50 years of career, 250 songs, 4.5 million albums sold, 30 schools bearing his name, 100 times on the Olympia stage, 15 gold records, a melody composed for the carillon of the Geneva Cathedral, a mention in the Petit Larousse 2012, a web radio station that plays his songs 24 hours a day … We are talking about the Swiss artist Henri Des, one of the favorite songwriters of French and French-speaking children, considered by many to be a real legend. We started to love him thanks to the many parents, friends of Ocarina, who regularly report his songs to us.
Henri Des is the father of “La petite Charlotte”, a song so adored by children of several generations, as well as of “Les betises”, the CD composed of fun rhythmic songs for children and of “Le beau tambour”, a very successful album that makes sing and dance. There are also many other compositions that have made him unique in his field, one of the few that always remain on the crest of the wave over the years.
Henry’s songs speak of children’s daily life: at school, before going to bed, at the playground; they tell about dreams, but also about nightmares, because the universe of the songwriter is not always pink … Among the funniest videos we recommend “Les bêtises à l’école”, which on youtube has more than 6,000,0000 views.
Many argue that Henri Des is a true unifier of generations and it is surprising to discover how grandparents, parents and children sing his songs in unison during the shows. However, it seems that the Swiss singer is not appreciated only by the little ones. In fact, in August 2019 he participated to a metal music festival in Brittany, making thousands of metalheads dance, so much that he has been nicknamed Henri “death” metal. In this occasion he posted on social media that ‘big bearded men “with arms as big as [his] thighs” let themselves be carried crazy by the refrain of “Ohé, le bateau!”‘.
Maybe due to the too demanding concert in Brittany, in the late summer 2019 the singer had to take a forced break, then to resume his concert activity at the end of the year to the delight of his fans. And just this February, Henri Des will celebrate his 80 years on stage with a tour that will last until April. Here you can find the complete schedule of all dates.
