"Leonard Cohen's life" and  "Halleluyah,Leonard Cohen, a journey, a song"

 

                                                     Leonard Cohen’s life

Leonard Cohen was born in a Jewish family on September 21st 1934, in Westmount,

Montreal, Canada. He was first attracted by Literature. He wrote poems, novels, but  

it was as a singer song writer that he was known all around the world.

In the 1960s, he lived on the Greek island of Hydra and devoted himself to writing.

His first muse was the Norvegian Marianne Ihlen who inspired him the song « So long

Marianne »(in 1967). They remainend friends all life long, from each other.

In 1967, he left Greece and moved to the United States where he signed with Columbia

Records. The folk singer, Judy Garland , highlighted his song « Suzanne » inspired by

the artist Suzanne Verdal whose great beauty was admired by Leonard Cohen.

In the 1980s,he met people like Bob Dylan and Paul Simon. He composed famous songs

as « Halleluyah »( 1984) »Dance me to the end of love » ( 1984) and « I’m your man »(1988).

After that , he decided to choose a new way of life. He went to Los Angeles in a Buddhist

Monastery (the Mount Baldy ) in 1994. He became a monk (in 1996) spending 4 or 5 hours

a day meditating. He left Mount Baldy in 1999.

A few years later , in 2004, he discovered   that he had been robbed by his manager and

was almost broke. It was a hard shock for him, he was deeply hurt .

At 73, he went back on stage and gave the most touching concerts of his career, to bail

himself. He sang all over the world (Canada, United States, Europe, Australia, Israel…)

His last album is named « You want it darker ». It was realeased in october 2016, one

month before his death.

Leonard Cohen died at the age of 82, the 7th of November 2016.

He is buried in the Jewish Cimetary of Montreal.

One year after his death, a large « mural » was inaugurated on a 21 floors high building

in Crescent street, Montreal downtown.

 

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              « Halleluyah », Leonard Cohen, a journey, a song .

On the 30th of March 2023, we saw a documentary by Daniel Geller and Dayna Golfine.

This film, in original version , released in october 2022, tells the story of the song and

explains how the author, Leonard Cohen managed to start afresh, becoming one of

the most important artists in our time.

The song « Halleluyah » was born in pain. It took 2 years to Leonard Cohen –others

say 4 or 5- to write it. He wrote more than a hundred verses and only kept 6 to 7 of them.

He was frustated by his difficulty to finish the song.

« Halleluyah » means in Hebrew « Hallelou »(Rendez louange) ,« Yah,Yaweh »(à Dieu).

In the lyrics, Leonard Cohen used biblical references to speak about love in a spiritual

way and explained that the song was inspired by « a wish to say his faith in life ,

not necessary in a religious way but with enthousiasm and emotion ».

In 1984, the President of CBS refused to release the album, saying that the song wasn’t

« commercial » enough . Not in the spirit of the time !

Leonard Cohen was shocked after that and the song remained forgotten for many years.

In 1988, Bob Dylan sang the song at one of his concerts . After him John Cale in 1991, and

Jeff Buckley , in a very touching version in 1994.

People re-discovered the song in the film « Shreck » in 2001.

It took 10 to 20 years to the song to be famous in the whole world.

« Halleluyah » has been sung by many artists, in many films and events , as the Olympic

Games ceremony of Vancouver, the homage to the victims of Covid 19, in Washington,

with President Joe Biden.

The song « Halleluyah » has become a mythical song that has made its author a legend .

                                 « Halleluyah », Mister Leonard Cohen !