This legendary French singer left the stage early, never made an advertisement for himself, he was hardly covered in the media, and yet, despite all this, Jean Ferrat enjoyed great popularity, remaining one of the most beloved singers in France. "The last of the great
", talked about him after his death in 2010.
At the beginning of the journey
On December 26, 1930, in the vicinity of Paris, Jean Tenenbaum, the future Jean Ferrat, was born. He was the youngest in a large family of a jeweler, a Russian Jew, a native of Yekaterinodar, who immigrated to France in 1905. His mother was a Frenchwoman, a flower girl by profession.
In 1935, the family moved to Versailles. Jean studies at Jules Ferry College, but when the Nazis occupy France, Jean's father is sent to Germany, where he dies, and the boy has to leave the lyceum and go to work to help his family. Along the way, he independently studies chemistry, but soon his passion for music and theater comes to the fore for him.
Career and creativity
At twenty-odd, Jean enters the theater troupe, becomes a regular cabaret, gets a job as a guitarist in a jazz band. It was during these years that he began to compose his first songs. In 1956, he puts to music Aragon's poem "Eyes of Elsa". Subsequently, he will use poetry of his beloved poet many times in his work. Jean records his first record in 1958, but it does not have much success, and only in 1960, when the singer signs a contract with Decca Records, a song called "Ma Môme" becomes the main hit on the French air. A year later, Jean released a large album, enthusiastically received by the public.
In the first half of the 60s, the singer released 5 albums at once, among which the infamous "Nuit et brouillard" (1963). Radio stations were strongly advised not to broadcast songs from this disc, in other words, they were forbidden, since the French government of that time preferred to obscure the controversial issue of the deportation of Jews during World War II. Nevertheless, "Nuit et brouillard" received the Grand Prix of the Academy of Charles Cro.
In 1967, Ferra went on tour to Cuba, and this journey has not only creative, but also socio-political overtones (the singer never hid his communist beliefs and fought for the interests of the working class all his life). It is during this trip that he lets go of his famous mustache.
This is followed by tours around the world, in parallel, the singer is working on new records, including the famous album "Ferrat chante Aragon", sold in a million copies.
And in 1973, Ferra suddenly decided not to give any more concerts, explaining that the stage had become an industry, and the concerts no longer bring him any joy.
Ferra settles in the village of Antrag-sur-Volan, and from then on his voluntary retreat begins. He violates it only in special cases, continuing to release albums from time to time. Nevertheless, these discs go into the category of gold and platinum.
In 1981, he receives the Diamond Disc of the Year for a collection of works.
In 1990, the Society of Authors, Composers and Music Editors awarded him the Gold Medal.
