Transcript

Ngofeen: In 2014, Arnaud Bassecourt was a father of two living in

Paris with his family. At 43, he’d already had three careers. He’d been
a cop, a private detective, and for the last three years, he’d worked as
an independent construction worker, un artisan. But he was getting
tired of it.

Arnaud: C’est un métier difficile. On se fatigue vite. C’est aussi un

métier solitaire. Souvent, on est loin de sa famille. Je voulais arrêter de
faire ce métier. Mais je ne savais pas quoi faire d’autre.

Ngofeen: Arnaud got a job renovating a cabin in the woods. He was

working on his own, cut off from the rest of the world. Desperate for
some entertainment, he dashed to the tiny village nearby and bought a
random CD, un CD. It was a “best of” from one of the most popular
francophone singer-songwriters of all time. A Belgian man who had
died in 1978: Jacques Brel.

Arnaud: Je ne sais pas pourquoi j’ai choisi ce CD. Depuis que j’ai 15
ans, tout le monde dit que je ressemble à Jacques Brel : mes
professeurs, mes collègues… C’est peut-être pour ça que j’ai choisi ce
CD.

Ngofeen: Back at the cabin, Arnaud played the songs of his

doppelganger, and he started humming along. As he listened to
Jacques Brel’s rich grainy voice singing, Arnaud started singing along.
And that’s when he heard it.

Arnaud: Je me suis dit : « Wow, c’est une chanson vraiment

incroyable ! » Même la musique était magnifique. Mais quand j’ai
commencé à chanter, ma voix s’est connectée à celle de Brel. Il y
avait sa voix, et il y avait ma voix. Mais c’était une seule voix. Brel et
moi.
Ngofeen: It was like a light switch going off. Arnaud, who’d never
thought much about singing, suddenly saw a clear path ahead of him.
He would bring Jacques Brel back to life. Back to the stage. But first,
he had to learn how to sing.

Arnaud: Moi, devenir chanteur ? Je n’y avais jamais pensé. Mais à ce

moment-là, c’était très clair. C’était une évidence. Je prends souvent
mes décisions comme ça. En général, les gens hésitent quand ils
prennent des décisions. Ils hésitent beaucoup pour les choses
importantes. Mais moi, je me décide vite, en un instant. J’avais décidé
: je voulais essayer de devenir comme Jacques Brel.

Ngofeen: Bienvenue and welcome to the Duolingo French Podcast.

I’m Ngofeen Mputubwele. Every episode, we bring you fascinating
true stories to help you improve your French listening and gain new
perspectives on the world.

The storyteller will be using intermediate French, and I’ll be chiming

in for context in English. If you miss something, you can always skip
back and listen again. We also offer full transcripts
at podcast.duolingo.com.

One thing to note: we weren’t able to get the rights to Brel’s music for
this episode, so while we can’t share any audio of Brel — or Arnaud
singing Brel’s music — please visit our website, for links to Brel’s
music and videos of Arnaud to see him perform. He really does look
just like Brel!

Ngofeen: Arnaud returned to Paris, eager to share his new idea with
his family, especially his 10-year-old daughter, Charlotte, and his 13-
year-old son, Hugo. He told them he wanted to become Jacques Brel
and perform at l’Olympia, a famous concert venue in Paris.

Arnaud: J’avais un objectif : je voulais chanter à l’Olympia. Jacques

Brel a fait ses plus grands concerts dans cette salle. Chanter là-bas,
c’était le but de ma carrière.

Ngofeen: Both his kids were enthusiastic. They said he should pursue
his dreams. But his partner, his compagne, was quiet. Very quiet.
Arnaud: Ma compagne connaît ma personnalité. Elle s’est
probablement dit : « Ça va passer. Je ne vais rien dire. » Elle n’a pas
pris cela au sérieux. Elle pensait que j'abandonnerais cette idée
rapidement. Pour elle, c'était juste une phase.

Ngofeen: His compagne thought it was a phase, but for Arnaud, it

was a calling. He couldn’t fully grasp why, but this was the next thing
for him. And it seemed feasible. Because of who Jacques Brel was.

Male reporter voice: Jacques Brel, one of the world’s most

enigmatic French speaking singer-songwriters announced…

Female reporter voice: The voice and music of Belgian singer

Jacques Brel. It has been 25 years since Brel’s death, and his songs
are still…

Ngofeen: Since the sixties, Brel had been one of the most popular
French-language musicians in the world.

Arnaud: Beaucoup de gens connaissent ses chansons, mais ils ne

savent pas que ce sont des chansons de Brel. Certaines chansons sont
connues dans le monde entier… La chanson Ne me quitte pas est
devenue en anglais, “If you go away”. Nina Simone a chanté cette
chanson, Frank Sinatra aussi, et même Cyndi Lauper ! Brel a influencé
Leonard Cohen, David Bowie… Et il a vendu des millions d’albums.

Ngofeen: Brel was a singer-songwriter with a French twist: he wrote

beautiful lyrics about love…and death. And he was unusual-looking.
His mouth was too big, his performances too intense. But Arnaud
loved how once on stage, sur scène, Brel won over everyone.

Arnaud: Brel était exceptionnel sur scène. Il était très théâtral, il

montrait beaucoup d’émotions. Le public l’adorait, et était presque
hypnotisé en sa présence. Ses concerts à l’Olympia sont entrés dans la
mémoire collective française.

Ngofeen: Arnaud knew some people would think he was crazy to

impersonate a singer who'd been dead for nearly 40 years. America
has Elvis impersonators, but nobody really does that in France.
Arnaud didn't care. He was a hard worker, and he was Brel's spitting
image. So Arnaud went to the best singer he knew: his mom… And she
sent him to her singing teacher.

Arnaud: Ma mère a demandé à sa prof de chant de me donner des

cours. Elle voulait savoir si je pouvais faire ce métier. Au premier
cours, la prof m’a testé pour voir si j’avais du talent, et si j’étais prêt à
vivre une vie d’artiste. Finalement, la prof a dit à ma mère : « Écoute,
oui. Il peut faire ce métier. Visiblement, il est fait pour ça. »

Ngofeen: Finally, someone believed in Arnaud’s idea. He vowed to

do what Jacques Brel did. Practice, hustle, sing on small unknown
stages from Belgium to Paris, until eventually, he could make a real
career out of it.

Arnaud: Après tout, Brel aussi a changé de vie. Au début, il travaillait

dans une usine en Belgique. Ensuite, il est parti à Paris pour devenir
artiste. Comme pour tous les artistes, c’était difficile. Mais quand on
découvre l’art, on ne peut plus vivre sans. Il faut être prêt à tout
donner pour pouvoir vivre de son art.

Ngofeen: Arnaud decided to take weekly singing lessons to get his

technique right. He practiced every day at home. He’d copy the style
and mannerisms of the singer, watching old videos. He’d look at Brel’s
mouth, sa bouche, and at his jaw, sa mâchoire.

Arnaud: Brel et moi, nous avons exactement la même mâchoire.

Nous avons la même bouche, les mêmes dents. Alors, quand je le
regarde chanter, j’observe sa bouche, ses lèvres, sa langue, son larynx.
Et je peux essayer de faire la même chose avec ma bouche, pour imiter
sa voix.

Ngofeen: Their uncanny resemblance gave Arnaud an advantage:

when he copied Brel’s movements, he sounded even more like him.
Arnaud learned a few songs by heart, par cœur. He practiced. But he
knew the real test was to step in front of a live audience.

Arnaud: Moi, je fais toujours les choses à 100 %. Alors, quand j’ai
appris plus de 15 chansons par cœur, je me suis dit : « Allez, j’achète
un micro, un amplificateur, et je vais essayer de chanter devant des
gens. »

Ngofeen: One month after his first lesson, Arnaud headed to the best
venue available to him: le métro. He set himself up at the entrance to a
subway station with his microphone and his amp. He had never
performed before, and he was terrified. He had le trac, stage fright.

Arnaud: J’avais le trac, mais je savais que Brel aussi avait très peur
avant d’entrer en scène. Il vomissait toujours avant ses concerts. Alors
j’ai rassemblé tout mon courage. Après tout, le trac fait partie de la vie
d’artiste.

Ngofeen: In front of the subway station, Arnaud adjusted his black

suit — the same style Jacques Brel used to wear during his famous
performances at l’Olympia. In the street, Arnaud cleared his throat.
Then, for the first time in his life, he started performing. And to his
relief, people stopped and started listening!

Arnaud: Autour de moi, il y a une quarantaine de personnes. Les

gens m’écoutent. Ils ne bougent pas, ils restent. Ils sont attentifs. Ils
sourient. Certains me donnent un peu d’argent, et m’encouragent. Ils
me disent : « J’ai l’impression d’entendre Brel. C’est incroyable ! » Ce
soir-là, je rentre chez moi avec 80 euros. Je ne m’attendais pas à ça.

Ngofeen: For Arnaud, it was huge. The audience responded to him.

They were moved. Those first 80 euros were all the proof he needed:
maybe he could make a living out of this. So he decided to perform as
much as he could… And wherever he went, people loved him.

Arnaud: Certaines personnes venaient me dire merci. D’autres

restaient en arrière et pleuraient. C’était surtout des personnes âgées.
Je pense que la musique leur rappelait peut-être une rencontre, une
époque, ou simplement leur jeunesse.

Ngofeen: About six months into singing in the streets, Arnaud found
himself performing on a street corner in Montmartre, a Parisian
neighborhood famous for being a home to artists of all kinds. And in
the crowd were two very special people: his kids.
Arnaud: Au début, tout se passe bien. Je chante une chanson. Et
après, les gens m’applaudissent. Je chante une deuxième chanson. Le
public semble vraiment aimer ça. Je suis content de chanter devant
mes enfants.

Ngofeen: Everyone was mesmerized by his performance, until two

cops passed by on their bikes. They slammed on their brakes in front
of Arnaud.

Arnaud: Les deux policiers s’arrêtent devant moi. Ils voient mon bol
où il y avait des pièces de monnaie, et ils donnent un coup de pied
dedans. Ils me disent, de façon pas très agréable : « Tu t’en vas ! »

Ngofeen: Arnaud didn’t want any trouble, so he got ready to leave.

But the audience didn’t want to see him go. To Arnaud’s surprise, one
man in particular, who was wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase,
started arguing with the officers.

Arnaud: Il a dit : « Vous savez qui il chante ? Il chante Jacques Brel,

l’un des plus grands chanteurs de la langue française. Grâce à lui, la
chanson française est toujours vivante ! Et vous, vous venez lui dire
d’arrêter ? Et à Montmartre en plus ! »

Ngofeen: The crowd defended Arnaud’s right to perform. And things

got a bit out of hand. Arnaud saw the neat businessman getting
arrested by the officers. For Arnaud, this was a revelation: people were
ready to fight for him. His kids were on his side that day, too. But they
were growing uncomfortable.

Arnaud: Pour mes enfants, le plus difficile, c’était de me voir chanter

dans la rue. Ils n’aimaient pas ce risque. Moi, je suis toujours
optimiste. Je ne vois pas ce qui se passe autour de moi. Je ne vois
jamais le négatif. Pour moi, chanter dans la rue, c’était une chance
d’apprendre mon métier.

Ngofeen: During the week, Arnaud took odd jobs to make ends meet,
like construction projects or detective work. On weekends, he’d sing in
the streets, and at night, he’d sing in bars and restaurants, passing his
hat around for tips. He was building his new life. It just wasn’t the life
his partner wanted.

Arnaud: Je chantais dans les bars et dans les cabarets. Je dansais

avec le public. La vie d’artiste, c’est aussi une vie de fête. On est là pour
que les gens s’amusent. Je passais un bon moment, et après, je
rentrais tard. Maintenant, je comprends ma compagne. Ça devait être
frustrant pour elle.

Ngofeen: For his compagne, this new passion remained an upsetting

mystery: she didn’t care about who Jacques Brel had been, in France
or elsewhere. What she wanted was for her partner to be home at night
and on the weekends. Not performing in some bar.

Arnaud: Quand j’étais à la maison, je disais à ma compagne que ma

carrière progressait. Mais je n’avais pas beaucoup de preuves
concrètes, seulement l’enthousiasme des gens. Je me disais : « Si je
travaille dur, elle comprendra. »

Ngofeen: After a year of him busking in the streets and singing in

bars, Arnaud’s daughter, Charlotte, then 11, sat him down to have a
frank conversation. She had seen her mother getting more and more
upset, and knew her father didn’t get it. So she spelled it out.

Arnaud: Ma fille m’a dit : « Est-ce que tu réalises que Maman en a

assez de ce que tu fais ? Ça ne l’intéresse pas. Elle trouve ça nul. Tu
n’es pas là le week-end. Tu ne comprends pas : elle veut que tu partes.
»

Ngofeen: Arnaud was stunned. But he knew his daughter was right.
He’d been oblivious to how his new lifestyle was impacting his
relationship. He loved his family, but he felt he had to leave…that very
night. Even though he had nowhere to go.

Arnaud: J’ai passé une première nuit dehors, puis j’ai appelé une
amie. Elle voulait m’aider, alors elle m’a trouvé une chambre de
bonne, à Montmartre.
Ngofeen: In his tiny new chambre de bonne, a maid’s room, Arnaud
decided to double down on his career. Anytime he met professional
singers, they said he had what it took. But often, theater directors
didn’t want to talk to him. Many of them loved Brel so much they told
Arnaud: “No one could be good enough to impersonate Brel.”

Arnaud: Ils me disaient : « Tu chantes Brel ? Ah non, tu ne peux pas.

Brel est intouchable. Brel, c’est sacré, c’est parfait, c’est magnifique. Tu
ne vas jamais réussir. N’essaie même pas. » J’ai souvent entendu ça.
Certaines personnes refusaient de m’entendre, même pour une
audition.

Ngofeen: Now single, Arnaud spent a year building his reputation as

a Brel performer. Then one day in 2016, he was offered a gig in the
north of Paris. After he sang, the production company hired to do the
lights and sound came to him. They offered him the opportunity of a
lifetime.

Arnaud: Ils m’ont entendu chanter, puis ils m’ont dit : « Dans un an
et demi, c’est l’anniversaire de la mort de Brel. Quarante ans. On
pourrait monter un spectacle sur Brel autour de toi. Tu en penses quoi
? » Alors j’ai dit oui, bien sûr.

Ngofeen: Getting asked to impersonate Jacques Brel on the

anniversary of his death was no joke. Arnaud rehearsed for a year and
a half. He worked with a coach, a stage director…until finally, in 2018,
40 years after Jacques Brel’s death, it was time to take the stage in
front of 1500 people. Backstage in his dressing room, sa loge, Arnaud
tried to calm his nerves.

Arnaud: Juste avant de monter sur scène, j’ai pensé à Jacques Brel.
Je l’imaginais, dans sa loge, juste avant un spectacle. Je lui ai parlé.
J’ai dit : « Tu étais à ma place. Tu avais peur. Tu avais le trac. Moi
aussi, j’ai peur. Mais si tu en étais capable, alors moi aussi, j’en suis
capable. »

Ngofeen: Backstage, Arnaud straightened his black suit. Then he

took a breath, and stepped in front of the audience, into the white
spotlight at the center of the stage.
Arnaud: Au moment où on arrive sur scène, c’est parti. On ne pense
plus à rien. Seulement deux choses existent : la scène, et le public.
C’est incroyable.

Ngofeen: The show was a major success. Afterward, Arnaud went on

tour: he gave 15 performances in 15 different cities. Every night he
sang, he got a standing ovation. Just like in the streets, the audience
was moved. After the shows, they kept leaving gifts for him on stage.

Arnaud: Les gens laissent des choses sur la scène. Ils me donnent des
cadeaux : un vieux vinyle de Brel, un livre sur Brel, des vieux
magazines avec Brel sur la couverture. Chez moi, j’ai trois boîtes
pleines de cadeaux !

Ngofeen: This first tour was important to Arnaud: it was a sign for
him that this was going to work — a success he could share with his
children. The uncertainty surrounding his career change started to
fade away.

Arnaud: Pour mon fils et ma fille, mon rêve est devenu une réalité :
ils m’ont vu sur scène, avec un public qui applaudissait. Ils ont adoré
le spectacle ! Quand ils m'ont vu dans un théâtre, avec tous ces
excellents musiciens, ils ont compris que j'étais un vrai chanteur.

Ngofeen: Today, Arnaud is preparing a new show. His sights are still
set on the legendary theater in Paris where, in 1966, Brel gave his
farewell performance: l’Olympia.

Arnaud: Depuis trois ans, je gagne ma vie en chantant Brel. Je peux

vivre grâce à mon art. C’est génial. Et l’Olympia, ça viendra bientôt.
Dans moins de deux ans, ce sera une réalité.

Ngofeen: Arnaud even had his goal tattooed on his arm.

Arnaud: C’est pour ne pas oublier mon objectif : l’Olympia.

Ngofeen: Arnaud, who performs under the stage name Arnaud

Askoy, is a singer living in the Paris area, with his kids and his new
partner. To listen to Jacques Brel and to Arnaud, check out the links in
the episode description. And as we close, we leave you with Arnaud
singing an original song.

This story was produced by Adélie Pojzman-Pontay, a journalist based

in Paris.

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