Chanson & Songwriters

Belgium's great songwriting tradition — from Jacques Brel and the French-language chanson to Arno's ragged rock-chanson, Adamo, Maurane and the singer-songwriters who carried the word.

Part of The Belgian Sound

23 moments in this segment.

1. 1959-01-01 — Jacques Brel — "Ne me quitte pas". Jacques Brel, Belgium's towering chansonnier, and his most famous song.
2. 1962-01-01 — Jacques Brel — "Madeleine". poor jacques.
3. 1962-02-02 — Jacques Brel — "Le Plat Pays". Brel's hymn to the flat country of Flanders.
4. 1963-03-03 — Jacques Brel — "Les Vieux". Brel's tender portrait of old age.
5. 1963-04-04 — Salvatore Adamo — "Tombe la neige". Salvatore Adamo, the Belgian-Italian crooner and his worldwide hit.
6. 1964-01-01 — Jacques Brel — Amsterdam. Jacques Brel, the towering Belgian chansonnier, performing 'Amsterdam'.
7. 1965-02-02 — Salvatore Adamo — "Vous permettez, Monsieur". Adamo's tender dancefloor ballad.
8. 1966-01-01 — Jacques Brel — Ne me quitte pas. Brel's 'Ne me quitte pas' is one of the most covered songs in the world.
9. 1966-03-03 — Jacques Brel — "Quand on n'a que l'amour". Brel's early anthem of love as the only thing that matters.
10. 1966 — Jacques Brel — "Amsterdam" (live). Brel's thunderous live 'Amsterdam', the peak of his stagecraft (1966).
11. 1966 — Brel — the last concert legacy. Brel's enduring legacy 35 years on (1966).
12. 1967-06-06 — Salvatore Adamo — "Inch'Allah". Adamo's much-covered ballad.
13. 1978-04-04 — Frédéric François — Belgian varieté. Frédéric François, a Belgian varieté mainstay.
14. 1980-07-07 — Annie Cordy — "Tata Yoyo". Annie Cordy, Belgium's beloved variety star.
15. 1982-05-05 — TC Matic — "Oh La La La". TC Matic's angular new-wave rock-chanson.
16. 1985 — Jacques Brel — the documentary. A retrospective on Brel's life and legacy (1985).
17. 1991-09-09 — Maurane — the Brussels chanson-jazz voice. Maurane, singing in French with a jazz inflection.
18. 1994-06-06 — Maurane — "Toutes les mamas". Maurane's soulful signature.
19. 1999-10-10 — Arno — "Les Yeux de ma mère". Arno solo, the gravel-voiced Ostend legend.
20. 2000 — TC Matic — "Putain Putain". Arno's TC Matic, the raw voice of Belgian rock-chanson (2000).
21. 2005-01-01 — Arno — Les Yeux de ma mère. Arno, the gravel-voiced godfather of Belgian rock.
22. 2005-11-11 — Arno — "Oostende Bonsoir". Arno's love song to his home city Ostend.
23. 2013-07-07 — Arno & Stromae — "Putain Putain" (live). Arno with Stromae, two generations of Belgian song meeting on the Putain Putain anthem.