[2] His maternal grandparents were Italian; his grandfather was born in Livorno, Tuscany and his grandmother in San Damiano d'Asti, Piedmont.

The following year he travelled to Brazil, and sang in prestigious halls: the Olympia and the Théâtre de la Ville in Paris, and the Palais d'Hiver in Lyon.

Following the death of his friend Jacques Audiberti in 1965 Nougaro wrote, in homage, the song "Chanson pour le maçon".

His career continued normally, punctuated by success: Le jazz et la java, Tu verras, Île de Ré, Armstrong, Toulouse, Petit taureau.

Nougaro left for New York, seeking inspiration, and while there wrote and recorded a self-financed disc, Nougayork, whose resounding success was a surprise.