Django Reinhardt – private Life (1/6)

Django Reinhardt – private Life (1/6)

Although Django Reinhardt became a worldwide known Guitar-Idol and of course is the musical inventor of the (Gypsyjazz-)Jazzguitar who left his footprints and innovations especially in the style of playing Jazz and JazzManouche-guitar. But still many people know almost nothing about himself as a human beeing or his personality and his private life.

Jean-Baptiste “Django” Reinhardt, was born Januar 23rd 1910 in the belgian village of Liberchies in the near of Charleroi.
He raised in the early 1920ies together with his mother called “Negros” and his younger brother Joseph “Nin-Nin” Reinhardt, mainly in the subburbs of Paris, an area that was called “La Zone”, after his father Jean-Eugéne Weiss left the family relatively early in his life.

His father Jean-Eugéne Weiss (image below, right middle) was born 1882 and he was a famous musician amongst Gypsies already, who also worked as a basket-weaver sometimes to earn money for his family. He played serveral instruments like Violin, Cymbale, Piano and Guitar. And he tuned pianos to earn a little more money when there was no engagement around to play music.

Djangos mother, Laurence Reinhardt (image below left middle), was called “Negros” (span. f. black) by the french Manouches, cause of her long black hair.

To earn money she made Jewelry, sells cloths and other goods on the fleamarkets around the Port de Clignancourt in Paris, but her big fun was to dance. Whenever there was music around she used to dance emediately.

Laurence “Negros” Reinhardt was an impressive and strong woman, even left by her husband, she made her life and raised her two children just on her own – a person with a strong character.

And Negros fighted very hard to feed and raise her two sons “Django” and “Nin-Nin” leading them to the right track.

Read more -> Django Reinhardt – private Life (2/6)