“The book is splendor”: the extraordinary artist Lou B. at the heart of a poignant biography written by his father

The author welcomes us to his home in a pretty house in Watermael-Boitsfort with his son who intervenes several times to give his feelings. Father and son are more complicit than ever and Lou B. never stops thanking his dad for the work he has accomplished as a writer.

“I tried to take care of the style”Luc Boland explains to us. “Being a screenwriter and creative, I wanted to make it a work of art on a written level. I worked on each chapter 15 times. For two years, I worked like crazy. I really wanted to try to find a melody, a rhythm.” The feedback is extraordinary. “People who know me or who don’t know me send me great reviews”he smiles.

Lou wants to be modest. He doesn't consider himself an exceptional artist, he says. “Yes, but Loulou, you have abilities that are totally out of the norm”his father points out to him. “The fact that you learned to play your ten fingers on the piano in a year and a half at the age of six is ​​crazy. The fact that you learned music theory on your own is another crazy thing. The craziest thing is your ability to transpose any song… A title, whatever it is, is sung originally, with the original version. But Loulou, you tell him. a title that he knows or even discovers, and he will instantly change all the agreements.” He will demonstrate it to us during our interview by playing a few notes on the piano. “We have come from very far today”evokes Luc Boland when talking about Lou's personal journey. Also from his school career. In 2017, Lou was taken out of school and “we’ve been homeschooling ever since.” “Lou calls it kiffschool”adds his dad. “Lou has evolved enormously. He talks, he has his point of view, he has a sense of repartee. He has acquired maturity. His past, he is rich, he is interesting, he can be of use to other people, he can inspire…”

Luc Boland, who is this book for?

Somewhere, he addresses people in difficulty. Everyone has trials in life, whatever they may be. And the difficulty is to become resilient. What I'm trying to demonstrate in the book is that we need to be supported. There, there is a cruel lack of support. And especially with regard to families with disabilities. It’s a slippage in which we can be too immersed. If this book can inspire people, that's great. Recently, director Sarah Moon Howe, who has just made a very cool film called “Waiting for Zorro”, devoured the book in one morning. She is a fighter with her son, who is otherwise more severely disabled. He's not an “easy” child, even if he's great. She told me that it further strengthened her will to fight. If people say that to me, I gained everything by making this book. This book is also aimed at people who wonder what disability is. What is it like to be the parent of a disabled child? I hope that political leaders will also read it, among other things in relation to special education.

What message would you like to convey through this book?

Today, we are in a society that has completely lost its bearings, where people do not feel supported. Somewhere, what is part of the unpredictable human adventure? This is the onset of the disability. 3% at birth, and no one chose disability. And if we said to ourselves, that people with this disability are the wards of the nation, and that everything has been done so that they can flourish and be supported, that would change people's mentality. People would say to themselves: “Ah, if one day something happens to me, I will be supported.” And this is true at all levels. I defined disability according to three criteria defined by the WHO. Physical, mental, and the social dimension that the WHO takes into account. And I add the emotional disability, if you remember, which is part of it. We all have wounds in life. All. In childhood, because we were rejected in a group, or whatever, or intra-family ways. And so, we all have little injuries like that. What if at some point we said to ourselves, in relation to all that, we are in a supportive society. I'm not talking about a welfare society, don't make me say what I don't want to say. But if we help people get back on track, the world would change. I know what I'm saying is very utopian. But to me, it makes so much sense.

In terms of schooling, you write that there are gaps, holes, an inappropriate structure.

That's totally it. What's crazy is that sorting is done in kindergarten. While he was in special education, there were already two classes: that for the best and that for the others. We classified it in the second. It's sad and it's totally revolting. Look at how he speaks and how he thinks today! Why don't we give a chance to children who grow slowly? Period. Today, if we could put Lou back in this type of teaching, he would be able to complete his entire career. At school, his only image was of other children with disabilities, as severe, more severe, rarely less severe than him. How can we be stimulated towards something that is positive? So, please, long live inclusion. Let's create inclusive classes! There could be in each region a traditional school with a class for the visually impaired, a class for deaf children, and that at least the children are in contact with each other on the playground, that they have in common activities that allow them to be in contact so that so-called normal children are not stigmatized and afraid. At daycare, for example, the other children understood that Lou was blind and two-year-olds were going to give him his pacifier, give him back a toy, and that sort of thing. And that posed no obstacle.

Artistically, what do you wish for Lou?

I hope that one day, people high up in the music business will reach out. I would like people of his generation, people who have the means to surround him and support him properly, to help him for the rest of his musical career. Personalities have never offered him something by saying, we're going to help you, we're going to coach you. He had lots of musical encounters with people who were each time amazed and happy, but who then moved on with their lives. Often, I try to reconnect afterwards, but there are filters. It's terrible.

Do you ever fear for Lou's future?

I'm not afraid anymore! On an artistic level, I hope that it will not remain a diamond in a drawer. Even if it is clear that compared to other artists, we are not looking for notoriety. We just want him to be able to make a living from his music. This is somewhat the case today. But on the other hand, he can never be a Stromae who does 200 dates in a year. He wouldn't hold up. I don't think it would amuse him either. But let's take other artists like Kate Bush for example. She has never done a single concert. This did not prevent her from being a great personality in Anglo-Saxon music. And then, on the other hand, Lou loves concerts.

Do you see him leaving the family nest?

It's in the works. Strongly totally alone is not considered because it is a very social being. If it is not with his lover, even if that is what is currently taking shape, it will be with a friend for a roommate. We are on a group housing project. Our dream is for it to be in semi-community housing. So he knows his neighbors and can always have an emergency window if needed. If he breaks a glass on the ground, it is unthinkable that he picks it up himself. Otherwise, he cuts his hands all over the place. For a blind person, it's a bit too complicated. But I am confident about its future.

Will Lou release a new album soon?

I couldn't deal with his musical career anymore because the book took me two years. Right now Lou has over 90 compositions waiting for lyrics, arrangements etc. If someone reaches out to us, because it's a lot of work, there could be an album. Maybe I'm no longer the right person to write the lyrics for example. And then in terms of arrangements too, I think he wants a little more modernity than his first album…

Lou B.: “The only thing that can stop me is hackers”

“This book is magnificent… We are going through it a second time at the moment. Thank you again, Dad!” When asked if he would like to appear on The Voice France, or in another show of this type, his eyes light up. Lou B. agrees. “Yes, why not,” he said shyly, rocking back and forth. “But I doubt my father and mother would agree,” he adds. “Anyway, the only thing that can stop me is hackers. Besides, I don't understand what young people are doing on social networks. They have nothing to do there.” In the book, his dad returns to the problem of violence on social networks. At the time when Lou participated in The Voice Belgium, comments became violent and nasty. Some more than others. So much so that Luc Boland filed a complaint with the police, leading to the arrest of two 16-year-olds “who wanted to be smart”. “They finally met Lou and everything ended very well.”