A few nice songs from 2012.
I don't have much time to update the blog lately.
One of the most awaited album of the year, by Zebda, 10 years after their last album.
Zebda - (Second Tour, 2012)
Some rock : Dionysos - Cloudman (Bird'n' Roll, 2012)
The songwriter of Zaz, in a humorous and political song about the clichés and prejudices that French from Arab descents are victims.
Kerredine Soltani - Je veux m'intégrer(2012)
A rap track by Guizmo, a very talented new comer. With a Françoise hardy sample.
Guizmo - Le Premier Chagrin du jour (La banquise)
As you know, France had colonies in North Africa: Tunisia and Morocco (until 1956), and Algeria (a French département until 1962) so migrations had been intense between France and those countries. Thus, Arabs, Kabyles, Sefarade Jews have enriched French music.
During the first half of the XXth century, there were already great musicians of North African descent living in France; especially Kabyles from Algeria. The great Cheikh El Hasnaoui was singing in the Algerian chaâbi style, but met success only in the Kabyle community. On the other hand, some second generation immigrants became huge stars of typical chanson, like Mouloudji, Alain Bashung and... Edith Piaf!
Nowadays, there are typical north African music styles popular in France, especially among north African community but some are mainstream (like raï). There are also many singers from North African descent playing classic French music. In this post, I will only introduce you the north African influence on French styles, especially during the last 20 years, in rock, rap or chanson. I won't distinguish between all different north African musics which are very various, only because I don't knoow enough about them.
One of the first to mix French popular music with Arab music in France may have been Rachid Taha and his band Carte de séjour in the early 80's. As you see in the name of the band which means "Green card", political issues are not far when it comes to cultural mixing and the issues of the identity and recognition of second generation immigrants. To understand the context of the following songs, you have to keep in mind that the 1980's were also the time of the rise of xenophobic and racist party Front National...
Carte de Séjour - Zoubida (1982)
One of their success was the cover of Charles Trenet's classic track "Douce France" whose lyrics are a nostalgic portray of France written during German Occupation of France during World War II.
Carte de Séjour - Douce France (1943/1986)
One of the greatest hit of the world famous Mano Negra (Manu Chao's band) was a cover of an Arab song, sung by Philippe Teboul.
Brigitte Fontaine is one of the greatest French singer. Many of her songs were composed by Areski Belkacem who was influenced by north African music, especially chaâbi.
Brigitte Fontaine - Le Nougat (1988)
Brigitte Fontaine - Guadalquivir (2001)
In French rap, influences of North African musics can also sometimes be found, such as in this two classics of French rap.
A song that deal with the relation between second generation immigrants and the native home of their parents, called in French "bled".
113 - Tonton du bled (produced by DJ Medhi, 1999)
Lunatic - Pas Le Temps Pour Les Regrets (2000) (with the sample of Lebanon star Fairuz's Zahrat El Madaen)
The song that was featured in Ocean's 12 laser scene.
La Caution - Thé à la menthe (2005) (Mint tea).
And to conclude, listen to Helwa ya baladi sung by the French pop star, Dalida, who grew up in Egypt before moving to France. The song composed by Gilbert Sinoué and Jeff Barnel for her, is an hymn to her native country. Dalida - Helwa ya baladi (1979)
I've been quite busy lately, but French music didn't wait for me. So I'm catching up with some nice songs of 2010!
The new single by the very young (17 years old) Camélia Jordana. She became famous with the TV contest La Nouvelle star, normally full of talentless wannabe singers. She has a very beautiful and moving voice and had the taste to chose good songwriter for her first album. Listen to the whole album there.
Camelia Jordana - Calamity Jane (2010)
The band praised as the spiritual son of Noir Désir.
Luke - Pense à moi (2010) (Think of me)
From Ivory Coast, the famous Tiken Jah Fakoly is back.
Tiken Jah Fakoly - Je Dis Non (2010) (I say No)
The new single by Féfé, of his 2009's album Jeune à la retraite (retired young)
Sorry I don't have much time to upload the blog. And unfortunately, youtube deleted my account for having uploaded Brassens's video at the request of the INA...Sorry for the dead links you may found.
Whatever, somes interesting French music of 2010 according to my favorite French blogs:
Christophe Miossec is back after L'Étreinte released 3 years ago. Finistériens has been composed with Yann Tiersen (from the city of Brest like Miossec).
Miossec - Je T'Aime Quand Même (Finistériens, 2009).
The third LP of the incredible singer-songwriter Nosfell is fascinating! Its not the first time we write about him on French-kisses, and certainly not the last. By the way, Josh Homme is featuring on a song.
An unplugged live session with a new song, Bargain healers:
To listen to Nosfell: his Myspace for the new LP, deezer for the previous one.
Yesterday, the great singer Alain Bashung has passed away. He was 61. With He was one of the few to achieve both commercial and critical success. Fantaisie Militaire, Osez Josephine, Chatterton, and l'Imprudence were widely acclaimed as masterpieces of French rock.
Gaby Oh Gaby (1980)
Vertige De l'Amour (1981)
Ma Petite Entreprise (1994)
La Nuit Je Mens (1998)
Volontaire -with Noir Désir (2000) / song written in 1982
Noir Désir (Black Desire) is unanimously considered as the best French rock band. If you wander in Paris on the Word Music Day (June, 21st), you would hear hundreds of kids covering their songs.
The band first achieved success with the 1989's hit Oh sombres héros de la mer, which means Oh dark heroes of the bitter. The title is a wordplay with La mer/L'amer, that is to say The Sea/The Bitter. As soon as their first LP, one can see grounds of the success of the band: strong and melodic rock, complex and romantic lyrics inspired by French Poets, left-wing political involvement and maybe most of all, the dark magnetism of the singer Bertrand Cantat, with his both angry and sensitive voice.
With their following albums, they gained both commercial and critic success, becoming one of the few bands to reconcile underground and mainstream. With the 2001's Des visages, des figures, Noir Désir moved to a calmer and more experimental sound. In 2003, Bertrand Cantat is sentenced to 8 years in prison for the accidental murder of his wife while he was drunk. As you might guess, the future of the band is quite uncertain.
From Des visages, des figures, 2001
Noir désir - Le vent l'emportera (The Wind Will Carry Tt Off). By the way Manu Chao is playing guitar on this song.
I’m a frozen model With a tanned skin Hurry man My bullshits uttered Are the destiny of the world I don’t have time, I go off My career is at stake I’m the media man I’m more than political I’m going fast, very fast I’m an universal human comet I cross time I’m a reference I’m omnipresent I invaded the world That I don’t know No matter, I talk about it No matter, I know Human are at my feet Potentially 8 billions of slave idiots Except some of my friends Of the same world than mine You can’t imagine Of happy they are Chorus:Who wants me And crumbs of my brain? Who wants to enter In the web of my network? Daily activist Of inhumanity Of instant profits Of medias’ favor I’m rich, very rich I’m in the real estate business I’m making money There’re some people who can pay I know the upper crust of Paris And the others also My unique friends And their women that I.. See, of course. I know stock exchange secrets There is no secret for me I’m the King of kings exploded audience ratings And what do you think It’s my way, it’s my luck I love shows On television No time to watch them But I make them We spit food On those starving eyes You see what they ask We know they are eager Of our rottenness Better than casting pearls Before swine. Chorus You know who I am An hurry man x3 I am An hurry man x3 Chorus Couplet
”Love Love Love” People say in America ”Lioubov” In Russia ”Amour” at the four corners of France
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