Thursday, February 14, 2008

Henri Salvador

The great French songster/trickster, Henri Salvador died yesterday at the age of 90. He was a huge figure in French culture for 60 years, from playing Paris cabarets with Django Reinhardt in the 1930s to having produced one of his best albums, Chambre avec Vue, in 2001 (download a song from the album here at Filles Sourires). To select one bit from a career overflowing with such influences, Salvador composed 1957's lovely "Dans mon île," which - it is now written into the great books - provided the inspiration for Antônio Carlos ("Tom") Jobim in creating Bossa Nova in Brazil.

Salvador lived such a rich and inspired life that sadness about his death comes with happiness that this wonderful man enjoyed such a life.

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