“L’Envol” statue

When I told you Belgium was full of artists, I wasn’t kidding! Here’s “L’Envol,” a statue honouring the great Jacques Brel, a Belgian artist born in Schaerbeek in 1929, and who passed away in France at only 49. He is an icon of French music, considered one of the greatest singer-songwriters of all time. Still very famous, his songs have survived time and still move fans today. With over 25 million albums sold worldwide, Brel inspired artists from around the globe—some of his songs were even translated into English and performed by legends such as Ray Charles and Nina Simone. The “Grand Jacques”, Jacky, or “l’abbé Brel” as Georges Brassens used to call him, left the stage in 1966 at the peak of his fame. He believed he was losing his authenticity and didn’t want to cheat his audience. Even so, he returned to perform seven more times, each time in front of nearly 2,000 people, all on their feet chanting “Ne nous quitte pas” — don’t leave us! A touching nod to one of his most famous songs, ‘Ne me quitte pas’ — don’t leave me. And even after his death, one thing’s for sure: Brel never really left us, Brussels will be the first to agree to this! You can visit the Brel Foundation, which hosts exhibits and screenings that celebrate the existence of this remarkably talented man. In October 2017, the city decided to place a statue of Jacques Brel here in Place de la Vieille Halle aux Blés. We owe it to sculptor Tom Frantzen, who created this heartfelt image of Brel with open arms reaching toward his audience. Because, just like his song says: with nothing but the strength to love, we’ll hold the world in our hands, my friends!