One of France’s main music festivals at risk of closure ‘If nothing changes the 2024 edition could be the last’ say organisers of Les Vieilles Charrues
6 songs to capture the rhythms of the French language Work on your French ear by singing along if you can!
Paris to have street named after David Bowie (even though UK does not) The iconic name will be formally unveiled next week New Paris metro stop ‘Serge Gainsbourg’ must be renamed, says petition Jean-Michel Jarre to perform for 400 years of Palace of Versailles Musical festivals in France in 2024: who is playing and when
French pianist who brought out an album aged 109 dies Colette Maze had been perfecting her skills for over a century
Video: Frenchwoman and world’s oldest pianist to release her 7th album Colette Maze still practises for four to five hours a day and has been playing piano for over a century
Frédéric Chopin: the short life of a musical genius We discover the man behind the piano compositions - a child prodigy, Polish émigré and an unconventional love life
French dance group through to final of US TV’s America’s Got Talent The troupe, from near Bordeaux, now has a chance to win $1million
Interview: French arts support schemes help launch pop career ‘Most British of French artists’ Maddy Street hopes to sign with a record label soon, after awards boosted profile
Whistling folk singer Roger Whittaker dies at French home The singer sold nearly 50 million albums worldwide. The 1969 song Durham Town is among his well-known hits
Interview with Ibrahim Maalouf: ‘I compose what comes from my heart’ The Lebanese-born French trumpeter tells us of his influences, collaborations and why he preaches the message of love
10 French songs that have sparked debate over the years As one of France’s all-time hits is criticised for its right-wing tone, we look at other contested songs
Beethoven's ‘skull parts’, found in France, returned to Austria The bone fragments will now be studied in a bid to shed light on the composer’s multiple health conditions
French choral revival hits all the right notes The coronation of King Charles III highlighted the rich choral music tradition in the UK Meet British singer-songwriter Terry Scott Jr, based in Normandy ‘I played bad classical music because the male composer was famous’ Tina Turner had several links with France: here are five
These 10 songs can help you improve your French Listening to music is a good way to work on your French without even trying ‘Volunteering at French jazz festival was exhausting and exhilarating’ Drought measures, fuel prices, FIFA awards: The week ahead in France Why Paris metro busking can be a career springboard for musicians Deaf people in France enjoy music concerts thanks to vibrating vests French website allows you to split the cost of subscriptions
Visionary rock opera Starmania is back and on tour around France The hit show – which is full of popular tunes – was loved in the 1980s to 90s but its themes are still very relevant today
Four albums recorded in France and one song that should have been We look at which bands used French recording studios and the most French sounding song recorded in London
‘Se mettre au diapason’: Our French expression of the week We look at a musical expression related to the idea of being in tune with another person or a certain situation
What’s coming up? The week ahead in France A public holiday, increased funding for electric bikes, a surfing competition, a classical music festival and more
What’s coming up? The week ahead in France Temperatures of up to 40C, celebrations for the Fête Nationale, two top music festivals and more
French conductor Zahia Ziouani fights inequality with classical music The award-winning conductor talks to The Connexion’s Théophile Larcher about beating ‘boys club’ attitudes and the up-coming film about her life
VIDEO: Pianist delayed by train strike puts on fun concert in Nice Mario Galli plays with his feet and knees as well as his hands on the station’s free-to-use piano
La Fête de la musique turns 40: events planned around France Over the years, the festival has grown increasingly popular. We look at how to find concerts near you
Bowie bassist’s chance collaboration with French music star next door When Gail Ann Dorsey moved to Paris to be near her partner as Covid hit she had no idea her flat hunt would lead to French rock royalty’s doorstep
Oscar-winning legendary Greek composer Vangelis dies in France The global artist whose creations include the iconic music for the films Chariots of Fire and Blade Runner had an apartment in Paris
'The end of Oasis' smashed guitar sells for six figures in France The Gibson ES-355 was broken during a fight between brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher minutes before a concert. The fight led to Oasis' break up
Rolling Stones tease European tour with French dates to be announced The British rock band is celebrating 60 years together and will come to France this summer, with Paris and/or Lyon the most likely destinations
Paris classed ‘world’s third most musical city’ in new ranking Study looked at the influence of famous musicians, the number of music schools, record labels, music shops, and frequency of world tours
Elton John, Bowie, Queen: many A-list stars have recorded in France Hits such as (in part) Pink Floyd’s The Wall and the Bee Gees’ Saturday Night Fever were born at the iconic music studios Le Château d’Hérouville or Super Bear
From poverty to glory: Life of legendary French singer Edith Piaf With little education and no music tuition, she became an international star and the sound of a post-war generation
Brad Pitt to revive legendary music studio based in his French chateau Big names such as AC/DC and Sting have recorded at Miraval Studios in the past. Damien Quintard, who Pitt has asked to manage the studio, tells us about the project
Meet the shamanic (spiritual) drum maker in Dorodgne Only five percussion makers exist in the entire country, according to the Institut National des Métiers d’Art, and Louisa Vinciarelli thinks she is the only one who makes her instruments from scratch
French tetraplegic DJ creates Paralympics closing music with eyes only DJ, rapper and music composer Pone said he ‘couldn’t say no’ when he was invited to create the dance-style mix for the Tokyo closing ceremony
US-born French icon Josephine Baker to enter France’s Pantheon The legendary performer will become the first black woman to enter the mausoleum, in recognition of her historic role as a singer, dancer, activist, and World War Two Resistance agent
Woodkid to perform special song at Olympic handover ceremony in Paris Yoann Lemoine, who also goes by the name ‘Woodkid’, has previously worked on videos for the Paris 2024 Olympic bid and collaborated with Katy Perry and Taylor Swift
Vibrating vests let hearing-impaired feel music at concerts in France Devices designed to enhance sensation for gamers now being used to allow the hard of hearing to enjoy music by feeling the rhythm instead
Orchestra’s touring hassles only start for UK musicians after Brexit The London Symphony Orchestra has made it to the Aix-en-Provence festival. It is a rare glimmer of hope in the otherwise grim post-Brexit world British musicians face if they want to play in Europe
Pianos to return to French train stations with 50-player concert The instruments have been silent in SNCF stations since the pandemic but their reinstatement will be heralded with a nationwide event on Thursday July 1
Tetraplegic French rapper releases new album composed with his eyes The new ‘mini-album’ record by Pone will raise money to help people like him – who require tracheotomy operations to survive – to receive care at home
Fête de la musique: What you can and cannot do this year The national music festival, which started in 1982, takes place today with thousands of concerts planned. We look at the rules in place due to the Covid-19 pandemic
I was one of the 5,000 at France’s first indoor concert since Covid The Indochine concert in Paris was a medical trial to test whether large-scale indoor events can be held safely. Joanna York was among the 5,000 attendees to experience the historical event
Charity replaces French retiree's loved piano destroyed by Storm Alex Joy as new instrument is delivered to village hit by severe weather in October
Fans celebrate France’s highest-ever score at Eurovision Barbara Pravi’s performance saw the country come second overall, with its best result in 30 years, prompting fans - including President Macron - to celebrate the almost-victory
Masks and 23:00 curfew for France’s June 21 Fête de la musique The annual event sees musicians take to the streets to offer free and often spontaneous concerts
French astronaut Thomas Pesquet launches new Coldplay song from space The band watched on a live video link as the zero-gravity Frenchman floated in the space station, showed them a view of Earth - and hit play on the new single
Instrument played by Leonardo da Vinci returns to his French chateau The arm lyre is known to have been played and loved by the Italian polymath, and is one of the instruments played in a new concert at his former Clos Lucé home
Meet the organ maker whose projects contain up to 500,000 parts Etienne Fouss built his first organ at 24 and is one of around 40 makers in France who make instruments from start to finish
Covid France: Musicians perform for public via open windows Musicians in a town in southwest France took part in a concert from neighbouring buildings this weekend, with residents saying the event gave them ‘hope’
Musicians beat venue ban with mini-gigs at homes in Toulouse Book a private concert and the musician will come to your home or garden and play for you or a small group while respecting Covid-19 health measures
Opinion: Brexit will make musicians’ lives harder Reader Irene Babinet, 84, from La Rochelle whose pacs partner Tony Bell has been a bass player for many years, writes for Connexion about how Brexit is set to create complications for musicians.
‘British music will die’ as touring difficult after Brexit The end of EU free movement for British citizens post-Brexit means that British artists face visas, work permits and more for EU touring
Serge Gainsbourg dominates airwaves 30 years after his death The French singer-songwriter died 30 years ago today, leaving behind a controversial but impactful legacy… and the ashes of a Ff500 note
Daft Punk, French dance music duo, splits after 28 years The two friends from Paris - now global icons of house and electronic music - announced their split via video
First music from prehistoric French shell in 17,000 years A prehistoric conch shell found in southwest France had been deliberately crafted into a horn-like instrument - and it still works
Aveyron is home to the world’s biggest bagpipe collection Maison de la Cabrette in the French village of Cantoin has over one hundred instruments on display, each with its own story to tell
British violinist’s concerts a thanks for French cancer care A former first violinist for the London Symphony Orchestra is holding free nightly concerts in the French village where he lives in the run up to Christmas as a tribute to the country’s medical services
Meet the maker of the 'world’s smallest accordion' When professional accordionist Stéphane Bonifassi could not find an instrument on the market that suited him 23 years ago, he started making his own
French bells entertain town in coronavirus lockdown Respecting social distancing guidelines is definitely not a problem for musician Jacques Martel
Events in France this month: art, nature and music festivals Discover the events not to miss in France this September.
Hang phone cable from window to help the homeless People in towns and cities with windows facing the street have been asked to leave a plug extension lead dangling from a window – ground or first floor only – to help homeless people recharge their mobiles.
What's on(line): films, music, gallery tours & more A round up of the arts and culture stories creating a buzz in France.
A beginner's guide to popular French music for 2020 Brave a maligned music scene with our guide. It's better than you think...
Life in lockdown France for a music legend Rolling Stone puts on quite a performance for a humorous video with a serious message
French orchestra plays despite musicians confined A hundred musicians from the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra have taken part in a ‘joint’ performance – even though each was playing alone at their home - to raise money for Unicef during the confinement.
French national orchestra plays Bolero - from home Musicians from the Orchestre national de France have posted online a version of Ravel’s Bolero played from their homes during Covid-19 confinement.
Jazz legend Manu Dibango has died from Covid-19 Renowned jazz saxophonist and singer Manu Dibango, who bridged Africa and Europe by mixing sounds and rhythms, has died in Paris aged 86 from Covid-19.
What’s on in France – March 2020 Please note that due to Covid-19 virus, many events are being cancelled or postponed. Make sure you check events are still being held by organisers before you go. Music hits centre stage as France swings into Spring
French cultural life: Big musical numbers in Paris A round up of the arts and culture stories creating a buzz in France
Australian Pink Floyd’s France Tour – tickets winners Thank you to all the readers who sent us entries to try and win tickets for the Australian Pink Floyd concerts in France.
Win free tickets for the Australian Pink Floyd show The Connexion has 12 pairs of tickets – each pair worth €100! – to give away for the Australian Pink Floyd shows in France.
David Bowie's French fans welcome Paris street plan French influences - with the words of Jacques Brel and the theatrics of Marcel Marceau - run deep in the life and lyrics of The Man Who Fell to Earth
French company makes cassette player for 21st century Analogue music fans will soon have a new way to listen to cassette tapes on-the-go, as a French company is to start selling a modern range of “new generation” portable analogue cassette players.