Long live Carnival!
Whether classical, popular or modern, music is an unavoidable element of the North and it is never better expressed than during the huge popular festivity that is the Carnival. This celebration, formerly known as the Day of Fools, takes place almost everywhere on the territory, but there is a carnival particularly famous for its atmosphere, its traffic and its animations: that of Dunkirk!
The Carnival of Dunkirk - whose origin remains mysterious - extends over nearly three months and knows its peak of activity the week of Mardi Gras. It is at this time that the madness takes hold of the city, where the most unexpected notes resound and where the most famous songs are taken up. From the bagpipes to the drums, passing by the fifes and the accordions, the music seems never to stop and the hearts take up what the choirs sing: Ah Léon, ah Louise, Mets ton Beste clet'che and other Rose la poissonnière. Naughty songs, with lyrics that are sometimes naughty and saucy, but that make all generations smile. Two are, however, to be known before all the others: L'Hommage au Cô and La Cantate à Jean Bart, two ritual songs sacred to the eyes of the "carnival"! And then, isn't the important thing to have fun, to celebrate, to forget the worries for a night? To do this, head for the Saturday night balls to spin, twirl and (re)discover the musical heritage of the North, at the Kursaal of Malo-les-Bains, the mythical hall in the area.
If you are looking to "do" other carnivals, those of Cassel and Bailleul are very welcoming for families and children. Don't miss the opportunity to attend a Ducasse, when the Gayant of Douai comes out (but that's another story).
Inspire!
Do you know what artists such as Enrico Macias, Pierre Bachelet, Bourvil, Alain Souchon, Renaud or Annick Blin, Michèle Arnaud, Julien Doré and Françoiz Breut have in common? They have all, at some point and in one of their songs, referred to the North, its traditions, its culture, its inhabitants and its cities.
Obviously, the most famous of all these songs is the one by Pierre Bachelet, which made the rounds of France when it was released in the summer of 1982. By celebrating the miners, the corons and the slag heaps, he paid a magnificent tribute to the whole of the North and the lyrics are sung in a ritual way at many events! One also thinks of Enrico Macias and his song Les Gens du Nord: "Les gens du Nord qui ont dans leurs yeux le bleu qui manque à leur décor": this certainly collects some clichés but it is also a beautiful declaration of love to the human warmth, real and existing, of the department.
We could wonder if Bourvil was sincere when he said that "All this is not worth a moonlight in Maubeuge. All this is not worth the sweet sun of Tourcoing" but, it is sure that the weather of the North makes sing: "Walking in the fog, the heart demolished by one, on the way of the dunes. The beach of Malo Bray-Dunes. The North Sea in winter. Was taking out its grey-green elephants. Adamo's were passing by well covered. Giving the beach its character. Naïve and sincere" says Alain Souchon while Raoul de Godewarsvelde is emblematic of the local heritage with his song "Quand la mer monte", written in 1968 on the Opal Coast.
Lille, muse of the song? This is the case for Big Flo and Oli who remember having been there: "A stop in Lille, it is true that it is not the most beautiful city. But on the main square I felt free. Felt small, felt Ch'ti in the setting. The people were warmer than the weather outside" just like Annick Blain who recommends Cambrai: "Some people go to the tropics to get some sun, or go to the Antarctic to swim, but for the summer, nothing beats Cambrai". Even Zuydcoote has the right to a song: thanks to Robin Leduc, perhaps nostalgic of some summers: "Sand full of jeans, we will sing, Zuydcoote song, In the mobile home"!
Setting the scene(s)
The North knows how to offer the music scenes it needs to express itself and be accessible to the greatest number. There are many festivals organized throughout the year, some of which are free! Among all these, the most emblematic and unavoidable is "Les nuits secrètes", a festival of current music that takes place during three days, the last weekend of July, in Aulnoye-Aymeries. We can also mention the inevitable Fête de la Musique, a popular event that is ritually held on the evening (and night) of June 21. The Enchanters prefer to be mobile and propose a travelling festival of the same name ("Les enchanteurs") throughout the Hauts-de-France (and thus the North). Keep an eye on the calendar to not miss their next visit. In Dunkerque, don't miss La Bonne Aventure, another festival organized by the association Les Nuits Secrètes: a meeting where the headliners are tempting, punctuated with concerts and surprises. In Vieux Condé, music is as much in the spotlight as theater during Les Turbulentes. A nice family outing under the sign of festive arts!
The performing arts also have several venues where numerous plays, both classical and contemporary, are regularly performed. Lille, for example, has the famous Théâtre du Nord - classified as a historical monument - or the Théâtre Sébastopol, opened in 1903. There are also five theaters in the Nord region classified as "Scène Nationale", a label that has existed since 1991 and is intended to facilitate cultural development in cities and regions: the Bateau-Feu in Dunkirk, La Rose des vents in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, the Phénix in Valenciennes, the Manège in Maubeuge and the Tandem in Douai. Numerous events such as workshops, thematic visits, festivals or surprise shows are organized on a recurring basis in these theaters: keep an eye on the program so as not to miss anything!
