Hélène Martin (; 10 December 1928 – 21 February 2021) was a French

singer-songwriter A singer-songwriter is a musician who writes, composes, and performs their own musical material, including lyrics and melodies. In the United States, the category is built on the folk- acoustic tradition with a guitar, although this role has ...

Biography

Born in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, Martin was daughter of a

university professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a 'person who professes'. Professors ...

(

Sciences Po Sciences Po () or Sciences Po Paris, also known as the Paris Institute of Political Studies (), is a public research university located in Paris, France, that holds the status of ''grande école'' and the legal status of . The university's unde ...

), and started singing in cabarets in the 1950s.Véronique Mortaigne
Hélène Martin : entre les mots et la musique
''

Le Monde (; ) is a mass media in France, French daily afternoon list of newspapers in France, newspaper. It is the main publication of Le Monde Group and reported an average print circulation, circulation of 480,000 copies per issue in 2022, including ...

''. 8 September 2009. Accessed on line 7 January 2016. In 1962, she recorded poems by

Jean Genet Jean Genet (; ; – ) was a French novelist, playwright, poet, essayist, and political activist. In his early life he was a vagabond and petty criminal, but he later became a writer and playwright. His major works include the novels '' The Th ...

who encouraged her.

Jean Vilar Jean Vilar (25 March 1912– 28 May 1971) was a French actor and theatre director. Career Vilar trained under actor and theatre director Charles Dullin, then toured with an acting company throughout France. His directorial career began in 194 ...

asked her to stage a show based on poems by René Char for the

Festival d'Avignon The ''Festival d'Avignon'', or Avignon Festival (), is an annual arts festival held in the France, French city of Avignon every summer in July in the courtyard of the Palais des Papes as well as in other locations of the city. Founded in 1947 by ...

, interpreted by her and

Roger Blin Roger Blin (22 March 1907 – 21 January 1984) was a French actor and director. He staged world premieres of Samuel Beckett's ''Waiting for Godot'' in 1953 and ''Endgame'' in 1957. Biography Blin was the son of a doctor; however, despite his ...

, Francesca Solleville, Bachir Touré (1966). She was a friend of many poets and writers, including

Louis Aragon Louis Aragon (; 3 October 1897 – 24 December 1982) was a French poet who was one of the leading voices of the Surrealism, surrealist movement in France. He co-founded with André Breton and Philippe Soupault the surrealist review ''Littératur ...

and

Jean Giono Jean Giono (30 March 1895 – 8 October 1970) was a French writer who wrote works of fiction mostly set in the Provence region of France. First period Jean Giono was born to a family of modest means, his father a cobbler of Piedmontese descent a ...

. Surrealist poet

Philippe Soupault Philippe Soupault (2 August 1897 – 12 March 1990) was a French writer and poet, novelist, critic, and political activist. He was active in Dadaism and later was instrumental in founding the Surrealist movement with André Breton. Soupault ini ...

published a book on her and her work. She created a TV series dedicated to poetry, ''Plain-Chant'' (1972). She also directed a TV movie after Jean Giono's novel '' Jean le Bleu'' (1979). In 2009, aged 81, she gave a last performance at the

Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord The Bouffes du Nord is a theatre at 37 bis, boulevard de la Chapelle, in the 10th arrondissement of Paris located near the Gare du Nord. It has been listed since 1993 as a ''monument historique'' by the French Ministry of Culture. History left, ...

Discography

* 1996: ''Hélène Martin chante les poètes'',

EPM Musique EPM Musique is a French record label that was created in 1986 by François Dacla, former president of RCA France. The label specializes in Chanson and its legacy. It is also dedicated to poetry, theater, and children's music. "EPM is a French lab ...

. Songs recorded 1962–1983, with

Laurent Terzieff Laurent Terzieff (27 June 1935 – 2 July 2010) was a French actor and theatre director. Biography Terzieff was the son of French ceramistLe Castor astral * 2002: ''Le Condamné à mort'', sung by Marc Ogeret, music Hélène Martin, recorded 1970, EPM "poètes et chansons". * 2003: ''Lucienne Desnoues'', reissue, EPM "poètes et chansons" * 2006: ''Jean Genet, Un chant d'amour'',

Buda Musique Buda Musique is a French record label specializing in world music. It was founded in 1987 by Gilles Fruchaux and Dominique Buscall. After Buscall died in 1990, Fruchaux became the sole owner. The label is especially known for its '' Éthiopiques' ...

, with Richard Armstrong. * 2006: ''Chansons pour les enfants'', EPM Musique, 2006. * 2006: ''Va savoir'', EPM * 2007: ''Pablo Neruda, de la poésie à la lutte''. Includes ''L'Elégie à Pablo Neruda'' sung by Hélène Martin. * 2007: ''Terres mutilées'' followed by ''Dans mon pays'', poems by René Char, 1968, reissue, EPM "Poésie". * 2008: ''Journal d'une voix'', Des femmes-

Antoinette Fouque Antoinette Fouque (Birth name, née Antoinette Grugnardi; 1 October 1936 – 20 February 2014) was a French psychoanalysis, psychoanalyst who was involved in the French women's liberation movement. She was the leader of one of the groups that orig ...

. * 2009-2010: ''Voyage en Hélénie'', 13-CD case.

Awards

* 1961:

Grand Prix du Disque Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor Places * Grand, Oklahoma, USA * Grand, Vosges, village and commune in France with Gallo-Roman amphitheatre * Grand County (disambiguation), ...

* 1967: Prix de l'Humour noir."Award winners at the 14th Grand Prix de l'Humour Noir Xavier Forneret, Paris, 30th October 1967"

Getty Images Getty Images Holdings, Inc. (stylized as gettyimages) is a visual media company and supplier of stock images, editorial photography, video, and music for business and consumers, with a library of over 477 million assets. It targets three mark ...

. Accessed on line 11 February 2018. * 2009: Prix Jacques Douai

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Helene 1928 births 2021 deaths French women singer-songwriters French singer-songwriters French women singers French screenwriters French television directors Singers from Paris Women television directors