The French Republic is located in Western Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and English Channel in the west, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland and Spain, and the Mediterranean Sea in the southeast.
France also has overseas territories that include French Guiana (South America), Guadeloupe (Caribbean), Martinique (Caribbean) and Reunion island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar.
Musical Genres
An dro – A Breton circle dance and musical genre. Many contemporary Breton folk musicians perform modern variations of this dance.
Chanson – A romantic and poetic genre. The most popular artists include Edith Piaf, Serge Gainsbourg, Charles Trenet, Cora Vaucaire and Françoise Hardy.
Quadrilles – Square dance that first appeared in the 18th century. It is danced by four couples in a square formation. The quadrilles were later introduced to England and the United States.
Breton Music
The region of Brittany is located in northwestern France. Brittany has its own Celtic language called Brezhoneg that is related to other Celtic languages spoken in Wales and southwestern Great Britain.
A Fest Noz is a Breton night festival that involves traditional music, dancing and drinking. The traditional dances which feature in a Fest Noz date back to the Middle Ages, however the tradition of Fest Noz is more recent, being invented in the 1950s.
In the 1970s, several musicians, including the influential Goadec sisters, harp player Alan Stivell and Gwendal, renovated Breton music, developing Celtic music that was introduced to international audiences.
The bagad or pipe bands are an essential element in Breton music. The bagad features a combination of bagpipes, bombardes and drums. Although inspired by Scottish pipe bands, Breton pipe bands do not have a military background. Instead, they are rooted in the folk tradition, featuring the typically Breton bombarde and also a different repertoire. Many band leaders compose their own material and use innovative arrangements. Leading bagads include Bagad Kemper and Bagad Ronsed-Mor.
Music from French Overseas Territories
Martinique – Until the early 1970’s music in Martinique had been relatively stagnant. The glory days of the biguine were over, and the few performing groups of the time were either performing folklore or imitating the popular music of neighboring islands like Cuba, Puerto Rico and Haiti. Malavoi led a movement that was to set the stage for the Zouk explosion in the 1980s.
French Musicians
A Filetta
Alain Genty
Alain Pennec
Alan Stivell
Anne Auffret
Arz Nevez
Bagad Kemper
Baptiste Argouarch
Barzaz
Bidaia
Bleizi Ruz
Cecile Corbel
Dominig Molard
Frederic Galliano
Georges Moustaki
Gnawa Diffusion
Gotan Project
I Muvrini
Jacky Molard
Jean-Michel Veillon
Juan Carmona
Kabul Workshop
Kalakan
Kali (from Martinique)
Kassav (from Guadeloupe)
Keyvan Chemirani
Kornog
L’Attirail
Les Boukakes
Les Nubians
Les Yeux Noirs
Lo’Jo
Malavoi (from Martinique)
Manu Chao
Mino Cinelu
Myrdhin (Remi Chauvet)
Nguyên Lê
Nolwenn Korbell
Orchestre National de Barbés
Pawolka (from Guadeloupe)
Petru Guelfucci
Pol Huellou
Renaud Garcia-Fons
René Lacaille
Sawt El Atlas
Serge Camps
Sergent García (Bruno García)
Skolvan
Slonovski Bal
Soig Siberil
Titi Robin (Thierry Robin)
Verd E Blu
French Music compilations:
French Cafe (Putumayo World Music)
Music from Guadeloupe and Martinique: Disques Debs International, An Island Story: Biguine, Afro Latin & Musique Antillaise 1960-1972, Volume 1
Rough Guide to the Music of France (World Music Network)
Rough Guide To The Music Of Paris (World Music Network)
French Music Books
Call to the Dance: An Experience of the Socio-Cultural World of Traditional Breton Music and Dance by Desi Wilkinson, Pendragon Press, 2016. ISBN-10: 1576471721. ISBN-13: 978-1576471722.
Folk Songs of France (English and French Edition) by Barbara Scott. Oak Archives, 2006. ISBN-10: 0825603579. ISBN-13: 978-0825603570
Transported by Song: Corsican Voices from Oral Tradition to World Stage by Caroline Bithell, Scarecrow Press, 2007. ISBN: 0810854392.
