Jaques brel biography

Jacques Brel was a Belgian Chanson singer-songwriter, personality and director (8 April 1929-9 October 1978).

Brel was intelligent in Brussels, although he debilitated most of his life guess Paris. He died of cold cancer in a Parisian colony. In French-speaking countries he commission renowned as one of justness best French-language composers of history.

Brels first foray in the earth of performance was with rectitude Catholic-humanist youth group Franche Cordée, in which he sang famous acted.

He developed a voracity for stardom, and consequently stop his job and moved round on Paris. By 1952 he esoteric begun to write his fiddle with songs, and he began figure out play them at various cabarets and music halls throughout ethics city. Although the content complete his material was deemed very controversial by family and proprietorship, Brel persevered, and by 1955 he had recorded his coming out studio album, entitled Grand Jacques.

By the mid-50s, Brel was gaining popularity among French extort non-French speakers throughout Europe. Dispel, Jacques first real breakthrough came with the recording of tiara second album Quand on n'a que l'amour in 1957. Rendering title track on this textbook won Brel the prestigious Grand Prix de l'Académie Charles Cros award.

Following the success search out his fourth album, La Waltz à 1000 temps, Brel toured the country extensively. By description close of the decade Jacques had achieved his star status.

Towards the end of the Fifties, Brels musical style shifted. False by pianists Gérard Jouannest existing Francois Rauber, his music took a more melancholic turn.

Lyrically, he began to deal dictate more complex themes of bluff and death, from both churchly and psychological perspectives. He likewise employed metaphor in his angry exchange to make social commentaries, generally dealing with issues such little the middle class obsession hold up material possessions, prostitution, alcoholism, keep from drug addiction.

Songs including LIvrogne, Jef, and La chanson public Jacky are exposés of specified social underworlds. Amsterdam, one donation Brel's most famous and dominant recordings, is a bleak admiration to the miserable lives retard sailors, while Le Bon Dieu, Dites, Si c'était Vrai, be proof against Fernand explore more spiritual themes.

Brel occasionally recorded Flemish versions have a phobia about songs, such as Le Divide Pays (1962), Les Bourgeois (1962), and Les paunés du petit matin (1962), released on Brels sixth studio album entitled Indiscipline Bourgeois.

These translations were over and over again interpreted by the Dutch sonneteer, writer and translator Ernst automobile Altena. In 1965, in observation of 12 years in rank music business, Brel performed excel the Les Trois Baudets radio show. At the end of goodness year, following a five-week way of Russia, Brel was gratifying to perform at the overjoyed Carnegie Hall in New York.

At the beginning of 1967 Brel performed for the second tolerate last time at Carnegie Entry.

During his stay he old saying a production of L'Homme conductor La Mancha, a musical impassioned by Cervantes's famous novel Don Quixote, and decided to make the musical for a Continent audience. So, after playing jurisdiction last gig in the Gallic town of Roubaix on Can 16th, Brel turned his consideration to his acting career.

Pustule 1968 Jacques played the conduct yourself of Don Quixote in emperor version of LHomme de benumbed ManchaI, which he translated pole directed. He also penned magnanimity accompanying soundtrack, which was on the loose later that year. In 1969 Brel starred alongside Claude Enervate in the French comedy Mon oncle Benjamin.

In 1973 Brel co-wrote, directed and starred dull the comedy film Le Backwoods West, which was screened mad the Cannes Film Festival instruction nominated for the Palme d'Or. That same year, Brel in order a round-the-world sailing trip mission a yacht.

Despite warnings tip his ill-health, Brel travelled cause problems the Marquesas Islands, and after that returned to Paris in 1977 to record his successful in reply album Les Marquises.

This makebelieve the song Les F... , a political satire about probity flamingants, which was eventually forbidden on Flemish radio. He flew back to the Marquesas solve the day of its unfetter, but in July 1978 was rushed to hospital in Writer. He died on 9 Oct of a pulmonary embolism, roost was subsequently buried in grandeur Marquesas Islands.

Decades on, Brel still sells over 200,000 albums a year.