Django Reinhardt – private Life (3/6)

At one of his countless gigs in Paris that time, Django 17 years old, meets with another Sinti-girl: Florine “Bella” Mayer-Baumgartner.

Florine, as her mother Josephine Renaud Baumgartner, came from a family with many very pretty Sinti-women, herself all ahead. All these were beautiful women with long black hair, olive-coloured faces and a gorgeous smile. Django is in love with Bella emediately and leaves Naguine behind, to spend his further days only with Bella. Even if her father Henri “Pan” Mayer, isn´t  allrigth with Django as his son-in-law at first.

But then the two just marry in Manouche-tradition, seperating themselfes from their families for about 14 days to spend their time just beeing on their own, which seales the marriage finally.

Naguine instead is down at the ground, but she is waiting patiently for her second chance to come.

Shortly after that in 1928 Bella becomes pregnant and gives birth to Django´s first son, Henri “Lousson” Baumgartner-Reinhardt (image left, about 20 years old).

However, Django had again already separated from her, fickle as he is at that time.

Also during the later years Django will hardly take notice of his first-born son, which drowned Lousson for all his life.

Although on the one hand Django was a great family person who loved his family above everything (like most Sintis do), Django as well is an unstable character, that succumbs to the temptations of the world around him over and over again.
Women, games of chance, Billiard and his big passion the fishing are often more important to him than his own woman or to play a concert to where he is engaged at.

About 1939 Django stops vagabonding a bit and meets again with Naguine.
He had his share, has probably “let off steam” in the meantime and now they both marry in 1943 finally, not only in Sinti-tradition but also even officially according to French laws (see image right, Django at his wedding with Naguine signing the documents).

Finally Naguine becomes Django´s 2nd wife and Naguine will stay at his side for good, eventhough and despite of all his later escapades and love affairs (Image right below shows family and friends after the wedding-ceremony).

Django´s 3rd big fun, besides fishing and Billiards, is the cinema. Already at the age of 12-13 years he loves to secretly enter the cinemas from the backdoors together with his brother Joseph, to watch these great silent-movies of the early days. But also later on the cinema stays his great favoured pastime.

He especially loved american movies like criminal movies or western, Django is fascinated by the big Limousines that he admires from then on. Also his faible for Hats, nice suits and big cars originates from there.

Form one of his first big earned fees, in 1932 he plays together with Loius Vola who had organiezd some good gigs for the “Quintette du HotClub de France” in Cannes, Django immediately buys a big white Caddilac – a Hommage to his great film-idols.

But a short time later he again simply leaves it behind in a roadside ditch near Chamonix when it broke down because the engine cooked.
Django had simply forgotten to refill water – but he doesn´t care. “What a bad car…“, he shouts in anger as he leaves it behind.

Read more -> Django Reinhardt – Private Life (4/6)