Léo Ferré 1951 - 1962

The biography of Léo Ferré by Martin Pénet , illustrated by José Correa and accompanied by 2 compact discs.

A poet as much as a musician, Léo Ferré was too rebellious and too inspired to fit into the mold of the post-war song profession. For many years, only the so-called “left bank” cabarets of the capital welcomed this Monegasque who did not really have the physique for the job. Thanks to a few recognized performers, in particular Catherine Sauvage , his songs nevertheless reached a much wider audience.

He ended up devoting himself to his own records, with particular care given to the setting to music of the great poets ( Baudelaire , Verlaine , Rimbaud , Apollinaire , Aragon ) and to the expression of his anarchist values. From the 1950s to the early 1960s, this anthology traces the rise of Léo Ferré and the affirmation of a style refusing any concession; a journey that took him to the biggest music hall stages ( Bobino , Olympia, Alhambra ). Over fifty years, he developed a continuous creative spirit which allowed him to produce more than forty original albums.