Person

Chatau, Henri

1843-1933

French composer Henri Chatau, born in Paris, is famed for his song “Frou-frou.” The music was originally composed for piano in 1890, then put to words by Lucien Delormel as “La fête du Souffleur.” At a time when the Viennese Waltz was popular, Hector Monreal and Henri Blondeau provided new lyrics, and it was a great success when first sung as “Frou-frou” in Paris by Juliette Méaly at the Théâtre des Variétés in 1897. Since then it has been sung by many artists: the Bibliothèque National de France has 107 entries for various versions, the latest recorded in 2017. It has been used in the soundtracks of nine films and TV series. Chatau wrote over 400 works during the late 19th and early 20th century, including “Le Brebis Perdue,” Les Trois Fauvettes,” Les Crêpes,” and “Les 28 Jours d’un Pinson.”