An anthology of music
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French chanson
Les Cinglés du music-hall: 1 volume for each year from 1932 to 1943, by Jean-Christophe Averty (published by Frémeaux et Associés). Anthologie de la chanson française: (from troubadours to the leading composers of the 19th century), 15 CDs. Charles Trenet: An anthology (EMI) Barbara: The complete collection, 13 CDs, 260 titles (Philips) Georges Brassens: The complete collection (Philips) Jacques Brel: The complete collection, 10 CDs, 172 tracks (Barclay) Léo Ferré: The complete collection (Barclay) Edith Piaf: 1936-1945 (Polygram)
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Black music
Ophélie Winter: Privacy (EastWest) Passi: Les Tentations (V2) Sinclair: La Bonne Attitude (Virgin) Pierpoljack: (Barclay) Poetic Lover: Amants poétiques (M6 Interactif/Sony) Secteur A: Live à l’Olympia (Hostile/ Virgin) Raggasonic: Raggasonic 2 (Source) Princess Erika: Tant qu’il y aura (Epic/Sony) Native: Couleurs de l’amour (BMG) Tribal Jam: Demarre le Show (EMI)
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Techno
Daft Punk: Homework (Virgin) Air: Moon Safari (Source) Cassius: Cassius (Virgin) Dimitri from Paris: Sacrebleu (East West) Etienne de Crécy: Superdiscount (V2) Compilation: Paris is sleeping, Respect is burning, 2 CDs (Labels, Virgin) Stardust: Music Sounds better with you (Yellow/EastWest) Bob Sinclar: Sunsun (Yellow/EastWest) Mellow: Mellow (ATM/Attol music) Roudoudou: Listener Digest (Delabel)
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Rock
Autour de Lucie: Immobile (Le Village Vert/Sony) Alain Bashung: Fantaisie militaire (Barclay) Bérurier Noir: Abracadaboum (Bondage) Diabologum: #3 (Lithium/Virgin) Manu Chao: Clandestino (Virgin) Les Innocents: Post partum (Virgin) Louise Attaque: Louise Attaque (Atmosphères/Sony) Marquis de Sade: Rue de Siam (EMI) Noir Désir: Tostaky (Barclay) La Mano Negra: Best of (Virgin) Miossec: Boire (PIAS) Les Rita Mitsouko: The No Comprendo (Virgin) Tue Loup: La Bancale (PIAS) Sylvain Vanot: Sur des arbres (Labels/Virgin)
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World music
France: The accordion music of Marc Perrone (Jacaranda, Chant du monde); the Breton music of Alan Stivell (Brian Boru, Dreyfus); the spinet music of Jean-François Dutertre (Ballades françaises, Adda). Maghreb: The raï of Khaled (Khaled, Barclay), the oriental techno of Rachid Taha (Diwan, Barclay), the concert 1,2,3 Soleil (double CD, Taha-Khaled-Faudel, Barclay) Africa: The Cap Verdian mornas of Cesaria Evora (Live à l’Olympia, Mélodie), the Mali blues of Ali Fraka Touré (The River, World Cicuit). Latin America: The Cuban sounds of Compay Segundo (Cien años de son, EastWest). Asia: The Pakistani qawwall of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (The Last Prophet, Realworld). Traverses: The iconoclastic pile-ups of Pascal Comelade (Trafic d’abstraction, Disques du soleil et de l’acier).
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French-language chanson
Céline Dion: S’il suffisait d’aimer (Columbia) Lara Fabian: Live, double album (Polydor) Isabelle Boulay: Etats d’amour (V2) Lynda Lemay: (WEA music) Notre-Dame de Paris: (Sony) Maurane: L’Un pour l’autre (Polydor) Axelle Red: Toujours moi (Virgin) Stephan Eicher: Louanges (Virgin) Sarclo: On leur doit des enfants si doux (EPM) Jean Bart: Serein (Musidisc) Lhasa de Sela: La Llorona (tôt Ou tard)
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Compositions of today and yesteryear
Françoise Hardy: Danger (Virgin) Jacques Dutronc: 2 CDs, the years 1960-70 and 1980-90 (BMG) Alain Souchon: 4 CDs (Virgin) Jane Birkin: A la légère (Mercury) Zazie: Made in love (Mercury) Arielle: Immortelle (Island/Mercury) Allain Leprest: Nu (Night Day) Marc Gauvin: Maline Cloé (EastWest) Reprises de Brel: Aux suivants (Barclay) Dick Annegarn: Adieu verdure (tôt Ou tard) Thomas Fersen: Le Jour du poisson (tôt Ou tard) Etienne Daho: Eden (Virgin) Juliette: Assassins sans couteaux (SCA) Enzo Enzo: Oui (BMG) Jean-Louis Murat: Live in Dolorès (Virgin)
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«Chanson buissonnière»
M.: Le Baptême (Delabel) Arthur H: Fête trouble (Polygram) Mathieu Boogaerts: J’en ai marre d’être deux (Island) Yann Tiersen: Le Phare (Labels) Pascal Comelade: El cabaret galactic (Virgin)
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Minimalist chanson
Dominique A.: Remué (Lithium, Labels) Françoiz Breut: (Lithium, Labels)
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Committed chanson, uncommitted chanson?
Richard Desjardins: Boom Boom (Foukinic/BMG) Les Têtes raides: Chambouliou (tôt Ou tard) Mano Solo: Je sais pas trop (EastWest) Erik Arnaud:1998 Amérik (Aliénor/PIAS) Zebda: Essence ordinaire (Barclay) Pierre Perret: La Bête est revenue (Adèle/EMI) Francis Cabrel: Hors-saison (Columbia)
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Film Soundtracks
Collection Paul Misraki: 4 CDs (Pomme Music-Sonic) Les plus belles musiques de films de René Cloërec: 1 CD (Play-Time) Maurice Jarre, musiques de films 1958-1964: 1 CD (Play-Time) Georges Delerue, trente ans de musique de film: 1 double CD (Emi-Odéon) Michel Magne, vingt ans de musique de film: 1 double CD (Emi-Odéon) François de Roubaix, dix ans de musique de film: 1 double CD (Emi-Odéon) Les Parapluies du Cherbourg (original soundtrack), music by Michel Legrand: 1 double CD (Sony Classical) Les Demoiselles de Rochefort (original soundtrack), music by Michel Legrand: 1 double CD (Mercury-Polygram) Collection Vladimir Cosma: 23 CDs (Pomme Music-Sony) Les musiques de films de Jean-Claude Petit: 1 CD (Auvidis-Travelling)
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Recommended Reading
La Grande histoire de la chanson française: 2 volumes: "Vers la chanson moderne" (1996), "la Remontée aux origines" (1997), by Pierre Grosz, published by France Progrès. Music Hall et Café-Concert: by André Sallé and Philippe Chauveau, published by Bordas, Paris, 1986. La Chanson française à travers ses succès: by Pierre Saka, published by Larousse, Paris, 1994. Where to find music in Label France and on the Internet
Where to find music in Label France and on the Internet
Festivals: Les Transmusicales de Rennes in Label France N.35, April 1999. French Touch:Le Rap and techno in full boom in Label France N.33, September 1998 ; Paradisiaque de MC Solaar in Label France N.29, October 1997. Chanson: Interview with Charles Aznavour on fifty years of career in Label France N.30, January 1998 ; The 1996 Vintage of French chanson in Label France N.27, March 1997. Jazz: Portrait of pianist Michel Petrucciani in Label France N. 23, March 1996 ; Portrait of bass player Henri Texier in Label France N.21, August 1995.
To look up on the Internet
Chorus: www.club-internet.fr/chorus/ index.htm France techno (French techno labels): www.france-tecno.fr FNAC (order your CDs online): www.fnac.fr Francophonie diffusion: www.francodiff.org French jazz: www.jazzfrance.com SACEM (French performing rights society): www.sacem.org
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Radio France internationale: let’s hear it for the music!
Discover hundreds of excerpts of French chansons updated daily on the Internet site of Radio France Internationale dedicated to music www.rfimusique.com, a genuine encyclopaedia of "chanson française" (variety, rap, techno, jazz...) and world music, also online in the culture zone on the site of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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