Le Grand Orchestre du Splendid

Le Grand Orchestre du Splendid, named after the café-théâtre where it made its debut, scored a hit in 1980 with the retro-humor song "La Salsa du démon". Formed in 1977, the troupe drew inspiration from the jazz orchestras of the swing era and the French chanson humoristique tradition of Ray Ventura and Boris Vian, composing a repertoire of covers and original material. Led by brothers Xavier and Frédéric Thibault, sons of comedian Jean-Michel Thibault, on vocals and composition, the 20-member ensemble includes singer Alice Prévost, Jacques Delaporte (composition, vocals), Paul Maucourt (trumpet), Michel Winogradoff (vocals), Frédo Westrich (double bass), Rudy Muller (guitar), Bernard Balestier (trumpet), Vincent Turquoize (saxophone), Lou Volt (vocals), Damien Verherve (trombone), Yvano Latucca (drums), Claude Egéa and Jean Gobinet (trumpets), Alain Hatot, Philippe Duchesne and Gilles Miton (saxophones), Julie Saury and Véronique Bossa (percussion and vocals). Noticed by radio host Jean-Louis Foulquier, the orchestra was invited to appear on his daily program Saltimbanques for a season, performing in parallel at the Café de la Gare and the Espace Cardin in Paris. After a first album of the same name in 1978 and the first hit "Macao " the following year, the subversive song "La Salsa du démon" proved to be a hit in the summer of 1980, featuring allegories linked to vampirism and witchcraft in TV appearances for a wide audience. Eight hundred thousand copies of this iconic song were sold, followed by others such as "Super Dupont" (1982), "La Chanson d'Astérix" (1984), "Katmandou" (1986) and "Le Grand léchant mou" (1987). The troupe, which remained popular for several years, also staged its own musicals, Tam Tam au Pays des Noirs-Blancs at the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens in 1986 and Couac at the Théâtre Daunou in 1992. She performed across Europe and in Quebec, producing albums including Amusez-Vous (1996), Le Swing Me Soigne (2000), J'suis Snob ! Le Splendid Chante Boris Vian (2002) and Le Jazz à Travers les Zzaj (2005), among several compilations. In 2017, Le Grand Orchestre du Splendid celebrates its 40th anniversary at the Olympia in Paris and on tour. On March 13, 2025, songwriter Jacques Delaporte died at the age of 78.

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