Category: Culture

Bertrand Belin polishes the tour of his new album “Persona” in Le Havre

It is in Le Havre that the musician Bertrand Belin chose to refine and begin the tour of his sixth album. He then leaves on the roads of the hexagon with “Persona”. A personal album, imbued with literature and strange creatures.

A crooner’s voice, a dandy rock look, Bertrand Belin travels the planet of words and notes with an elegance both light and serious. With “Persona”, the singer remains faithful to a swaying score that kicks and invites to dance. That’s good, Bertrand Belin goes on the road of concerts with this sixth album. After the studio it’s in Le Havre that he tweaked the adjustments of the live. It promises us new but also older pieces.
A scene apart
For nearly fifteen years, the Breton musician has been cultivating a singular language. His linguistic delusions flirt with surrealist poetry. On stage, Bertrand Belin embarks the public, between improvisation and exquisite corpses.

“O time, suspend your flight” and let yourself go into the languid vapors dream the artist. These compositions, always imbued with melancholy, give their view on life, solitude, society. By choosing simple but fair words.

It is the pleasure of arranging, of creating with the minimum of words, the maximum of effect. This is my little “dada”!

Bertrand Belin

If 2018 has been written with a big A (two albums of the excellent Dominique A), 2019 starts with a double B.  Bertrand Belin launched himself in this new year . “Persona” was released on January 25 on the label Cinq 7, an appearance at the cinema in “My life with James Dean” by Dominique Choisy which he signs the soundtrack and ” Great Carnicores ” his fourth novel (POL editions), a once again hailed by critics.

Continue reading “Bertrand Belin polishes the tour of his new album “Persona” in Le Havre” →

Berger on wine: There’s much to love about Rhône Valley wines

Rhône region winesDan Berger writes about the wines of the Rhône region of southern France, which have long flown under the radar.

Of all the French wine regions that are widely considered iconic, perhaps the least acclaimed is the southern French district known as the Rhône Valley.

The name Chateauneuf-du-Pape in the south (literally “new home of the pope”) comes from the roughly 70-year period when political and ecclesiastical conflicts caused the papacy to be based not in Rome but in Avignon, France. The reds can be utterly sublime.

Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Alsace and the Loire Valley all have supporters, with the first three attaining near mythic status and lots attention on the world wine stage. Most of the wines from this trio of regions today command high prices. Continue reading “Berger on wine: There’s much to love about Rhône Valley wines” →

17 French Expressions About Dating and Relationships You Should Know 

It’s not easy to find love in the City of Love if you don’t speak the language.

Believe it or not, The Little Mermaid method of attracting someone by not speaking is not efficient or sustainable in the longterm. The easiest way to find that dream French boyfriend / girlfriend is to speak the language. Here are 17 great French words and expressions about dating, relationships, breakups, and everything in between to help you find love in the City of Love.

1. Avoir un crush

This is the Americanized, modern version of “avoir le béguin” meaning, to have a crush on someone or like someone. For example, your friend Stéphane might say, “j’ai un crush sur ma collègue Alix.”

2. On peut se tutoyer?

A very foreign idea to Americans, this is the question you ask if you want to transition from calling someone by the formal “vous” to the informal “tu.” So if Stéphane finally talks to Alix at an after-work happy hour, he may ask her “on peut se tutoyer?” (can we call each other by “tu”) to indicate that he’d like to get to know her and be closer. Continue reading “17 French Expressions About Dating and Relationships You Should Know “ →

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