Musette and guinguette ball
While little is known about Parisian music before the 20th century, the bal musette is typically Parisian. Based on the sounds of the musette and the accordion, the musette waltz was later popularized by gypsy, tango and jazz artists. Derived from guinguet, a wine produced in the region, the word guinguette appeared towards the end of the 17th century. It refers to a small cabaret in the suburbs, where the inhabitants of the capital go to have a good time. Guinguettes flourished in Belleville, Montmartre and Ménilmontant, where wine was exempt from the taxes levied on goods entering Paris. In 1860, when the villages bordering Paris were annexed, the guinguettes moved away. They were to be found on the banks of the Marne and Seine rivers, in Robinson, Sannois or Chatou... With the development of the railroads, they became major leisure venues for Parisian workers and employees. Located on the water's edge, they offered a variety of pleasures: walks in the countryside, canoeing, dancing... They also served simple, inexpensive dishes: mussels and French fries... While most have fallen into disuse, a number of them, such as Chez Gégène in Joinville-le-Pont, are still in business.
A strong cultural offering, supported by numerous events
A melting pot of cultures and influences, music in the Paris Region is multifaceted. Classical, chamber, jazz, electro and variety music are all played, listened to and danced to here, without any particular trait being common to local creations. We simply love music! Over the last twenty years, the number of musical events has grown considerably. Some of the biggest festivals are held here: Solidays, Rock en Seine, We love green, Lollapalooza for events attracting tens of thousands of festival-goers, but there are also countless smaller local events scattered throughout the region. The same goes for theater: from the Festival d'Automne to Kalypso (the latter two including many dance performances), from Inaccoutumés to events dedicated to amateur theater, there's no shortage of events. In other registers, there are events dedicated to other disciplines, such as circus and street arts, at the Cergy Soit event, held every year in the Val d'Oise prefecture.
Numerous dedicated venues
The strength of Paris and the surrounding area lies in its incredible network of cultural venues. There are hundreds of them, ranging from modestly sized theaters, local theaters and national stages, to several opera houses and huge venues that can accommodate thousands of spectators. Among the historic venues are the Parisian opera houses - Garnier and Bastille - as well as the Massy opera house in the Essonne region, which reflects a desire to develop opera outside the capital. Among the venues inaugurated in recent years are the Seine Musicale, on Boulogne's Ile Seguin, and the Défense Arena, located in the district of the same name: it can hold over 40,000 spectators, making it Europe's largest indoor venue. The upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games will also see the emergence of new infrastructures. These include the Adidas Arena, located at Porte de la Chapelle: a new 9,000-seat arena in a district undergoing a complete metamorphosis, with an intense cultural and sporting program. Last but not least, the Philharmonie de Paris at Porte de Pantin, whose extraordinary architecture is matched only by the incredible quality of its acoustics.
Songs about Paris
If your playlist doesn't include many songs about Paris, here are a few standards that evoke the capital. The city has been sung about for centuries, and today we have a vast selection to choose from. Here are a few of the best-known examples:
Jacques Dutronc - Il est cinq heures, Paris s'éveille (It's five o'clock, Paris is waking up ): a hexagonal standard, the title - and above all its lyrics - have not aged a day. It's about the city waking up, or going to bed, depending on the verse!
Charles Aznavour - Paris au mois d'août: By evoking the city's torpor in August, Aznavour (1924-2018) depicts an impression widely felt by locals, less so by tourists, who always find Paris very lively!
Thomas Dutronc - J'aime plus Paris: True to his style, Jacques' son evokes the paradoxes of life in Paris, through the prism of relationships.
Zazie - Rue de la Paix: This standard from the early 2000s draws on the alleged wealth of Paris's Rue de la Paix (bridging its value in the board game Monopoly) to evoke various social inequalities.
Edith Piaf - La Vie en Rose: Although she doesn't quote Paris directly in her song, this title, emblematic of the Paris of lovers, often echoes in the streets we frequent.
