#brusselsbookcity – Portraits of readers (l): Jacques Duvall
Discover our new series of portraits of famous readers who are living or have lived in Brussels!
A Brussels native, Jacques Duvall (real name Eric Verwilghen) is an all too discreet maître chanteur.
Before taking on the name Jacques Duvall, this most romantic fellow wrote his first lyrics using the unlikely pseudonyms Inger Asten and Hagen Dierks, picked at random in pulp novels.
If you are fan of French lyrics filled with clever puns, chances are that Duvall wrote some of your favourite songs: the essential ‘Banana Split’ composed for his friend Lio, ‘Clara veut la lune’ for the loyal Alain Chamfort, and countless stylish pop songs tailor-made for dozens of artists, including Jane Birkin, Etienne Daho, Joan Jett and the Runaways, Marie-France, The Sparks and Dani, as well as the Belgian performers Benjamin Schoos, Telex, Pierre Rapsat and even the footballer Enzo Scifo.
Jacques Duvall, le contrebandier de la chanson*, makes words sound and resound. We rang his doorbell. Confessions et plaisanteries** (Confessions and jokes), Brussels-style …
Photo © Pascal Schyns
- A place in which to read in Brussels?
I like Muntpunt, the Flemish library, located on Place de la Monnaie. There is a room where you can find all the Dutch- and French-language press – for free, which is not a bad thing. I go there to follow the adventures of Stéphane Pauwels in La Capitale, of Guido Belcanto in Humo and of Zakaria Bakkali in Foot Magazine.
- A favourite spot in which to buy books in Brussels?
The last book I bought was Ob-la-di, ob-la-Dan by Dan Lacksman and Brice Depasse. It is a book that blends reality and fiction, based on Dan’s memories of London and never-before-seen photos he took of the Beatles in 1968, during the recording of The White Album. I bought this book in the nice bookshop Les Editeurs, located in Rue de Flandre, ‘the smallest bookshop-gallery in Brussels’. Dan’s photos are being shown there from 3 until 29 September.
- A place in which to experience literature in Brussels?
I like to hang out at Café Béguin, on Place du Samedi, not far from Place Sainte-Catherine. I like to go there for a drink on the terrace with my friend Jean-Marc Lederman, who composed for Bashung and many more. We can spend hours talking, for instance of L’arrangeur des arrangeurs, the biography of the author, composer and arranger Jean-Claude Vannier***, a biography written by Rémi Foutel and Julien Vuillet.