Juliette Greco

Standing Ovation for Juliette Greco at Packed Royal Festival Hall

By Patricia Connell
22/11/2010

On Sunday 19^th November, Juliette Greco, one of France’s national treasures, received a standing ovation at the end of her concert at the Royal Festival Hall. This ‘Grande Dame’ of French music, now aged 83 (she will be 84 on the 7^th February), had not performed in London for 10 years. She was here to close the London Jazz Festival at which many other French artists at performed.

Juliette Greco

Juliette Greco, who started her singing career 60 years ago, addressed the audience at the end of the concert and said:’ I have been singing for 60 years, you took my hand and you have not let it go since’.

She looked a little frail when she stepped on stage in her trade-mark black frock, and yet, as soon as she started singing, the fragile old lady came alive. The whole audience was mesmerised to see that, despite her ripe old age, she was still as splendid as she had ever been. When performing one of Gainsbourg’s songs, whom she had an affair with when he was still relatively unknown, she started coughing but kept going. At the end of the song she simply said: ‘Sorry but the animal is human (la bête est humaine), it happens.

She was accompanied by her husband Gérard Jouannest on the piano, who co-wrote many of the songs she was singing, and Jean-Louis Matinier on the accordion.

To name but a few of the many songs she sung on the night:

-          La Javanaise

-          Ne me quitte pas

-          Deshabillez-moi

-          Les feuilles mortes

-          Jolie Môme

-          Accordéon

-          Un petit poisson, un petit oiseau

-          J’arrive

-          Les Vieux Amants

It was, without a doubt, one of the most emotional performances I have seen. It just goes to show that true talent does not diminish with age. I only hope I we won’t have to wait another ten years before having her on a London stage once more.