Camillo Felgen
Encyclopedia
Camillo Jean Nicolas Felgen (17 November 1920 in Tétange
– 16 July 2005 in Esch-sur-Alzette
) was a Luxembourg
ian singer, lyricist
, DJ
, and television presenter.
. During the Second World War
, Felgen was a translator
for the German occupiers
, and then a reporter with a French language
newspaper
. He studied theater and opera
in Brussels
and Liège; in 1946, he joined Radio Luxembourg
as a chorus singer and a French language reporter. In 1949, the mastering of his baritone
completed his theatre and opera studies. In 1951, he had his first international hit record
, "Bonjour les amies" ("Hello Friends"). The song went on to become the theme song for his national broadcaster. In 1953, he recorded his first German language
record, "Onkel Toms altes Boot" ("Uncle Tom's Old Boat"), in Berlin
. He represented his home country in the Eurovision Song Contest 1960
with "So laang we's du do bast
", becoming the first male contestant to represent Luxembourg and the first entrant to sing in Luxembourgish
. He finished last with only one point. Two years later
he entered the contest again, this time doing much better by finishing in 3rd place with the song "Petit bonhomme
".
One of the greatest hits of Felgen was "Ich hab Ehrfurcht vor schneeweißen Haaren" (“I Respect Your Grey Hair”), a cover of singer-guitarist and entrepreneur Bobbejaan Schoepen
.
Another was "Sag warum", in 1959, based on a melody by Phil Spector
.
Camillo Felgen also wrote German lyrics for cover versions of international songs, using the pseudonyms of Lee Montague (writing for Petula Clark
, The Searchers
, The Honeycombs
, among others) and Jean Nicolas (writing for Connie Francis
, Caterina Valente
, Greetje Kauffeld
and Lill-Babs
, among others).
As Jean Nicolas, Felgen also translated the only two songs performed by The Beatles
in German
, "I Want to Hold Your Hand
" and "She Loves You
", in 1964. Felgen, then working as a programme director at the RTL
, was given just 24 hours to translate the lyrics, fly to Paris
, and teach the band the versions phonetically.
Tetange
Tétange is a town in the commune of Kayl, in south-western Luxembourg. , the town has a population of 2,813....
– 16 July 2005 in Esch-sur-Alzette
Esch-sur-Alzette
Esch-sur-Alzette is a commune with city status, in south-western Luxembourg. It is the country's second city, and its second-most populous commune, with a population of 29,853 people...
) was a Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
ian singer, lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
, DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
, and television presenter.
Biography
Felgen started his career as a teacherTeacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
. During the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Felgen was a translator
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
for the German occupiers
German occupation of Luxembourg in World War II
The German occupation of Luxembourg in World War II was the period in the history of Luxembourg after it was used as a transit territory to attack France by outflanking the Maginot Line. Plans for the attack had been prepared by 9 October 1939, but execution was postponed several times...
, and then a reporter with a French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
. He studied theater and opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
and Liège; in 1946, he joined Radio Luxembourg
Radio Luxembourg (French)
Radio Luxembourg - 1933-1939 and 1951- is the name of a Long Wave commercial radio station that began broadcasting from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in 1933 as a daytime and evening service in the French language from Monday to Saturday and until 12 Noon on Sundays.The station closed down at the...
as a chorus singer and a French language reporter. In 1949, the mastering of his baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
completed his theatre and opera studies. In 1951, he had his first international hit record
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
, "Bonjour les amies" ("Hello Friends"). The song went on to become the theme song for his national broadcaster. In 1953, he recorded his first German language
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
record, "Onkel Toms altes Boot" ("Uncle Tom's Old Boat"), in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. He represented his home country in the Eurovision Song Contest 1960
Eurovision Song Contest 1960
The Eurovision Song Contest 1960 was the fifth in the series, and was held on 29 March 1960 in London. France's win this year was their second in the contest....
with "So laang we's du do bast
So Laang We's Du Do Bast
"So laang we's du do bast" was Luxembourg's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1960.Performed by Camillo Felgen, the song represented no less than three firsts for Luxembourg; firstly by being sung in Luxembourgish , secondly by being sung by a male singer "So laang we's du do bast" ("As Long As...
", becoming the first male contestant to represent Luxembourg and the first entrant to sing in Luxembourgish
Luxembourgish language
Luxembourgish is a High German language spoken mainly in Luxembourg. About 320,000 people worldwide speak Luxembourgish.-Language family:...
. He finished last with only one point. Two years later
Eurovision Song Contest 1962
The Eurovision Song Contest 1962 was the seventh in the series. France's win was their third and marked the first time a country had won three contests. Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, and Spain all scored "null points" for the first time....
he entered the contest again, this time doing much better by finishing in 3rd place with the song "Petit bonhomme
Petit Bonhomme
"Petit bonhomme" was the Luxembourgish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1962, performed in French by Luxembourgish singer Camillo Felgen....
".
One of the greatest hits of Felgen was "Ich hab Ehrfurcht vor schneeweißen Haaren" (“I Respect Your Grey Hair”), a cover of singer-guitarist and entrepreneur Bobbejaan Schoepen
Bobbejaan Schoepen
Bobbejaan Schoepen is a pseudonym of Modest Schoepen was a Flemish pioneer in Belgian pop music, vaudeville, and European country music...
.
Another was "Sag warum", in 1959, based on a melody by Phil Spector
Phil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
.
Camillo Felgen also wrote German lyrics for cover versions of international songs, using the pseudonyms of Lee Montague (writing for Petula Clark
Petula Clark
Petula Clark, CBE is an English singer, actress, and composer whose career has spanned seven decades.Clark's professional career began as an entertainer on BBC Radio during World War II...
, The Searchers
The Searchers
The Searchers may refer to:* The Searchers , a 1956 American movie** The novel it was based on, by Alan Le May* The Searchers , a music group* The Searchers , a 2009 Iranian television show* A comic from Caliber Comics...
, The Honeycombs
The Honeycombs
The Honeycombs were an English beat/pop group, founded in 1963 in North London. The group had one chart-topping hit, the million selling "Have I the Right?", in 1964. After that song the interest in the group ebbed away, and they split up in late 1966...
, among others) and Jean Nicolas (writing for Connie Francis
Connie Francis
Connie Francis is an American pop singer of Italian heritage and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1950s and 1960s. Although her chart success waned in the second half of the 1960s, Francis remained a top concert draw...
, Caterina Valente
Caterina Valente
Caterina Valente is a singer, dancer, and actress. She was born into an Italian artist family; her father Giuseppe was a well-known accordion player, her mother, Maria Valente, a musical clown...
, Greetje Kauffeld
Greetje Kauffeld
Greetje Kauffeld is a Dutch jazz singer and Schlager musician who represented the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 1961. She led her own trio starting in 1986 and has lived in Germany for years.-External links:...
and Lill-Babs
Lill-Babs
Lill-Babs is a Swedish singer and actress.-Biography:Lill-Babs was born in Järvsö, Gävleborg County, as the first daughter of Britta and Ragnar Svensson...
, among others).
As Jean Nicolas, Felgen also translated the only two songs performed by The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, "I Want to Hold Your Hand
I Want to Hold Your Hand
"I Want to Hold Your Hand" is a song by the English rock band The Beatles. Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and recorded in October 1963, it was the first Beatles record to be made using four-track equipment....
" and "She Loves You
She Loves You
"She Loves You" is a song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney based on an idea by McCartney, originally recorded by The Beatles for release as a single in 1963. The single set and surpassed several records in the United Kingdom charts, and set a record in the United States by being one of the...
", in 1964. Felgen, then working as a programme director at the RTL
RTL Television
Rtl.de' redirects here. For other uses, see RTL.RTL Television , or simply RTL, is a German commercial television station distributed via cable and satellite along with DVB-T , in larger population centres...
, was given just 24 hours to translate the lyrics, fly to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, and teach the band the versions phonetically.