French Singer-songwriter Yves Duteil: Messenger of Peace, Respect and Benevolence, Part 1 of 2

For the last five decades, Yves Duteil has been illuminating the musical world with his soulful compositions and warm, soothing voice. Often accompanied only by his guitar or piano, Yves Duteil expresses through sublime poetic verses the beauty of the world, his faith in the goodness of humanity, and the values of justice, respect, freedom, and benevolence.

Since his first hit song “Virages” (Turns) in 1972, the subsequent release of many award-winning albums, such as “L'Écritoire” (The Writing Case), “J'attends” (I Wait), “Ton Absence” (Your Absence), and “Tarentelle,” Yves Duteil has risen to become one of France’s best-loved and most outstanding singers.

Yves Duteil is one of the rare individuals whose achievements span both the musical world and the political arena. From 1989 to 2014, he was elected mayor of his commune Précy-sur-Marne in Seine-et-Marne of Northern France. Despite his stardom and fame, Yves Duteil lives a quiet and low-profile life with his wife Noëlle Léonore Mallard. Together they have carried out much charitable work, particularly by helping children in need. Since 2003, he has been the patron of “Votre école chez vous” (Your School at Home), which helps disabled children by implementing ways to facilitate their access to normal schooling.

“For the Children of the Whole World” is a powerful song written by Yves Duteil after witnessing a conflict that broke out between two countries. “For children all over the world Who have nothing more to hope for, I would like to make a prayer To all the Masters of the Earth, To every child who goes missing It is the Universe that draws a line On a hope for the future To be able to belong to us. I saw children go away Smile on their lips and a light heart Towards death and paradise That adults had promised. But when they blew up on landmines It was Mozart who was being murdered. If happiness is at this price What hell did he feed on? And how much will it be to pay Of silence and darkness To erase from memories The memory of their history? What a testament, what a gospel What a blind or foolish hand Can sentence so much innocence To so many tears and so much suffering?”