Born in Istanbul (then known as Constantinople), Turkey on September 9, 1923, Marcel Zanini was a traditional jazz clarinetist and chansonnier best-known for the song “Tu Veux, Tu Veux Pas.” The son of a Greek mother and a French-Italian father, he grew up in Marseilles, France where he began to study the clarinet in 1942. Four years later, he joined French composer and producer Leo Missir’s orchestra and remained a member until he left in 1950 to form his own group. Marcel Zanini moved to New York in 1954 in order to be a correspondent for popular French magazine Jazz Hot. After four years in the US, he moved back to Marseille and formed a new group. He began playing the jazz clubs and signed a deal with Barclay Record and began to release novelty songs including “Oui, Oui” (1962), “Tout Le Monde Aime Ma Baby” (1966), and 1969’s “Tu Veux, Tu Veux Pas” (“You Want To or You Don’t”), which was the French adaption of a Portuguese song by Wilson Simonal. “Tu Veux, Tu Veux Pas” became a hit and helped promote Marcel Zanini’s quirky persona that included his moustache, bucket hat, and round glasses. He continued to play jazz clubs and release singles while also appearing in several films including Bertrand Tavernier’s Around Midnight (1986). In 1994, he collaborated with pianist Milt Buckner and drummer Sam Woodyard on the album Blues and Bounce! (1994). Marcel Zanini signed to the label Frémeaux & Associés and released the album Peu de Choses (2003), which shone the spotlight on his son, guitarist (and author) Marc-Édouard Nabe. In 2008, he released the album Tu Veux ou Tu Veux Pas? which featured updated versions of his most memorable songs. Marcel Zanini died on January 18, 2023, at the age of 99.
