Chanson: A Tribute to France’s Musical Tradition

If you’ve ever caught yourself warbling to Edith Piaf’s Milord or bopping away to Laisse tomber les filles by France Gall, then this is the book for you. The chanson is intrinsically linked with the very essence of France. With roots in the Middle Ages, this lyric-driven form of song has been reinvented throughout history, and continues to influence today’s artists.

Featuring photographs by the likes of Robert Doisneau, this fascinating history of the chanson profiles some of its best loved artists and the cultural moments they represent. Learn about Aristide Bruant, the red scarf-wearing subject of Toulouse-Lautrec’s famous posters, Josephine Baker, Maurice Chevalier and more, as well as iconic nightspots such as the Folies Bergère and the Moulin Rouge. It also explores the bohemian enclaves of postwar France, when artists remade the chanson in their own melancholy image.

Chanson: A Tribute to France’s Most Romantic and Poetic Musical Tradition, written by Olaf Salie

From France Today magazine

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