Paris (AFP)
Banter and enthusiasm slung over the shoulder, Annie Cordy has followed 70 years of popular success as a "funny singer" and moving actress.
"I have several hats but I think I am above all in a good mood", exclaimed the Belgian artist with an exceptional career.
Seven hundred songs, millions of records sold, more than 4,000 galas around the world, a dozen operettas and musicals and dozens of films.
With her immaculate "maid of the priest" apron, her articulated braids of "Frida Oum Papa" and her feather tip of "Tata Yoyo", the queen of the French music hall has devoted her life to the stage where she did not want to give "Que du bonheur", title of a jazz and swing show she gave at the Casino de Paris and at the Olympia.
Léonie Cooreman was born in Laeken, district of Brussels, on June 16, 1928. She will be caricatured in the guise of Nicotine, wife of the village chief, in "Astérix chez les Belges." France is my country and Belgium my homeland " , she said.
Spicy blonde, Annie Cordy made her debut in orchestras singing American standards, before being hired as a leader of reviews at "Bœuf sur le Toit" in Brussels, then in Paris at "Lido" in 1950 where she became Annie Cordy.
From operettas to musicals ("La Route fleurie" with Georges Guétary and Bourvil, "Visa pour amour" with Luis Mariano, "Hello Dolly"), through laughter, song, theater, cinema and the telefilms, the indefatigable fantasist shows an almost maniacal perfectionism.
She connects rehearsals, tours, recording songs and film sets, at an impressive rate.
- "Maurice Chevalier in petticoats" -
"I endorse the label of funny singer, the public loves me for that, thank God I have never been a sex symbol", said Annie Cordy, the first woman to receive the Mustard prize in Dijon in 1965, for the spice of his artistic personality.
The one America called "Maurice Chevalier en petticoats" could not be reduced to titles like "La Bonne du Curé" (gold record 1975) or to junk songs ("Hello the sun shines", "Indian better than two you will have it "," La Bouchembiais "," Cho Ka Ka O ").
Because the professional entertainer was also an excellent actress.
After making her debut with Sacha Guitry ("Si Versailles m'ait conté", 1953), she broadened and moved her audience with dramatic roles in "Le Passager de la forêt" by René Clément, "Le Chat" (Pierre Granier- Deferre) or "La Rupture" (Claude Chabrol).
In 2015, it rings just as true in its role of runaway grandmother in "The memories" of Jean-Paul Rouve.
During the promotion of the film, she wears a petrol blue perfecto, jeans and blond hair in firecracker.
"Nini la chance", who preferred to believe in his good fortune than in his talent, affirmed all owed to her husband and impresario François-Henri Bruneau, known as "Bruno", 17 years her senior, died in 1989, that she used to call "daddy".
Married for almost 40 years, they had no children.
She was ennobled by the King of the Belgians who made her baroness in 2004. On her coat of arms, her motto was: "Passion makes strength", in reference to that of Belgium, "Union makes strength" .
For the past few years, she has been living in her house in Vallauris (Alpes-Maritimes), where, despite the years that accumulated, she led a very full life: in 2011-2012, then 2013-2014, she performed on the scenes of France with "Tender Age, the tour of the idols".
In 2012, she released yet another album titled "I like it, provided you like it", including an amazing duet with Cameroonian musician Manu Dibango.
In the cinema, she plays in "Le Cancre" by Paul Vecchiali (2016), or "Tamara Vol.2" by Alexandre Castagnetti (2018).
On the occasion of its 90th anniversary in 2018, Brussels named a park in its name.
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