The faboulous 50s | Page 18

DJANGO REINHARDT

Jean "Django" Reinhardt is a Belgian-born french Jazz guitarist and composer of romani ethnicity. He is the first and most significant Jazz talent to emerge from Europe. According to Frank Vignola, he has written nearly 100 songs. He is also the inventor of the genre Gypsy Jazz.

At the early age of 18, he had his pinky and ring finger disabled due to a fire. During his recovery he overcame the problem and went on to forge an entirely new style of jazz guitar technique. In Paris he got to know the violinist Stephàne Grappelli and together they created the "Quintette du Hot Club de France". This band is by far one of the most creative jazz bands in the world. At the outbreak of the Second World War, Reinhardt is trapped in the same nightmare of black people, Jews, and dissident politicians, the Nazis. Thanks to his talent, he became a private musician for the nazi officers. Here Django starts composing songs with the help of someone who wrote his notes (in fact, he didn't know anything about music theory).