Django Reinhardt Biography

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Django Reinhardt Django Reinhardt is known as one of the most talented jazz guitar soloist and as France’s most famous jazz performer. Django Reinhardt was born Jean-Baptiste Reinhardt on January 23, 1910 in Liverchies, Belgium. His parents were Jean-Eugene who was a musician and entertainer, and La Belle Laurence (also known as Negros because of her dark beauty) who was a dancer.

He was born in the back of the caravan, which the Manouche gypsy family lived. His parents named him “Django” in his Romany name, which means “I awake” (Dregni, pp1-3). At a young age Reinhardt was introduced to music.

Django’s father, Jean, was very talented and supported the family playing music on various instruments while his wife danced. On the back of the caravan where they lived, Jean had a stage where he and his wife performed musicals.

Django’s first instrument was the violin which is very popular among gypsies because of the ease of transporting. He had no formal education in any school for music or reading: he was illiterate. His fathers as well as his Uncle Guiligou are credited with teaching him his early musical abilities. At the age of twelve he was given a banjo by a Manouche gypsy friend who saw how much he enjoyed music.

Django Banjo

Django played the banjo constantly which led to swollen bleeding fingertips.

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After witnessing how well her son played the banjo, Negro bought him a real guitar. Django, along with his cousin played the guitar on street corners and eventually into Paris (Dregni, pp 13-14) When Django was five years old his father left his mother to go live with his previous wife and children. Django would still see his father when they traveled and crossed paths. Soon after receiving the guitar, Django would venture to Porte de Clignancourt to the see his father and Uncle performing in a dance hall called Chez Clodoche.

Django would hide under the tables and listen to the music. He was mostly interested in his Uncle Guiligou’s guitar playing and would watch as he played the chords. Once home, Django would repeat on his own guitar what was played that night in the dance hall. Eventually, his Uncle found him hiding and asked him to play a song on his guitar. He was so impressed with Django’s ability that he was soon playing with his father and Uncle every Saturday night at the Chez Clodoche. It was around this time as well that while playing in a cafe he was noticed by Vetese Guerino, an accordion player.

Guerino hired Django to play for the large amount of ten francs a night (Dregni, pp 13-16). Django continued to play in dance halls from the age of 12 to 18 years old. His first record or recording was in 1928. Because of his illiteracy his name was spelled Jiango Renard on the record. It was during this time that he met Sophie Irma Ziegler, also a Manouche girl. They were both enchanted with each other and were together for two years until Django met the beautiful Florine Mayer. Django quickly left Sophie (Naguine), and eloped with Florine in the gypsy way.

They were soon expecting their first child (Dregni, pp 31-36). It was during the pregnancy that an accident occurred that would forever change Django’s life. One night after returned home from working, fire broke out in the caravan that he and Florine lived. Both were badly burned and brought to the hospital. Django spent the next eighteen months in and out of the hospital, during which his wife gave birth to their baby boy named Lousson. Django almost lost his leg to amputation, but more importantly his left hand was severely burned.

He lost the function of his ring and pinky finger leaving them permanently hooked which left only two fingers to play chords with. Unfortunately, his wife Florine left him when she realized how disabled he was, but Sophie, after hearing of his injuries came to his side. During his hospitalization his brother Joseph brought him a guitar and he practiced continually. Miraculously, he taught himself to play the chords with only two fingers. Django developed a new guitar playing technique that enabled him to play fast and not lose any musical ability (Dregni, p45-49).

In 1934 while playing at The Hotel Cambridge tea dance he met Stephane Grappelli. During breaks he and Grappelli who played the violin would play and improvise together. They were later joined by Roger Chaput on guitar and Louis Vola on bass and Django’s brother Joseph on guitar as well. They became a group and recorded their first songs together under the label Ultraphone. It was under the Ultraphone label that Dinah, Lady Be Good, Tiger Rag and I Saw Stars were recorded in 1934. They soon named their group Le Quintette de Hot Club de France and recorded many more songs (Red hot jazz, 2008).

When the war broke out in the late 1930’s, Grappelli decided to live in England during the war while Reinhardt returned to Paris. He continued to play with a small group and also put together various bands, and recorded additional songs in 1945 with Django Reinhardt and His American Swing Band. In 1946 Duke Ellington invited him to play with him in America. This was his first experience with an electric guitar. He toured only for two weeks with Ellington and returned to Paris somewhat disappointed with the American tour.

He did learn some bop while in American as well electric guitar and continued to experiment with those back in Paris. Django continued his career performing in small cafes until 1951 when he retired to Samois-sur-Seine with Naguine and his son Babik. He spent his days fishing, painting and playing billiards. He also came out of retirement in 1953 briefly for his final recording; The Great Artistry of Django Reinhardt which was released in France as well as in America. He also toured in Switzerland in early 1953 and was set to tour in the Jazz at the Philharmonic tour of Europe, United States and Japan later in 1953.

He began having difficulty with his fingers as well as experiencing severe headaches, but refused to see a physician. Django Reinhardt died of a stroke on May 16th, 1953 in Samois-sur-Seine at the age of 43 years old. After the funeral Naguine moved out of the caravan and burned all of Django’s belongings. This is traditional to the Manouche gypsies. The only thing that is kept is a picture. So, Django’s precious guitar was burned along with his other possessions. As well as the guitar that was gone, his music could not be played in keeping with the customs. After his death, it was only non-gypsy people who kept his music alive. Dregni, p262-268). An early death did not stop Django Reinhardt from becoming a star in the jazz world or in the gypsy world. I was amazed with what he was forced to overcome to play the guitar. The fire could have been enough to have many musicians stop playing, but his drive and passion to play forced him to overcome great odds. Also, despite being illiterate and unable to read music he was a huge success. I also found very interesting the Manouche customs, especially the customs surrounding death. Django Reinhardt is known as one the best jazz guitarists of all time.