Category: Music

You say potato, I say pomme de terre

As I listen more to French singers performing songs they’ve translated from English, I’m becoming fascinated by the inherent complexities of that process. Even in a proper translation, a song’s rhyme and poetic qualities may suffer.

porter-music
Cole Porter

In a poor translation, a song’s meaning can be completely lost. “It’s like searching for the best path through the forest which must satisfy several conflicting criteria,” says Russian translator Stanislov Korotyginit,  “It must be the shortest path, the nicest and the safest. And you have to meet the wolf on the way.”

Continue reading “You say potato, I say pomme de terre” →

How Toots Thielemans inspired a champion whistler from the Netherlands

Not long after Toots Thielemans came up with his inspired jazz tune Bluesette in 1961, his style caught the ear of a young Dutch whistler named Geert Chatrou.

Source: How Toots Thielemans inspired a champion whistler from the Netherlands | Public Radio International

Whistling Through the Pearly Gates

tootsthielemansharmonica

Heaven has a new angel, and Jesus can this one whistle a tune.

Belgian jazz legend Toots Thielemans has passed away. Just yesterday, I was online checking the dates of the Toots Thielsmans Jazz Festival which takes place annually at La Hulpe, Belgium. I was hoping to attend next summer, and wondered if Toots would still be able to perform his magic.

Continue reading “Whistling Through the Pearly Gates” →

Whoo-ee! Ride me high

Le chien

I’ve been a fan of Francis Cabrel’s since first hearing Édition Spéciale‘ performed by Cabrel (with hilarious accompaniment from Albert Brooks) in the 1987 film “Broadcast News.”

Here’s a video I pieced together featuring Cabrel’s excellent French cover of Dylan’s “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere.” Pictured are Linda and I at the 70 AD Roman amphitheatre in Nîmes where we saw Cabrel in concert on 7/22/2016.

Also, there’s lovely Linda kayaking in  Ilse Sur La Sorgue, and dancing in a bike taxi while being pedalled through Paris.

Continue reading “Whoo-ee! Ride me high” →

Ratatouille Ain’t Nouvelle Vague

Ratatouille_wall

The French New Wave movement in cinema (Nouvelle Vague en francaise) began in the late 1950’s and the tenets of Nouvelle Vague continue to be seen in French films today.

Notable features of this movement include:

  • slow, subtle and ambiguous plots
  • strong character development
  • few happy endings, or even conclusive endings
  • an emphasis on Art over profits
belmondo
Belmondo Action Figure

While I have a genuine appreciation for Nouvelle Vague, I also appreciate a film like Pixar’s “Ratatouille” (2007), which not only sold beaucoup movie theater tickets, but also beaucoup toys. (I doubt the Jean-Paul Belmondo action figure ever made more than few francs – even with the optional toy cigarette that produces real smoke!)

Continue reading “Ratatouille Ain’t Nouvelle Vague” →

La, la, la, la, la, da la, lah

On our final night in Paris, we crashed this groovy garden party in Saint Germaine. These guys followed this killer song (“La, la, la,la, la, da la, lah”) with Iggy’s “I Wanna Be Your Dog.”

La, la, la,la, la, Da la, lah!

Wait! Doesn’t this remind you of another great “la, la” song?

Continue reading “La, la, la, la, la, da la, lah” →