Jacqueline Farreyrol

Jacqueline Farreyrol was born on February 25, 1939 in Saint-Louis, Reunion Island. She left the island in 1956 for metropolitan France, settling in Montpellier to study English. She then returned to La Réunion to teach, before developing a passion for music, particularly maloya, the island's leading musical genre. In 1974, she became an author, composer and performer, and recorded a series of albums celebrating the island's gentle way of life: La Réunion Longtemps (1977), Tri La Ritron (1978), Mon Île Est Un Arc-en-ciel (1978), Chante Ta Vie and Mon Île (1979). This last album includes the title track, her most popular hit, which served as the closing credits for the summer TV saga Les Secrets du Volcan in 2006, in which she even played a character. Meanwhile, in 1978, the singer won the Grand Prix du disque de l'Académie Charles-Cros. More discreet during the 1980s, she returned with Cabaret Créole in 1997. Then, in the early 2000s, she entered political life. Between 2002 and 2007, she became the deputy for René-Paul Victoria (UMP), then for Didier Robert in 2007. This year also saw the release of the album Lady Maloya, which confirms her passion for this musical genre. Three years later, she became head of the Île de La Réunion regional tourism committee. She also became a member of parliament herself, but soon left this position in 2011 for a senator's seat. Three years later, however, she resigned to devote herself to her family and her artistic career. A compilation of her most emblematic songs, Les Plus Belles Chansons , was released in 2020.

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