Jacques Canetti

Jacques Canetti , born the May 30th 1909 with Roustchouk (Bulgaria) and dead the June 7th 1997 with Suresnes in the Hauts-de-Seine (France), was a musical producer.

In the Book of the Records, it should appear in the letter " D" like Discoverer, Dénicheur or producer of Discs. It would be easier to enumerate the artists than it did not discover than those which he contributed to reveal.

Combining the faith and the instinct, having of a single sense of smell, courage and obstinacy, Jacques CANETTI imposed artists in which nobody believed in their beginnings.

De Polydor at Philips, to the Productions and Editions Jacques Canetti, while passing by Radio City and the Theater of the Three Donkeys, all crossed one day or the other its way and much owes him their first steps: of Sparrow with Brel while passing by Gainsbourg, of Brassens with Higelin, Trenet with Felix Leclerc, Béart with Nougaro, Jeanne Moreau in Serge Reggiani, Fernand Raynaud in Raymond Devos, Pierre Dac and Francis Blanche with Robert Lamoureux…

The course of Jacques Canetti is the most beautiful poster which one can dream; since its beginnings at Polydor where he persuades Marlène DIETRICH to record its first French disc, until the Festival of Avignon where he presents in off " 100 plus beautiful songs of Boris Vian". Its whole life is devoted to the music and in particular to the French song: that of the authors - type-setters interpreters.

It is 20 years old. Insane of Jazz, Jacques Canetti organizes the first rounds of Hot Jazz in all the university towns, and it is the first to make come to France Louis AMSTRONG, Cab CALLOWAY, Duke Ellington…

But all starts with Marcel Bleustein-Strainer founder of Radio City which entrusts to Jacques Canetti the artistic director of the station. It creates emissions which remain still the great classics of the radio of today such " Music hall of the jeunes" where it gives its first chance to the " PIAF" kid; then in Charles TRENET.

During the war, with the promulgation of the anti-Jewish laws, it is the actress Francoise Rosay who helps it to join free France. It organizes with it rounds in free France and North Africa.

In 1947, return to Paris. It creates the Theater of the 3 Donkeys. There, between 1947 and 1962, Jacques Canetti makes spout out the generation of the composer-songwriters French interpreters: Georges BRASSENS, Jacques BREL, Guy BEART, Serge GAINSBOURG, Boris VIAN, Francis LEMARQUE, Felix LECLERC, MOULOUDJI, Boby LAPOINTE, Anne SYLVESTRE, Maurice PENNON, Lény ESCUDERO, Claude NOUGARO, Henri Salvador…

There, Jacques Canetti reveals a new generation of humorists; Pierre DAC, Francis Blanche, Robert Lamoureux, Fernand RAYNAUD, Darry Cowl, Raymond DEVOS, Philippe NOIRET, Jean-Pierre DARRAS, Jean Yanne…

There occur large interpreters such as Juliette GRECO, Catherine WILD, Isabelle AUBRET, Philippe CLAY, the JACQUES BROTHERS…

There Jacques Canetti reveals a new generation of musicians with Michel LEGRAND.

There, Jacques Canetti produces the first spectacles of Yves Robert, Raymond Queneau, Pierre Daninos, François Billetdoux, with interpreters as varied as Rosy Varte, Pierre Etaix, Michel Roux, Gerard Séty, Michel De Ré…

From 1951, it creates for the PHILIPS discs the catalog of reference of the French song. The " flair" of Jacques CANETTI becomes undeniable. In parallel, it makes turn in all France, then throughout the world not only the artists whom it discovered, but also others which trust him. It leaves to the USA and Japan with Yves MONTAND and organizes the recitals of Maurice KNIGHT.

In 1962, marketing makes its entry in the recording companies. Jacques CANETTI snap the door of Philips and inaugurates the era of the producers of independent discs: those which take risks while going until the end of their passion. Jacques Canetti creates the Productions Jacques Canetti.

Its continuous great adventure: He produces and records the first discs of Jeanne MOREAU and Serge REGGIANI, Jacques HIGELIN, Brigitte FOUNTAIN, Simone SIGNORET, Pierre Brasseur, Michel SIMON and well of others still. He creates the first anthologies devoted to the large poets of the French song such as Boris VIAN and Jacques PREVERT.

He perceives in German Saint of Close the phenomenon of the theater workshop. It is with the Cup-and-ball that Jacques HIGELIN and Brigitte FOUNTAIN take their first steps with… Jacques Canetti. In 1997, Jacques CANETTI draws his reverence! They are his/her children, Bernard and Francoise CANETTI who take again the PRODUCTIONS JACQUES CANETTI. Currently distibué by WAGRAM, the label is classified among the first 30 French labels with productions which the public always likes.

Behind neons of glory, Jacques Canetti, knew to remain a man discrete, enthusiastic, combative and persevering… " an young man liking the musique".

Small but dynamic it is a “stockbreeder of high-speed motorboats” of the French-speaking Chanson which it produces in all the sectors of the disc, the radio and the TV (in particular Belgian) and of the spectacles of which those of sound Théâtre of the Three Donkeys. It is him which made the Parisian fame of Felix Leclerc in 1950. It launched Jacques Brel in 1954 while enabling him to record its first album, like its nephew Bruno Brel and Jacques Higelin. In 1978, it wrote its memories: One seeks young man liking the music .

He is the brother of the writer Elias Canetti and had three children, Colette, Francoise and Bernard, all three credits in cultural fields.

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