Jo Privat's life and career are inextricably linked with the Balajo in Paris, which he turned into the temple of musette between 1936 and 1986. A musette musician, Jo Privat was influenced by Gypsy music and American jazz. He often invited Gypsy guitarists, in particular Django Reinhardt, from whom he drew his inspiration. Although he composed some five hundred songs, Jo Privat preferred live performances to recordings, and none of his many albums has really gone down in history. Awarded the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in 1985, he died on April 3, 1996 in Savigny-le-Temple (Seine-et-Marne). The inscription "Ci-gît un dur à cuire" ("Here lies a tough guy") on the grave of this real "titi" from Ménilmuche, buried in Père Lachaise, sums up this typical character of an era.
