Jacques Brel –Belgian superstar

Anyone who has ever seen a video of Jacques Brel singing – or anyone lucky enough to have seen him live – will surely have been captivated by the raw emotion of his vocals. Tears in his eyes, perspiration on his brow and his voice breaking with sadness, elevate his performance of Ne Me Quitte Pas to the realms of the sublime.

Brel was a man the world listened to.

His was a journey through the richness and beauty of French chanson; to discover Brel was to discover a powerful tradition that meandered via the works of Piaf and Montand, rocked to the rebelliousness of Hallyday and Dutronc and culminated in the ballads of Jean Jacques Goldman.

Many assume Brel was French, but they assume wrong. He was a Brussels boy (born and bred) and another one of Belgium’s most famous exports, along with great chocolate and great beer.

The Brussels of Jacques Brel

Any illusions about possible French origins are surely put to rest when you arrive at Place de la Vieille Halle aux Blés in central Brussels and set eyes on L’Envol, the statue of Brel by sculptor Tom Frantzen. The amazing larger-than-life bronze depicts

Brel singing with arms outstretched, holding his audience captivated by his passionate, often bawdy, sometimes humorous lyrics. It is a must-see for any Brel fan.

Just a minute’s walk away across the square, the Brel Foundation is home to a permanent exhibition of the artist’s work, including photos, news reports, and many examples of his writing and music. You can also watch his final concert at L’Olympia, Paris, captured on film in 1966, as well as interviews and documentaries. His daughter France introduces some of the exhibits, and she hosts regular talks about her father and his music. It’s well worth spending an afternoon here, looking at photos and listening to Brel’s music, not to mention that of the artists he inspired – the foundation holds an astonishing 80 foreign language versions of Ne Me Quitte Pas and Quand On N’a Que l’Amour alone!

Whether you’re a devoted Brel fan or a novice, discovering his intensity for the first time, the profound sadness and joy of his songs, his risqué lyrics and sublime poetry, no trip to Brussels can be complete without seeing the city through his eyes.

Brel was born and grew up in Schaerbeek, north-east Brussels, moving to Paris when he was 24 years old. You can stroll down the streets of his youth, visiting the bars and cafés he frequented, in the company of a guided audio walk from the Brel Foundation.

Depending on your schedule, walks range from 1hr15 to 2hr40, but take the opportunity to stop and savour the sights as well as the beer, as you soak up images of bygone Brussels in the company of one of its most famous sons.

Brel was born in Brussels on 8 April 1929. Though not particularly academic, he showed a talent for writing and acting. He started work in the family cardboard packaging business in 1947 and began his national service the following year.

His destiny lay in songwriting and singing, however, and he started performing live at La Rose Noire in Brussels in 1953. A record deal with Philips Records followed, and his first record, Il y a was released the same year.

A move to Paris ensued, and the live gigs continued with performances at L’Ecluse, Les Trois Baudets and L’Olympia. He released his first album, Jacques Brel et Ses Chansons, in 1954. He had his first big hit in November 1956 with Quand On N’a Que l’Amour, which reached number three in the French charts.

Brel married Thérèse Michielsen in 1950. The couple had three daughters: Chantal, France and Isabelle. Though his family joined him in Paris in 1955, they returned to Belgium in 1958, leaving Brel behind.

He recorded his album La Valse A Mille Temps, which included Ne Me Quitte Pas in 1959 and No.5 (containing Marieke and Le Moribond) in 1961. Signing to record company Barclay in 1962, releases includ- ed Les Bourgeois (1962), Ces Gens-Là (1966), Jacques Brel ’67 and J’Arrive (1968).

After touring extensively, including Europe, the UK and the USA, Brel decided to stop, performing his final concert in Roubaix, France, in 1967.

He continued to record, but his art also took him in new directions. He moved into musical theatre, adapting Man of La Mancha for French audiences (L’Homme de la Mancha) and made his film debut in Les Risques du Métier (1967). He continued to act and direct, appearing in 10 films until 1973.

Brel was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1974. With his health starting to fail, he indulged his passions for sailing and flying, eventually dropping anchor at Hiva Oa in the Marquesas Islands where he lived with his partner, actress Maddly Bamy.

He released his final album – Les Marquises – in 1977 and died in hospital in Bobigny, north of Paris, on 9 October 1978. He was just 49 years old.