366Art | Jacques Brel

Today is the birthday of Jacques Brel, one of the most influential chansonniers of all time. The editing above and his portrait on the musical reference work / birthday calendar below, are made by me, Frieke.

Jacques Brel was born on April 8, 1929, in Brussels, Belgium, and passed away on October 9, 1978, in Paris, France. After high school, he began working at the Vanneste & Brel cardboard factory, of which his father was a partner. Everything indicated that he would later succeed his father as factory director. During that time, he was also a member of the humanist-Catholic youth movement Franche Cordée, where Brel experimented with music and theater and gave his first performances. There, he met Thérèse Michielsen ('Miche'), whom he married on June 1, 1950. The couple had three daughters. He began writing songs and poems and cautiously embarked on a career as a chansonnier. In 1953, it became clear that Brel would not become a factory director; he left for Paris, where he met Georges Pasquier ("Jojo"), who would remain his close friend. Brel sings about this friendship in his song Jojo (1977).

Brel led a hectic life with 300 performances per year, maintaining an intense drinking and smoking schedule, yet the quality of his songs and performances remained consistently high. As the years went by, he portrayed himself as a doomed poet who brought his personal pain to the stage. The intense manner in which he delivered his chansons to the audience even earned admiration in countries where the French language was not spoken. He performed in Moscow and at Carnegie Hall in New York.

Jacques Brel has an impressive repertoire of timeless songs; his most famous ones include Ne me quitte pas (Don't Leave Me), perhaps one of his most iconic. Amsterdam raw portrayal of the city of Amsterdam, sung with intense emotion and passion. La chanson des vieux amants  (The Song of the Old Lovers), Le Moribond also known as Seasons in the Sun in the English version, Quand on n'a que l'amour (When We Only Have Love), Les Flamandes a satirical song in which Brel humorously describes Flemish culture and his own experiences with Flemish women, Le Plat Pays (My Flat Country), a tribute to his homeland Belgium, praising the beauty of the countryside and the simplicity of life there. These songs represent only a small part of Brel's rich body of work, but they all contributed to his legendary status as one of the greatest singer-songwriters of the 20th century.

On May 16, 1967, Jacques Brel gave his last concert because he feared losing his artistic sharpness and wanted to make more time for other things. He appeared in several French films: Mon Oncle Benjamin, L'Aventure C'est L'Aventure  and L'Emmerdeur.  Additionally, he directed two films in which he played the lead role: "Franz" and "Le Far West." He obtained his pilot's and sailing licenses and embarked on a long sailing trip, ending up on the island of Hiva-Oa in the South Pacific. When he was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1974, he settled permanently on the island. With his twin-engine plane Jojo (named after his recently deceased friend), he provided assistance to the local population. He occasionally traveled to Europe for medical treatment and to record his thirteenth and final album, titled Les Marquises.

Jacques Brel passed away on October 9, 1978, at the Avicennaziekenhuis in Bobigny near Paris. He was buried in the cemetery of Atuona in Hiva Oa, not far from the grave of Paul Gauguin. After his death, Brel was by no means forgotten. His daughter France founded the Fondation Jacques Brel in 1981, which has since overseen his artistic legacy.