Celebrating Jacques Brel

Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Toulouse-based guest artist Antoine Maillard, celebrates Belgian singer and songwriter Jacques Brel. Widely considered one of the most famous French-language singers in Europe, Brel cultivated a global following and made music that continues to move audiences to this day. On this day in 1966, Brel graced the stage one last time to deliver an emotional farewell performance at the “Palais des Beaux-Arts” in his hometown of Brussels.

Jacques Romain Georges Brel was born on April 8, 1929 in the Belgian capital of Brussels. Part of a wealthy family, he expressed interest in writing stories and poems during his teen years before eventually settling into a job with the family business. Unsatisfied with this work, Brel joined a youth charity organization where he began to sing in small venues and recorded his first single before moving to Paris, where he soon rose to stardom.

Brel’s second album, “Quand on n’a que l'amour” (“If We Only Have Love,” 1957), was a hit and its title track won the Grand Prix de l'Académie Charles Cros award. He continued to release a string of hit singles, confirming his celebrity status throughout Europe, and embarked on exhaustive tours until his voluntary retirement from concert performances in 1967. While in New York on his final tour, Brel was inspired to act and thus, he found a new creative outlet. One of his most notable films, “Le Far West,” (“Far West,” 1973) was nominated for the Cannes Film Festival’s most prestigious award: the Palme d’Or. Not only was Brel the star of the film, he was also the co-writer and director.

A man of many interests, Brel learned to sail and crossed both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans by 1975. He eventually settled in the Marquesas Islands in the South Pacific. In 2017, Belgium honored Brel with a commemorative statue.

Guest Artist Q&A with Antoine Maillard

Today’s Doodle was illustrated by Toulouse-based guest artist Antoine Maillard. Below, he shares his thoughts behind the making of this Doodle:

Q: Why was this topic meaningful to you personally? 

A: I listened to Jacques Brel when I was kid. He was fascinating to me because he had left the music industry to sail his own boat and pilot his own plane in some faraway island. I imagined him as a real-life comic book hero. As a singer, he was also a storyteller and a poet in his own way through his performances. When you hear one of his songs, it's often a vivid story with a huge range of emotions and lyricism. My favorite songs of his invite listeners to recognize the beauty and fragility in our humanity and simple, everyday moments. It's what I strive to do, as well, in my work as an illustrator and cartoonist.

Q: What were your first thoughts when you were approached about the project?

A: When choosing which part of Jacques Brel’s life to represent in the Doodle (the singer, the actor, the adventurer), I realized that a common theme throughout his career was the stage. Jacques Brel couldn't stay still. He had to perform in a way or another, in this big scene that his life was. It was his energy as a performer that was my starting point for this Doodle.

Q: Did you draw inspiration from anything in particular for this Doodle? 

A: I had seen various Brel performances and movies. I also found inspiration with photos of French and Belgian cities, cabarets, and nightlife during the time of Brel's career - including the glowing theater signs, the way concert halls were decorated, how people were dressed, as well as how they danced.

Q: What message do you hope people take away from your Doodle?

A: I hope it will motivate people to rediscover some aspects of Jacques Brel's music, as well as his energy and intent in observing and describing life around him.