Jean "Django" Reinhardt (23 January 1910 - 16 May 1953) was a Belgian guitarist and composer credited with popularizing
gypsy jazz, as well as conceptualizing the style together with several other Gypsy musicians. Reinhardt, the meaning of whose nickname was "I Awake" in the Romani language, severely injured two of the digits on his left hand as a youth, and changed his guitar playing style to adapt to his handicap. Together with violinist
Stéphane Grappelli, he founded the
Quintette du Hot Club de France, regarded as one of the most innovative recording groups in the history of jazz music.