I've once read somewhere (can't find it online now) that the song "GinGin" - also titled "Chez Jacquet" was the name of Djangos first daughter - I figure here is the place to confirm or deny my interest in the matter. Thanks for your help!
Django's first child was Lousson who was born in 1929. In addition to Babik, he had another son in 1946, Jimmy, who died soon after birth. - No daughters on record.
Around 4 mins in, this mini-documentary makes reference to Django's daughter and includes an interview with her... or have I got this wrong somehow? (not watched the whole thing yet with translation)... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdNLzz1OgSw
It’s a fascinating little film I’ve not seen before.
I did a bit of Googling - the woman I think you mean is Sandra Jayat, a cousin rather than daughter of Django’s who recorded some of his music with her own words along with Stephane and Naguine.
That’s a nugget I didn’t know, Jayat seems like an interesting character in her own right and she certainly has more than a little of Django’s intensity. Also, she seems to be still alive, which in itself is interesting. Thanks for sharing!
OK, born 1939 or 1940, a "cousin" of Django's - I think the gypsies use this term loosely but families possibly related somehow :) Incorrectly introduced as his daughter in the film it seems, nonetheless interesting as you say!
Just re-reading the notes to M. Dregni's "Gypsy Jazz" - on p. 298 he writes that according to F.-A. Moerman, Gin Gin was a nickname for Babik, not a daughter... (note 154). So that probably solves the original puzzle.
Sandra Jayat is an interesting person, no doubt of that. She made several recordings of her poetry, spoken over some of Django's themes. And that is Sandra Jayat in the film. I'm not sure who the guitarists on the recordings are, they don't exactly sound enough like anyone in particular to me to venture much of a guess. Maybe a guitarist from La Chope... These recordings are said to be from 1972, so we at least know who wasn't playing. Attached is one of these recordings. This kind of recording wasn't uncommon back then.
As for GinGin, that's an interesting story. Francis Moerman related to me that Matelot told him that on his original recording of Chez Jacquet/MSG in the early 60s, the record company got the titles switched and that as it made no difference to anyone he just left as it was. Which is certainly possible, because until that point, there was no recording of any tune called Chez Jacquet or MSG. I've never seen the label for the original recording of GinGin, it would be interesting to see who got the writers credit.
Gagoug and Choti were the names of two of Lousson's children.
Although it is appealing to imagine that Sandra Jayat may be one of the diminishing number of persons still alive to have known Django when he was alive (sources saying that she became a "follower" of Django as a girl), this seems more likely either to have been by interaction with Django's family, or not to be interpreted in a literal sense, since the dates do not quite add up: if she was born in 1939 or 1940, and left her own gypsy enclave to escape an arranged marriage at 15, Django would already have been deceased for at least a year if not 2... so probably no direct contact I would guess. Source: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandra_Jayat (English translation by Google).
It’s possible she met him after the war when Django was in Italy - and her family could have travelled to France.
I don’t know if she’s still alive but a few years ago someone posted on this forum claiming to be a friend of Django’s secretary, who was apparently living in New York and interested in talking about Django. I don’t know if anyone followed up on it. I guess there must be other people still alive who met Django.
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Around 4 mins in, this mini-documentary makes reference to Django's daughter and includes an interview with her... or have I got this wrong somehow? (not watched the whole thing yet with translation)... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdNLzz1OgSw
It’s a fascinating little film I’ve not seen before.
I did a bit of Googling - the woman I think you mean is Sandra Jayat, a cousin rather than daughter of Django’s who recorded some of his music with her own words along with Stephane and Naguine.
That’s a nugget I didn’t know, Jayat seems like an interesting character in her own right and she certainly has more than a little of Django’s intensity. Also, she seems to be still alive, which in itself is interesting. Thanks for sharing!
OK, born 1939 or 1940, a "cousin" of Django's - I think the gypsies use this term loosely but families possibly related somehow :) Incorrectly introduced as his daughter in the film it seems, nonetheless interesting as you say!
Just re-reading the notes to M. Dregni's "Gypsy Jazz" - on p. 298 he writes that according to F.-A. Moerman, Gin Gin was a nickname for Babik, not a daughter... (note 154). So that probably solves the original puzzle.
Except that Babik was born several years after Gin-Gin was released.
Sandra Jayat is an interesting person, no doubt of that. She made several recordings of her poetry, spoken over some of Django's themes. And that is Sandra Jayat in the film. I'm not sure who the guitarists on the recordings are, they don't exactly sound enough like anyone in particular to me to venture much of a guess. Maybe a guitarist from La Chope... These recordings are said to be from 1972, so we at least know who wasn't playing. Attached is one of these recordings. This kind of recording wasn't uncommon back then.
As for GinGin, that's an interesting story. Francis Moerman related to me that Matelot told him that on his original recording of Chez Jacquet/MSG in the early 60s, the record company got the titles switched and that as it made no difference to anyone he just left as it was. Which is certainly possible, because until that point, there was no recording of any tune called Chez Jacquet or MSG. I've never seen the label for the original recording of GinGin, it would be interesting to see who got the writers credit.
Gagoug and Choti were the names of two of Lousson's children.
Although it is appealing to imagine that Sandra Jayat may be one of the diminishing number of persons still alive to have known Django when he was alive (sources saying that she became a "follower" of Django as a girl), this seems more likely either to have been by interaction with Django's family, or not to be interpreted in a literal sense, since the dates do not quite add up: if she was born in 1939 or 1940, and left her own gypsy enclave to escape an arranged marriage at 15, Django would already have been deceased for at least a year if not 2... so probably no direct contact I would guess. Source: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandra_Jayat (English translation by Google).
It’s possible she met him after the war when Django was in Italy - and her family could have travelled to France.
I don’t know if she’s still alive but a few years ago someone posted on this forum claiming to be a friend of Django’s secretary, who was apparently living in New York and interested in talking about Django. I don’t know if anyone followed up on it. I guess there must be other people still alive who met Django.