2023-07-16 18:34:02
With rare humility and kindness, Jane Birkin charmed everyone with her great human qualities when she came to give what was ultimately her last concert in Quebec at the Summer Festival in 2018.
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“The kindest and most humble person among the artists I’ve met in my life, that’s for sure,” said FEQ programmer Louis Bellavance in an interview with The newspapera few hours after the announcement of the death of the muse of Serge Gainsbourg.
On July 7, 2018, the English favorite of the French came to present the show Birkin/Gainsbourg-The symphony at the Parc de la Francophonie with the Orchester symphonique de Québec.
She was then barely recovering from the tragic death of her daughter Kate, which occurred five years earlier. In a long and generous interview she granted to the JournalJane Birkin had confided that for a long time, she “had no more reason to live”.
“She was fragile and vulnerable to a point during this period of her life. She had also had voice problems, but that evening, everything fell into place,” recalls Louis Bellavance.
Jane Birkin on stage at the Parc de la Francophonie, July 7, 2018. Photo archives / Le Journal de Québec
“Touched”
The day before, she had met admirers during a question and answer session hosted by Monique Giroux.
The Summer Festival took the opportunity to award him the Mirror of Fame Prize, to celebrate his great career.
“I am touched by this gift,” she had whispered in the ear of Louis Bellavance, when he gave her his prize.
“It’s a big piece with an extremely rich history that we are losing. We are happy to have been able to do this show at that time, when it was possible”, indicates the programmer.
Cancellation in 2020
Fate willed that this concert was the last time Quebecers saw her sing on a stage.
Jane Birkin was to return to present Birkin/Gainsbourg-The symphony at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier in Montreal on March 3, 2020, but she had to give up due to the health problems of Nobuyuki Nakajima, the pianist and arranger of the show.
The Gainsbourg symphonique adventure was born at the Francos de Montréal, in 2016, with the Orchester symphonique de Montréal.
Birkin mother and daughter at the FEQ
During her career, Jane Birkin sang several times in Quebec, including twice at the Festival d’été, in 1992 and in 2018.
In 2019, his youngest daughter Lou Doillon was also on stage at the FEQ. As for Charlotte Gainsbourg, the most famous of his three daughters, the programmer Louis Bellevance still hopes to convince her to come to Quebec.
“She is always in my wishlist. It often came close.”
Lou Doillon at the Summer Festival, in 2019. Photo archives / Le Journal de Québec
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