Jacques Higelin
Jacques Joseph Victor Higelin ( born October 18, 1940 in Brou -sur- Chantereine, Seine- et- Marne ) is a French singer, composer, film and theater actor and author. His songs are influenced by Chanson, hot jazz, blues, rock 'n ' roll, reggae, funk, New Wave, as well as of the Arab music and have partly experimental and theatrical aspects. He sings in French and sometimes in English and has worked with Areski Belkacem, Brigitte Fontaine, the Art Ensemble of Chicago and Youssou N'Dour together.
Life
His first musical influences were his father's piano playing, popular cabaret singer as Maurice Chevalier and Charles Trenet and the jazz of the post-war period. Already in his youth Higelin came with a few songs in the cinema on ( pause as entertainment ), with debutant competitions on the radio and in musicals. Henri Crolla briefed him on guitar, in addition Higelin learned piano and clarinet. In the early 1960s he participated in the private Cours Simon drama school tuition.
During his military service he was stationed in 1961 in Germany and Algeria and met the musician Areski Belkacem know. Back in Paris Higelin worked again soon for film and theater, began with café- théâtre performances. The end of 1964, he joined with actor Rufus and Brigitte Fontaine on in the show Mélancaustique. With the two he wrote and performed the play Maman j'ai peur ou Est - ce que les veaux font of Manières? (1967). With Brigitte Fontaine, he released two albums with songs by Boris Vian (1965, 1968). In 1969, he recorded a first album with original songs Areski Belkacem. During this time Higelin also played with Areski Fontaine and the piece NIOK at Petit Théâtre du Lucernaire.
In 1971 he released his first solo album Jacques " Crabouif " Higelin - a mixture of experimental chanson, blues and Arabic influences. With BBH 75 he turned more to the rock and funk music. The influenced of Swing, Jazz and Boogie albums Champagne pour tout le monde pour les autres and Caviar (1979 ), he recorded in New Orleans in part.
In celebration of François Mitterrand's election success (1981 ) Higelin was with the band Téléphone a concert at the Place de la Republique in Paris. His show Jacques Joseph Victor there ( 1982), which consisted of concert and theater elements, he played inter alia, for eight weeks at the Cirque d' Hiver and the Fête de la Musique in Paris. With the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in 1984, he took Prokofiev's musical fairy tale Peter and the Wolf (Pierre et le loup - Le carnaval des animaux ) on. His album Tombé du ciel (1988 ) sold over 300,000 copies and won the Grands Prix du disque de la Chanson Française of the Académie Charles Cros. In 2005 he released an album with 18 songs by Charles Trenet. In November 2007 Higelin received the Premio Tenco Italian singer-songwriter price.
Others
Jacques Higelin is the father of actor Ken Higelin, the singer IZIA Higelin and singer Arthur H.
Under the title Lettres d' amour d'un soldat de 20 ans published in 1987 a collection of love letters he wrote to a woman in Paris during his military service in Germany and Algeria.