Josh Minsky

Joshua Minsky was born in 1959 in New York City and grew up in Vancouver, B.C. He began to study guitar at the age of 8 and after finishing college in 1980 he moved back to New York and began performing in clubs and restaurants, singing and accompanying himself on the guitar.
In 1984 he moved to Europe, where he made his living by playing in various venues, based mainly in Paris but moving also between Amsterdam, Nice, London, Zurich and Stockholm.
In 1996 Joshua moved back to Vancouver. After a four year break from music, he began playing and singing at Granville Island's Daily Outdoor Concert Series, where he can still be found.
Since then Joshua has performed at the concert "T'as Voulu Voir Vancouver," a tribute to Jacques Brel at the Waterfront Theatre, which was broadcast by CBC Radio Canada, and again at a tribute to Edith Piaf at the Arts Club Theatre. He was featured in a concert to promote the Olympics in February, 2003, and was a featured artist at the Centre Culturel's Nouveau Scène in October, 2005. He has also performed on CBC Radio Canada in the series "Rendez-vous à L'ile de Granville" and represented the French language and culture at the Concert for B.C. day at GM Place. Joshua also often appears in Maillardville's summer festivals. He has performed at many galas at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel for the BC Rehabilitation Foundation and for the BC Guide Dogs Association, among others. In the summer of 2008 he performed at the Surrey Children’s Festival and at SFU’s francophone and francophile open house. He was the winner of the Press Prize at the “Pacifique En Chanson” in 2008.
In addition to his repertoire of classic french chansons, Joshua's repertoire includes brazilian, jazz, soul, calypso, funk, african, blues and rock and roll. He has published five CDs; 'A Snowflake in the Desert,' with eleven of his original songs in English and one by Ledbelly, 'Souvenirs De Paris,' with a mix of French, English and Brazilian songs, 'Paris,' with 16 chansons by Claude Nougaro, Serge Gainsbourg, Jacques Brel, Georges Brassens and others and ‘La Mauvaise Réputation,’ with a mix of French, English, and Brazilian songs, with Luis Cardenas of Havana, Cuba on percussion and Lorenzo Garriga of Paris, France on piano, as well as Joshua Minsky on vocals, bass, and guitar. His newest CD, ‘Au Café Mazet,’ is all in French with seven original songs and twelve classic French songs by Trenet, Ferré, Brassens, Brel and others.



Joshua Minsky was born in 1959 in New York City and grew up in Vancouver, B.C. He began to study guitar at the age of 8 and after finishing college in 1980 he moved back to New York and began performing in clubs and restaurants, singing and accompanying himself on the guitar. In 1984 he moved to Europe, where he made his living by playing in various venues, based mainly in Paris but moving also between Amsterdam, Nice, London, Zurich and Stockholm. In 1996 Joshua moved back to Vancouver. After a four year break from music, he began playing and singing at Granville Island's Daily Outdoor Concert Series, where he can still be found. Since then Joshua has performed at the concert "T'as Voulu Voir Vancouver," a tribute to Jacques Brel at the Waterfront Theatre, which was broadcast by CBC Radio Canada, and again at a tribute to Edith Piaf at the Arts Club Theatre. He was featured in a concert to promote the Olympics in February, 2003, and was a featured artist at the Centre Culturel's Nouveau Scène in October, 2005. He has also performed on CBC Radio Canada in the series "Rendez-vous à L'ile de Granville" and represented the French language and culture at the Concert for B.C. day at GM Place. Joshua also often appears in Maillardville's summer festivals. He has performed at many galas at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel for the BC Rehabilitation Foundation and for the BC Guide Dogs Association, among others. In the summer of 2008 he performed at the Surrey Children’s Festival and at SFU’s francophone and francophile open house. He was the winner of the Press Prize at the “Pacifique En Chanson” in 2008. In addition to his repertoire of classic french chansons, Joshua's repertoire includes brazilian, jazz, soul, calypso, funk, african, blues and rock and roll. He has published five CDs; 'A Snowflake in the Desert,' with eleven of his original songs in English and one by Ledbelly, 'Souvenirs De Paris,' with a mix of French, English and Brazilian songs, 'Paris,' with 16 chansons by Claude Nougaro, Serge Gainsbourg, Jacques Brel, Georges Brassens and others and ‘La Mauvaise Réputation,’ with a mix of French, English, and Brazilian songs, with Luis Cardenas of Havana, Cuba on percussion and Lorenzo Garriga of Paris, France on piano, as well as Joshua Minsky on vocals, bass, and guitar. His newest CD, ‘Au Café Mazet,’ is all in French with seven original songs and twelve classic French songs by Trenet, Ferré, Brassens, Brel and others.