Il pleut sur Bruxelles (It rains on Brussels ) is a 1981 song by Dalida in memory of Belgian singer Jacques Brel, who died three years earlier. The song was featured on her album Olympia 81 and also released as a single, with Et la vie continuera as B-side. [1] The song was written by Jeff Barnel and Michel Jouveaux. [2] [3]
The lyrics make reference to various characters and locations from Brel's songs, particularly Jef, Mathilde , Ces Gens-Là , Amsterdam , Marieke , Les Flamandes , Vésoul, Titine, Madeleine, J'Arrive, Jojo , La Fanette, Fernand and Jacky . [4] [5] The song title refers to Brel's song Bruxelles, but could also be a nod to Il neige sur Liège (It snows on Liège ).
Jacques Romain Georges Brel was a Belgian singer and actor who composed and performed theatrical songs. He generated a large, devoted following—initially in Belgium and France, but later throughout the world. He is considered a master of the modern chanson.
Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti, professionally known as Dalida, was an Italian naturalized French singer and actress. Leading an international career, Dalida has sold over 140 million records worldwide. Her best known songs include "Bambino", "Gondolier", "Les Enfants du Pirée", "Le Temps des fleurs", "Darla dirladada", "J'attendrai", "La Danse de Zorba", "Bang Bang", "Il venait d'avoir 18 ans", "Le Jour où la pluie viendra", "Gigi l'amoroso", "Laissez-moi danser", "Salama ya salama", "Helwa ya baladi", "Mourir sur scène" and "Paroles, paroles" featuring spoken word by Alain Delon.
Jacques Brel et ses chansons, later released as Grand Jacques, is the début album by Belgian singer-songwriter Jacques Brel.
Jean-Baptiste Madou was a Belgian painter and lithographer.
"Paroles, paroles", also given as "Paroles... Paroles...", is a song by French singer Dalida featuring French actor Alain Delon, with music by Gianni Ferrio and lyrics by Michaële, released on 17 January 1973 as the lead single from Dalida's upcoming album Julien (1973). It is a cover of the 1972 Italian song "Parole parole", originally performed by Mina and Alberto Lupo.
Olympia 81 is a French-language album released in 1981 by French singer Dalida. The album was highly successful and received a gold certification.
Serge Lama is a French singer and songwriter.
Diane Tell is a Canadian musician who was born in Quebec City, Quebec.
Henri Storck was a Belgian writer, filmmaker and documentarist.
"Ne me quitte pas" is a 1959 song by Belgian singer-songwriter Jacques Brel. It has been covered in the original French by many artists and has also been translated into and performed in many other languages. A well-known adaptation, with English lyrics by Rod McKuen, is "If You Go Away".
Claudine Luypaerts, better known as Maurane, was a Francophone Belgian singer and actress.
Les Compagnons de la chanson were a French harmony vocal group, formed in 1946 from an earlier group founded in Lyon, France in 1941. Their best known song was "Les trois cloches" recorded with Edith Piaf in 1946. Consisting of eight or nine members in the group, they were popular in France, with some success internationally. They performed until 1985 when they disbanded.
François Charles de Velbrück (1719–1784) was a German ecclesiastic. He was prince bishop of Liège from 16 February 1772 to his death on 30 April 1784.
Philippe-Charles or Philip Carel Schmerling was a Dutch/Belgian prehistorian, pioneer in paleontology, and geologist. He is often considered the founder of paleontology.
Boîte à bonbons is a 16-CD box set compilation of the recorded songs of Jacques Brel. The limited edition box set was released to mark the 25th anniversary of Jacques Brel's death. The box set includes 15 albums remastered from the original records. CD digipacks are presented in their original sleeve with lyrics. The box set also includes an illustrated booklet with various pictures, a biography, and Brel's citations and testimonies. Also included are five never before released songs from the recording sessions of the album Les Marquises. Included with the booklet is a bonus CD containing 28 titles: 26 songs from Radio Hasselt recorded 14 and 21 August 1953, a recording from the Brel family's private collection, and a 1962 recording from the Dutch television show AVRO. The box set is also available in an alternate velvet box format with CDs in crystal cases.
Il Neige sur Liège is a 1963 song written and performed by Jacques Brel.
Daniel DeShaime is a Canadian French-language singer.
Alphonse Wauters (1817–1898) was a Belgian archivist and historian.
