Ella's voice does not wither
Steven Jezo-Vannier's book (Ed. Le Mot et Le Reste).
© Joe Farmer / RFI
By: Joe Farmer Follow
4 min
25 years ago, on June 15, 1996, African-American singer Ella Fitzgerald passed away at the age of 79.
His epic, brilliantly reproduced by Steven Jezo-Vannier in his latest work published by Le Mot and Le Reste, fascinates, moves, surprises, excites and sparkles beyond time.
Her precise and enchanting voice never withered.
Despite countless setbacks, the "First Lady of Swing" retained this innate taste for singing and performing.
Racism, humiliations, his failing health, his own doubts, never erased his stubbornness to cheer up his audience.
From his first steps alongside drummer Chick Webb to his last appearances at honorary parties, his vocal mastery has been exceptional.
Ella Fitzgerald was, without a doubt, the greatest performer in the history of jazz!
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Although she was destined to dance, Ella Fitzgerald found in vocal art a form of expression flexible enough to relieve her ailments and allay her doubts. Bright on stage, she struggled behind the scenes to believe in her talent. This visceral lack of confidence was only partially cured by the benevolence of understanding and attentive partners. Chick Webb was his first chaperone. However, he did not manage to accompany the artistic development of his young recruit for long. He lost his life in 1939, just five years after welcoming and revealing the future queen of African-American scat. Over the years, Ella Fitzgerald relied on the advice of those close to her. Thus, at the turn of the 1950s, producer Norman Granz took care, in turn, to guide the steps of an incredible performer.He will entrust Ella Fitzgerald with the perilous mission of singing the great popular American repertoire, the arias of George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jérôme Kern, Irving Berlin. Kneaded with swing, it will tastefully revitalize legendary works and sublimate them.
Singer Ella Fitzgerald and composer Duke Ellington, in 1957. © Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images
Little talkative about the condition of blacks in the United States, Ella Fitzgerald preferred to let her soul speak by playing with the fiery clarity of her voice.
The protective civic commitment of its producer in the racist America of the 20th century will sometimes prevent it from too openly denouncing the abuses of an unequal society.
Able to blend in with all styles of music, from bossa nova to soul-music, she will insidiously use certain compositions borrowed from popular artists to make her anger heard.
His rereading of Marvin Gaye's classic,
What's going on
, will be his indirect contribution to the social justice effort of the black community.
Ella Fitzgerald knew what a song could do in the collective subconscious.
Since her birth in 1917, she had faced many times the setbacks of life, but music had preserved her from bitterness and anger.
Ella Fitzgerald in Chicago, 1979 © Paul Natkin / Getty Images
Ella Fitzgerald lived only by and for her audience.
She didn't want to hear that the incessant tours and numerous studio sessions were gradually wearing out her aging body.
The scene was her passion, the flame that sparkled within her.
Her voice still echoes in our ear as a happy inspiration to move forward.
→
Ella Fitzgerald's website
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Ella Fitzgerald "He was a voice in America"
Ella Fitzgerald with Frank Sinatra (left) and Count Basie (right), in Las Vegas.
© Bettmann Archive - Bettmann / Getty images
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