Léo Marjane

Léo Marjane (of its true name Therese Gendebien) is a Chanteuse French born with Boulogne-sur-Mer on August 27th 1912.

Biography

Léo Marjane begins with the cabaret Shéhérazade where it is pointed out by its voice of hot contralto and envoûtante, and by its diction with phrased very modern. It records at Pathé-Marconi, where the director, Jean Bérard, directs it towards the song Jazz with Begin the beguine (1938) and Night and Day . It occurs with the Pacra Concert (1941) and in many cabarets with the mode under the Occupation, in particular with the ECRIN .

In 1942, it gains an immense success with the song Seule this evening (music of Paul Durand, words of Pink Christmas and Jean Casanova), in which recognize the hundreds of thousands of French women of which the husband is prisoner of war in Germany (" I am alone this evening/With my dreams/I am alone this evening Without your love ").

During the German occupation, Léo Marjane has the appearance of a large high-speed motorboat of the song. With the Release, one will reproach him for having sung in cabarets readily attended by German officers, and in Radio-Paris, controlled by the Germans. Fallen from this fact in disgrace, it will try to take again its career, but without much success (" Miss Hortensia" of Louiguy and Jacques Plants, " Mets two pennies in the bastringue" of Jean Constantin, " I want to tell you adieu" of Gilbert Bécaud).

She gives up the song with the beginning of the year 1950 to devote herself to the breeding of the horses.

Songs

the vault with the moonlight (1937)
My angel (1940)
Only this evening (1941)

Bonds

A very complete page with audio extracts: here: http://www.chanson.udenap.org/fiches_bio/marjane_leo.htm

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