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Jane Birkin.
Although primarily remembered as an actress, Jane Birkin is a national treasure in her adopted home of France. As muse to the late Serge Gainsbourg she was the inspiration for some of his greatest songs, many created after their thirteen-year domestic relationship had ended. Speaking from Cuba where she is making a film on the last days of Robert Louis Stevenson, at 58 Birkin retains her crisp, chirpy British accent and remains completely committed to Gainsbourg's songs, which will be highlighted during the Cabaret Festival in 'Arabesque'.
Musically she is best remembered in Britain and Australia for
the infamous and erotic duet with Gainsbourg, Je T'Aime...
Moi Non Plus, which was a number one hit in 1969 ("l'annee
erotique," as Serge wittily described it). Like Brel, Gainsbourg's
songs did not travel well across the English Channel but since
his death in 1991, and due in no small part to Birkin's continuing
advocacy, this is beginning to change.
"They're starting to discover Serge now. In fact his whole style
of dressing - of having three day beard [growth], a pinstripe
jacket, and a pair of jeans, no socks and little white ballet
shoes - you now see boys dressed like that and Serge started
all that. He's the one who started reggae in Paris with Aux
Armes Et Caetera and brought over American music [rap] for
You're Under Arrest. He was the most loved man in France
and also possibly their greatest poet since Apollinaire."
Yet amongst the general English population both Serge and Jane are still far from widely known: "I've just done Gertrude in 'Hamlet' in Northampton and I was able to be there for nearly a month without anybody knowing who I was, whereas in Paris you can't walk down the street without somebody turning their head. But that happens because of television. I've never done TV in England, but in France I've been a part of their furniture for the last 37 years."
Although Arabesque consists mostly of songs associated with
Jane, Comment Te Dire Adieu (more usually associated
with Francoise Hardy) is included. This was chosen because the
majority of songs have a melancholic edge.
"Most of the songs that I love that Serge had written were sad
so my artistic director Philippe Lerichomme (who was the one
who had the idea of using the great Algerian violinist Djamel
Beynelles) said, you've got to have something lighter between
the very heavy songs. I didn't want to do songs I'd done before,
like Nicotine, and not all of Serge's songs went with
the Arabic way of writing. Arabic music's got a different rhythm
and it was very difficult for me at first. I used to watch Djamel's
bow on the violin so I came in at the right time. After three
years of touring, we've got it right."
Gainsbourg was very proudly Jewish, to the extent that when
he made a large amount of money from Je T'Aime... the
first thing he did was to order a diamond Star of David brooch
which he wore on his lapel. Jane had expected to cop criticism
for presenting Serge's songs within an Arabic context. "I remember
meeting a lady in the markets who told me that she nearly didn't
go to the show. I asked her why and she said 'Because it was
called Arabesque'. So I said 'Well, yes, that was my idea.'
I'd thought it was rather a good title. 'But I nearly didn't
go because I'm Jewish,' she replied. And I said, 'So what did
you think of it when you came?' So she said, 'Well, I cried.'
I was pleased because I was pretty sure that someone would get
at me for the show's title.
"We went to Tel Aviv, straight to the Gaza Strip, and the boys were very brave because for them it was politically quite difficult to go to Israel. Djamel didn't hesitate for a minute. 'You're singing music by a Jewish composer. I've done the orchestrations. You're singing in French. We should go everywhere.' And when I mentioned Israel, he said 'You pose too many questions. Don't worry!' So we went everywhere." Everywhere indeed: "We'll have done the entire world in three and a half years, but I can always pick it up again for a good cause. In some countries the only bandage that you can bring is music."
Brett Allen-Bayes
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Jane Birkin performs 'Arabesque' at the Dunstan Playhouse on Sat 11 June as part of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival.
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