Julos Beaucarne, the cantor of Wallonia
Walloon troubadour Julos Beaucarne passed away on Saturday 18 September at the age of 85. He was the author of more than 500 songs, 49 albums and 28 books. The municipality of Beauvechain, where he lived, announced that, "Wallonia has lost one of its greatest artists." He was a poet, writer, songwriter, sculptor and a true ambassador of Walloon culture. He recorded 'La P'tite Gayole' in 1981 and adapted several songs from Walloon folklore.
Born on 27 June 1936 in Brussels, the young Julos grew up Ecaussines (Hainaut). He learned Walloon by listening to his father's conversations. He began his career as a street singer in Provence, to pay for the repairs to his car. He recorded his first single in 1964 and released his first LP in 1967, entitled Julos chante Julos. His life was marked by the death of his wife, who was killed by a madman in 1975. The artist referred to this event in his 'Chanson pour Loulou'.
In addition to his profound humanism, his texts also reflected his concern for ecology. For example, his album 'Front de libération des arbres fruitiers', which was released in 1974 and went gold, showed his opposition to European measures which he considered harmful to the environment.
He was knighted by King Albert II in 2002. As an actor, he played in the 2003 film "Le mystère de la chambre jaune" (The Mystery of the Yellow Room) by Bruno Podalydès, and, two years later, in "Le parfum de la dame en noir" (The Perfume of the Lady in Black) by the same director.