Olivier Barda has always had a thirst for adventure and music. A self-taught musician, he started playing as a one-man band on the streets during high school, and then set off on long backpacking journeys. On the road, this adventurer honed his ability to play multiple instruments simultaneously (singing, guitar, harmonica, tambourine, and kick drum), and recorded self-produced albums under the name 'Zitoune.'
Inspired by Australian artists like Xavier Rudd and John Butler, he developed his own technique by laying his guitar flat. This surprising skill creates rounder, more dynamic sounds, which he weaves into his folk, Celtic, and French chanson pieces… and a style he calls 'Western Badass': a Far West blues-rock blend, halfway between Ennio Morricone, Larkin Poe, and Johnny Montreuil, that captivates his audience.
Today, after 5 albums and 7 years of building a name for himself in France, Olivier 'Zitoune' Barda proudly adopts his last name and becomes 'Le Barda.' His new album, Punch & Badass Vol. 2, the highly anticipated sequel to the first 'Western Badass' opus, is released in February 21, 2025!
