Fête de la Musique-On se prépare! Getting ready for Fête de la Musique

Voici mon élève, Vincent Germain avec guitariste, Félix Lemerle en dernière répétition avant de chanter à la La Fnac, Montparnasse le 21 juin pendant la Fête de la musique édition 2011 à Paris. Vincent chante un mix de standards R&B plus une touche de bossa (en portugais) commençant à 18h. Venez nombreux!

In this video, my voice student, Vincent Germain avec guitarist, Felix Lemerle, rehearses one last time before Vincent sings at the Montparnasse  Fnac  June 21st during the Paris Fête de la musique 2011. Vincent sings a repertoire of R&B standards as well as swing and bossa, in Portuguese of course! His set is scheduled at 6pm. We'll be there to spur him on.                                                       

Manda Djinn : Gospel à Paris

Scroll down for English

Ça fait deux ans depuis mon dernier passage à l'Église Saint-Germain-Des-Prés à Paris.

Voici tout l'info sur les premières d'une séries de concerts de gospel dans cette édifice magnifique. Je serai accompagnée par pianiste, Alberto Pibiri et les chanteuses Kimberley et Laura Senneron.

N'hésitez pas de nous dire "bonjour".

It has been two years since my last concert at Saint Germain-Des-Pres in Paris.

Please open video to see the details of the first in a series of gospel concerts to be held in this magnificent edifice. I will be accompanied by pianist, Alberto Pibiri and singers, Kimberley and Laura Senneron.

Be sure to say ""hello"!

Merci Henri ! (Scroll down for English Version)

De temps en temps dans la vie, on rencontre quelqu'un avec qui on a un rapport spécial. Ça peut être un collegue, quelqu'un à la Poste, une voisine, la patronne d'une boutique etc. Ca peut se passer n'importe où, ou quand. Depuis qu'on habite à Clichy la Garenne, on va assez souvent au Café Wepler, Place Clichy à Paris. C'est là que nous avons rencontré un personnage qui nous est devenu cher.

Voici une courte entrevue avec Henri :

Since moving to Clichy la Garenne, we frequent the Café Wepler. There, we met someone who quickly became one of our favorite people. Not only is he a professional on the job but one has the feeling that his smiles are much more than Hollywood. We have a mutual admiration society, much welcomed at the end of the day or anytime we can use a lift and even when we're feeling great.

Here is the translation of video dialogue with our favorite waiter, Henry:

Raphael: Henry, you are being recorded for Manda's blog. Do you have anything to say in your defense?

Henry: Well, my sado-masochistic temperament is thrilled to appear in Manda's blog. Above all, with her siren-like voice taking me to unfathomable depths. But...it won't be a terrible punishment.

Raphael: Thanks, Henry

Manda sings: Thanks, Henry...to the tune of Oui, oui, Marie!

CANTARAVILLE

Récemment, on a eu des nouvelles inquiétantes. Notre mentor, co-fondatrice et éditrice de Cantaraville est à l’hôpital à Quito, Pérou, souffrant d’une insuffisance cardiaque congestive. Cantara et son mari, Michael Methany, étaient à Paris dans le temps. Ils y ont formé un groupe d’écriture créative. Le groupe se retrouvait chez Cantara et Michael, un petit studio à coté de la Porte de Montreuil à Paris. Ils ont partagé leur espace, leur énergie, leur temps et leur savoir avec nous sans équivoque. Plus tard, de retour aux Etats-Unis, ils ont fondé le journal sur Internet. C’est difficile de penser à notre guru, alitée dans un hôpital lointain. Que faire ? Prier ? On ne peut pas la visiter. Dommage. Il faut simplement espérer qu’elle nous reviendra bientôt en forme. Cantaraville est en mode pause pour le moment. Jusqu’à son retour, vous pouvez regarder et apprécier la revue en ligne :      

Three Stories by Manda Djinn http://cantara.squarespace.com/cantaraville-summer
#10- The Train by Manda Djinn http://www.cantaraville.com/

In Josephine’s Footsteps by Manda Djinn http://cantara.squarespace.com/cantaraville-one/

‘Had disturbing news recently. Our mentor, co-founder and editor of Cantaraville, is in hospital in Quito, Peru with congenital heart failure. Cantara and hubby, Michael Methany passed through Paris some years ago. While here they led a creative writing group that I happily joined. The group met in their studio apartment near the Porte de Montreuil in Paris. She and Michael unselfishly shared their space, their time, energy and knowledge with me and several other creative writers, budding or otherwise. Later, back in the States, Cantara and Michael founded Cantaraville Literary Journal on the Internet. Difficult to think of  Cantara, that vibrant force, laid up in a Quito hospital. So what can we do? Pray? We certainly can’t visit...Cantaraville is now in hiatus mode, more’s the pity. We, Cantaraville writers, hope our guru bounces back in good time and in good shape. Until then... have a read of the journal. 

See following links to memoir stories from Manda Djinn available online.

Three Stories by Manda Djinn http://cantara.squarespace.com/cantaraville-summer

#10- The Train by Manda Djinn http://www.cantaraville.com/

In Josephine’s Footsteps by Manda Djinn http://cantara.squarespace.com/cantaraville-one/

Le Blues dans la Peau/Gettin' the blues

Chaque fois que j'entends le blues je me demande pourquoi je ne le chante pas. Mais, en y réfléchissant, je reconnais que même si tout le monde peut avoir le blues, ce n'est pas donné à tout le monde de le chanter. Le blues, comme le jazz, est très spécial. N'importe qui peut chanter un standard mais ça ne veut pas dire que cette personne chante du jazz. La même chose est vraie pour le blues. Il faut avoir le feeling pour ces deux styles de musique.
Ces pensées me sont venues quand je me suis trouvée à écouter un groupe de Chicago Blues dans le Concert de Nouvel An, récemment organisé par l'ambassade Américain à Paris. L'occasion était le lancement de l'album: Chicago Blues A Living History, un coffret de deux CDs avec vingt-trois titres. Ce deuxième édition d'un projet ambitieux du Festival Aulnay All Blues nous promet des heures de bonne écoute pour des amateurs de blues ainsi que pour tous ceux qui veulent commencer ou poursuivre cette aventure au coeur de la musique des États Unis. Je reviens au (trop court) concert : Bill Sims Jr (piano) et John Primer (guitare) avec l'harmonica de Matthew Skoller, artiste hors pair, nous a tenu au bord de nos chaises. Il y a assez de blues là pour mettre l'eau à la bouche et en redemander. Et pour au moins une fois être heureux d'avoir le blues dans la peau. 

Whenever I hear the blues I always wonder why I don't sing it. When I think about though, I know that even though any one can have the blues not everyone can sing it. Blues, like jazz, is very special. Because a singer sings a jazz standard it doesn't mean that he or she is a jazz singer.  The same can be said of the blues. You need that certain feeling to sing both of these styles of music. These thoughts came to mind as I sat listening to a guests only blues concert in Paris at the New Year's Concert organized by the American Embassy in Paris recently. This event held at the occasion of the release of the album, Chicago Blues A Living History, a two CD set of twenty-three titles. This is the second work of an ambitious project  Festival Aulnay All Blues and promises many hours of listening pleasure for blues lovers and listeners ready to discover this music coming from the heart of America. Getting back to the concert: Bill Sims Jr (piano) and John Primer (guitar) with Matthew Skoller's mean harmonica playing kept the audience clapping and stomping, some even singing (guess who? me!) Enough blues there to whet our appetites for more and, for once, be happy to have the blues.

Chicago Blues A Living History,                                                                                                     Producers: Larry Stoller, Matthew Stoller                                                                              

Executive producers: CEEM (Centre Europeen d'Echange Musicale)

Mohamed Beldjoudi, co-founder, Christopher Ubelmann, co-founder

and the Festival Aulnay All Blues, Aulnay-sous-bois, France

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Noël 2010 à Paris

Depuis plusieurs années j'ai pensé enregistrer un album de chansons de Noël, "Manda Djinn sings Christmas Cheer". En 2010 j'ai vraiment essayé. Le pianiste, David Herridge, et moi avons répété et enregistré pendant plusieurs mois. Hélas, on n'est pas arrivé à finir à temps. Ce CD  reste donc en haut de ma liste de mes résolutions pour 2011 et bien avant l'automne prochain.

Le météo n'était pas bonne le 22 décembre (prévision de neige abondante) et en plus il faisait un froid de canard mais on sait bien que le spectacle passe avant tout (the show must go on). Alors, nous étions là, au River Café, à Issy les Moulineaux : David Herridge au piano, Nicolas Rageau à la basse, Dano Haider à la guitare et moi, Manda Djinn. Le public était présent aussi, le restaurant presque complet pour cette soirée diner/spectacle annuelle que je propose depuis trois ans déjà.

Bernadette Martin, experte en branding, et Mindy,Cordon Bleu Chef, de La Table de Mindy sont arrivées à temps pour entendre "Have Yourself a Merry little Christmas", une des chansons de Noël préférées de Bernadette. Oh, la, la, les choses qu'on fait pour des amis...

For several years I've been threatening to record a Christmas album, "Manda Djinn sings Christmas Cheer",  and this year I really tried. With the help of pianist, David Herridge, I almost made it happen. However, almost never made a baby and the album was finally finished mid-December, I tried to get a Christmas album together but it didn't work out even though most of our spare time was spent in rehearsing or recording. Too late for marketing. So...heading up my New Year's resolutions is finalizing the album for Christmas 2011.

December 22nd the weather was bad in and around Paris. Colder than a witch's you know what and snow in the forecast. The show went on anyway with David Herridge, guitarist, Dano Haider and bassist, Nicolas Rageaud. It was my annual evening of Christmas songs for the third consecutive year at the River Café in Issy les Moulineaux:  Branding expert, Bernadette Martin, and Cordon Bleu Chef Mindy Horiuchi, of Mindy's Table attended in time to hear "Have Yourself a Merry little Christmas", learned especially for Bernadette. Oh the things we do for friends...                                                                                                                                                 

Weathering the weather

Friends may have noticed my hangup with the temperature. In over twenty years of living in Paris, France, I can count hot summers on ten fingers, maybe less. We all howled in pain during the heatwave a few years back. Elders died and heat prostration overcame some of us, not me, I was in my glory. Knowing that very few apartments and homes in France are air-conditioned and most people don't even have fans is the tip-off. Although since that heatwave, fans are on sale and available but not really necessary this year. Summer is just not hot here.

A friend asked in mid-August, "Do you think it'll warm up again or is Summer over? My answer is no one knows whither the weather but judging by my past experience, I'd say Summer is basically finished by August fifteenth when the vacationers begin winding their way back home, jamming the highways. I've felt humid heat in Manilla & Singapore to name a couple of places that are not lukewarm. And how about Tokyo and Osaka? Consistent heat like I like it: up in the 90s...hallelujah! Last Spring I toured in both cities and the weather approximated Paris' but not so the summer weather. I'm vowing to spend time next summer in Tokyo or Osaka. Kind of far huh?
Maybe I'll go back to Budapest instead.

Sunday afternoon in Paris

Sunday afternoon, instead of dancing by the Seine or museum hopping, I met with S. a Cameroonian math teacher/tap dancer and a Senegalese clothing designer/ cafe owner for shop talk and tropical drinks. I drank natural ginger with fresh mint and cracked a thousand peanut shells.

The cafe Au Theranga, decorated with African fabrics and statuary, is located on Rue des Dames near Place Clichy and open daily from six pm. Genial owner and host, Mike, presents a site for cultural exchange with a varied acoustic program from African music to Slam. No alcohol served in this intimate setting, just as well, I'd already had my one red wine at a nearby brasserie while waiting for the Theranga opening.

The French way (Second in a series?)

My favorite work-ridiculous experience happened early on during my first singing engagement at a club in Saint Michel on Paris's Left Bank.
First, one should know that Chamomile is made in an herbal tea and principally used for a good night's sleep and in general, its calming effect. I had already given up caffeinated tea and switched to herbal tea, mostly to avoid staining my teeth.

This night I arrived early and when asked if I'd like a drink, ordered herbal tea. Herbal Teas on hand were Verveine and Chamomile. Since Verveine reminded me of elephant's p_ _ s although I'd never drunk any (don't ask), I ordered Chamomile. It came, I drank, end of story. I thought. Later, as I sang onstage, the sound of my voice got progressively thinner and without presence until I was practically shouting and still hearing nothing. At the end of the set, I stormed offstage to confront Laurent, the sound technician --- this was before I knew of the velvet glove approach. Anyway, I accosted him with my favorite question, "Are you crazy? Then, "What happened to the sound?"
He told the following story which astounded me:
The boss wandered into the club to listen and thought my voice sounded weak. So he said, "What's happening with the newbie? She sounds weak."
"Boss, if you ask me, she's not feeling well tonight," says Laurent.
"And how did you arrive at that conclusion?"
"Yeah, well, I heard her ordering Chamomile tea before the show."
"Mais oui, good thinking, Laurent. In that case, turn the volume down onstage, this way she'll be forced to sing louder. "
Results: the louder I sang, the less sound I heard in my monitor.

I simmered and sputtered but the damage was already done. Finally, it dawned on me to suggest he check the main volume, located in back of the soundboard which sat flush with the wall behind it. He moved the board away from the wall with some difficulty, looked at the main volume indicator and discovered it was turned down to the lowest level possible.

So, someone had sabotaged my show. Since I was the first act and any irregularity would surely be caught out either during or at least after my passage it was obviously a way to show me in a bad light, make that, in a bad voice. As the 'new girl in town' and latest gleam in the boss's eye, I already had enemies at work and soon learned that this sort of petty behavior is not that rare. Now it's laughable but at the time I saw purple!
Apparently, any sneaky trick is better than confrontation.

Whither the weather?

As heard in Paris:
- Is it summer yet?
- What? Where?
- Here.
- You mean in Paris?
- Ouais.
- Bien sûr, it's mid-July isn't it? Bastille Day's come and gone, n'est ce pas?
- Certainement, but you see the weather? Why, our highs are New York's lows. And let's not speak about Tokyo and Osaka. Osaka's tropical.
- Laisse tomber, you know Paris is a bowl.
- Yes, of ice cream and I'm freezing. Gelée.
- Pas de soucis...a warm front is moving in and in two days the sun will shine and the temperature rise --- au moins till the end of the week.
- Remember the heat wave? 2003?
- That was hot. Chaud, chaud, chaud.
- Des morts. People died.
- Not ready for the heat.
- No air conditioning.
- No fans.
- No wonder...
- N'est ce pas? Most of the time summer here is unseasonable.
- Je sais, in my opinion downright unreasonable.

Clichy Plage ?

As promised, more about the beach installation called Clichy Plage (Clichy Beach). In the Clichy Stadium on Rue Villenueve, the city has followed through on an ambitious project, begun in 2007. Not what the title suggests though, only the small northwest corner is spread with sand. There, older patrons, mostly women, fully clothed and veiled, relax under umbrellas on lounge chairs while nearby, children swim in a removable pool, deep enough for them but hardly for an adult to swim. A lifeguard (maître nager) watches them cavorting and generally enjoying the unattended surprise of a free day at the beach. Free, yes but after this opening day, July 5th, adults pay 1€, children .50 centimes. Hey someone has to help foot the bill ! Ping pong tables are available as well as a football court, changing rooms and etc. The beach is open every day from 10am till 8pm and concerts are held on the podium Friday nights beginning at 8pm until 10pm. This is the one feature that seems not properly thought out.

The first concert of rock and French pop music could be heard throughout the immediate neighborhood on all sides of the "beach". This seems a burden for the immediate neighborhood. Are we to suffer for the greater good ? Ah well, no one thought to ask. Clichy Beach opens until August 3rd, 2008.

My favorite park, Roger Salengro, across the street was almost empty when I visited Clichy Beach on opening day but it remains to be seen how many people will attend the beach when obliged to pay. The women might return to the park which is free and beautiful but that's another story.