In the last blog I mentioned Jacques Brel. Let me tell you a little more about him. He was a very well known singer in France who died in 1978, and although he is not very well known in this country, he has had a big influence in France and some English singers have sung his songs.
His songs are full of emotion and for a prime example take a look at him singing Amsterdam. You can find some videos that give you translations of his lyrics as well as allowing you to see him on stage, but the thing to notice is the passion in his singing. If a tiny fraction of his émotion is passed on to you then you are well on your way to finding the motivation to learn French. This song influenced David Bowie to sing an English version. Ne me quitte pas may be his most famous song which was translated into English, not as 'don't leave me' but as 'if you go away'.
Les bouquinistes are the stalls along the banks of the Seine where you can buy books or souvenirs. You will also find plenty of posters and many of them are Jacques Brel posters. Brel was a really influential French singer and it is well worth listening to his songs.
A bientôt
About Me
- Michael Gradwell
- I enjoy languages and music and for many years I played folk and classical guitar. I still do, but in recent years the ukulele has been the instrument that I have played the most. I now have an eight-string and a four-string tenor, a concert, a soprano and even a tiny piccolo ukulele. I have many other interests, including a lifelong interest in politics, and because of this I have several blogs, including politics for novices. If you came to this page from one of my blogs and don't know about the others, you may like to check them out. Please feel free to comment on any of the blogs - let me know what you think!
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