Page 38 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - France

Festivals of Song
Perhaps the best time of year to soak up
chansons is the summer. A host of festivals
spring up across the country, showcasing new
talent and cele brating the songs of the past.
Whatever your tastes, you're more than likely
to find something right for you. Throughout
July, join chanson enthusiasts at the Festival
de Montjoux, Pause Guitare in Albi, Francofolies
DISCOVER France Your Way the voices of their favourite chanteurs, as well as
de La Rochelle and Chansons de Parole in Barjac.
In August, the place to be is Chansons et Mots
d’Amou, a three-day festival of song with sing-
alongs, banter and good humour. Among the
biggest is the annual Festival de la Chanson
Française du Pays d’Aix, where up to 10,000 fans
flock to Aix-en-Provence in early October to hear
up-and-coming artists in the genre.

A crowd reaching
for the stage at the
Francofolies de La Rochelle
festival in 2016

FRANCE FOR
CHANSONS

French chansons – poignant, lyrical, passionate songs – are the country’s
most beloved musical tradition. This distinctive style emerged in the early
20th century to become the soundtrack to French life. From sold-out stadiums
and festivals to tiny cafés, the air is filled with the moving sound of chansons.

Catch Dreamy Gigs
Cafés and bars are a breeding
ground for chansons, and even
non-French speakers love to
hear the voice of a chanteur
or chanteuse rise above the
cr owd. In Paris, Montmartre,
Pigalle and Edith Piaf’s old
haunt Belleville have the best
bars for chansons. Beyond the
City of Lights, melancholy
crooning and artistic cabaret
can be found everywhere
from Tulle, self-proclaimed
City of the Accordion, to
Narbonne, home of Charles
Trenet, who penned the
dreamy ode “La mer”.

Belgian-born singer-
songwriter Tamino in concert
at Café de la Danse in Paris

38

038-039_EW_France.indd 38 30/01/2019 14:47

EW Themes template v1 – 18th May 2018
Fonts: Posterama Text, Soho Gothic Pro, Soho Pro