 singles titles and 16 doubles titles and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2005), Noah, who has been very active in charity work for years, is now fighting for change and peace with Marley's words. He says, "The worst thing, my greatest nightmare, is that one day I'll forget where I came from."

The personal path that Yannick has followed through his life has helped him live up to those songs today. Yannick dreamed of this tribute to Bob Marley, and there are certain dreams that you have to go out and seize, like a championship title or a rare opportunity such as the chance to make Hommage.

Yannick Noah Official Website