Though people don’t always know where to place Belgium on a map, the name Jacques Brel is unfamiliar to few. If you know little about this wonderfully complex Belgian singer, an introduction is in order. But there are some biographical details that even the biggest of Brel fans may not know. How many of the following facts could you have pulled out at a party?
Action!
In addition to being a singer-songwriter and actor, Jacques Brel was a film director. The first film he directed was Franz, in which he played with the French singer Barbara. It portrays a peculiar love story by the North Sea. His second and last film was Le Far West. Filmed in Belgium, this surreal movie tells the story of modern-day men (and women) becoming gold prospectors in a coal mine. Jacques Brel was the first French-speaking singer-songwriter to try out film directing.
Merci les amis
Dutch Tunes
Despite doing poorly in Dutch in high school, Brel recorded a few of his songs in Dutch. Some of these include ‘Burgerij‘ (Les bourgeois), ‘Marieke,’ ‘Laat me niet aleen‘ (Ne me quitte pas), and ‘Mijn vlakke land‘ (Le plat pays). The Dutch singer Liesbeth List also released an album of Brel’s songs in Dutch in 1972. This album, called Liesbeth List Zingt Jacques Brel, was so popular in the Netherlands that it won the Disque d’or award.
Become a Culture Tripper!
Sign up to our newsletter to
save up to 500$ on our unique trips.
Helping the Needy
After leaving school, Brel joined the Catholic youth group the Franche Cordée, an organization whose main goal was to do charitable works for the needy. In 1949, Brel even became the group’s President. As leader of the group, he organized plays such as The Little Prince or Le Silence de la mer by Vercors. It is said he met his wife, Thérèse Michielsen (or ‘Miche’), in the Franche Cordée movement.
Flying Around
When he found out he was dying of lung cancer, Brel decided to stop performing and moved to Hiva Oa in the Marquesas Islands with actress and dancer Maddly Bamy. There, Bamy bought him a small plane, which Brel named ‘Jojo’ after a deceased friend. He used the plane to transport locals to and from Tahiti — a five-hour flight.
An Epic Goodbye
During his last concert, which he performed at the Olympia in Paris, the crowd begged for an encore. It was not Brel’s custom to come back on stage after his last song. That night, however, the crowd would not disperse without an encore. Finally, thanks to the Olympia manager’s pleas, Brel came back on stage, but he was dressed in a night gown.
No, Thank You
Brel never sang a song he did not write himself. He never made an exception, not even for friends who wrote songs for him.
Child’s Play
In 1969 he recorded the children’s stories L’Histoire de Babar and Pierre et le Loup. When he arrived at the church where the recording was taking place, everyone was surprised to see that he knew the texts by heart. Their admiration further grew when they witnessed the ease with which he recited his lines. Each pause and inflection seemed to accompany the music perfectly.
Darn It
Brel swore, at a young age, that he would never work in his father’s cardboard factory. He hated the meaninglessness of office work and the intellectual simplicity of the people he would have to work with. However, in 1947, he had to leave school due to poor grades and was forced to join the family business.
Tenacity Pays Off
When he first arrived in Paris in the hopes of becoming a famous singer, Brel was rejected multiple times by critics and audiences. His first few CDs did not sell well. In 1954, he performed as a warm-up act at the Olympia, but the performance was not well-received. It was only in 1957 that he struck gold with the single ‘Quand on a que l’amour.’ It was an instant hit, with 10,000 copies sold. With that song, Brel’s career took off and never landed again. His songs and his style are still very much a part of Belgian culture today. For instance, certain Stromae songs seem to bring back a ghost of Brel.
KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?
Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world
Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.
Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.
Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.
Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.
We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.
