Chantal Goya facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chantal Goya
Goya in 2009
Background information
Birth name	Chantal de Guerre
Born	(1942-06-10) 10 June 1942 (age 83) Saigon, French Indochina (present-day Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)
Origin	France
Occupation(s)	Singer, actress
Years active	1963–present

Chantal Goya, born Chantal de Guerre on June 10, 1942, is a famous French singer and actress. She started her career in the 1960s as a yé-yé singer, which was a popular style of French pop music. She also acted in movies, including the 1966 film Masculin, féminin.

Since 1975, Chantal Goya has become very well known for singing songs for children. She creates fun shows for kids with her husband, Jean-Jacques Debout, who writes songs. These shows often feature themes of dreams and exciting journeys. Her main character in these shows is called Marie-Rose.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Chantal was born in French Indochina in 1942. Her family moved to France in 1954 during the Indochina Wars. They lived in the Vosges mountains before moving to Paris in the early 1960s. Chantal met singer and composer Jean-Jacques Debout when she was 18 years old. They are still married today.

Meeting Jean-Jacques Debout

After finishing her high school studies, Chantal went to England to study journalism. While in Paris, a friend took her to a wedding party for Eddie Barclay, a record producer. Jean-Jacques Debout was one of the artists invited. He had already released some successful songs. He was also friends with another yé-yé singer, Sylvie Vartan.

At the wedding, Jean-Jacques saw Chantal and was immediately interested. He told her that she would become famous, have two children, and sing at the Opera. Chantal did not believe him and went back to London to finish her studies.

When she returned to France, Jean-Jacques was waiting for her at the train station. He sang a song he had written for her called "Nos doigts se sont croisés" (Our fingers had been crossed). Chantal then fell in love with him. This song later won a music festival award.

Becoming a Model and Singer

In 1964, Chantal started working as a model for a teenage girls' magazine called "Mademoiselle Âge Tendre". Jean-Jacques Debout decided to call her Chantal Goya. He thought she looked like a young person painted by the Spanish artist Francisco Goya.

The magazine's owner, Daniel Filipacchi, also ran the French part of RCA Records. He suggested that Jean-Jacques write songs for Chantal to record. Her first song, "C'est bien Bernard", was released in late 1964 and became her first hit.

Acting in Movies

In the fall of 1964, Chantal sang "C'est bien Bernard" on a TV show. The famous film director Jean-Luc Godard was watching. He was writing a movie called Masculin, féminin (Masculine, feminine). He thought Chantal would be perfect for the role of Madeleine Zimmer.

Chantal was surprised but accepted the role. She acted alongside Jean-Pierre Léaud and Marlène Jobert. The movie was released in 1966.

Chantal also had another successful song called "Une écharpe, une rose" (A scarf, a rose), which was popular in Japan. After this, her other songs and movies were not as successful in France. However, her husband Jean-Jacques Debout continued to write songs for TV shows.

Becoming a Children's Singer

In 1975, Jean-Jacques Debout was hosting a TV show. He had planned for actress Brigitte Bardot to perform, but she became ill. For the show's closing, Chantal Goya sang a song Jean-Jacques had written called "Adieu les jolis foulards" (Goodbye pretty scarves). She sang it with children.

In this song, Chantal played a French teacher who had to leave her school in Martinique to return to France. This was her first song made especially for children. After the show, many people called and wrote to the TV station, wanting to buy the song.

Maritie Carpentier, one of the show's producers, convinced Chantal to record "Adieu les Jolis Foulards" as a single. She was sure it would be a big hit.

For many months, Chantal Goya and Jean-Jacques Debout tried to get record companies in Paris to release the song, but they had little luck. Finally, they met François Dacla, the head of RCA Records in France. They sang the song for him in his office. He was very touched by the song and decided to release it. This is how Chantal Goya became a beloved children's singer.

Selected Movies

• Charade (1963) (uncredited role)
• Masculin, féminin (1966)
• Wenn Ludwig ins Manöver zieht (1967)
• L'échelle blanche (1969)
• Tout peut arriver (1969)
• L'amour c'est gai, l'amour c'est triste (1971)
• Les Gaspards (1974)
• Trop c'est trop (1975)
• Absolument fabuleux (2001)

Popular Albums

• Allons chanter avec Mickey (1977)
• La Poupée (1978)
• Bécassine (1979)
• C'est Guignol (1980)
• Comme Tintin (1981)
• Le Soulier Qui Vole(1981)
• La Planète Merveilleuse (1982)
• Babar (1983)
• Le Mystérieux Voyage (1984)
• Félix le Chat (1985)
• Bravo Popeye (1986)
• Le monde tourne à l'envers (1987)
• Isabelle, c'est la fille de Babar (1988)
• L'Étrange histoire du château hanté (1989)
• Rythme et couleur (1990)
• Mes personnages enchantés (1993)
• Le Soulier qui vole 95 (1995)
• Le Grenier aux trésors (1997)
• Absolument Goya (2002)

Famous Songs

• "C'est bien Bernard"
• "Une écharpe, une rose"
• "Adieu les jolis foulards"
• "Davy Crockett"
• "Let's sing along with Mickey Mouse"
• "Pandi-Panda, a lovely Chinese bear"
• "Snoopy"
• "Félix le chat"
• "Bravo Popeye"
• "Ce Matin, Un Lapin"

See also

In Spanish: Chantal Goya para niños