Archive for 'Music'
French Music – Jean Jacques Goldman Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 15, 2009
Okay, so I’ve written many posts on my favorite French musicians and singers and repeatedly mentioned how much I believe music is one of the best and most interesting ways to learn a foreign language. When I was finally able to understand the lyrics written by Jean Jacques Goldman, I really felt like all the…
French Music – Hélène Ségara Posted by Transparent Language on Mar 9, 2009
Hélène Ségara was born on February 26, 1971, on French soil to an Italian father and an Armenian mother. Growing up on the French Riviera, Hélène suffered the divorce of her parents and her beloved grandfather’s death. After winning a local music contest at age 11, she left her family and studies at the age…
French Music – Garou Posted by Transparent Language on Feb 17, 2009
Another of my favorite French-language singers is Garou. As did many French people, I first fell in love with this Quebec-born singer listening to the Notre Dame de Paris CDs. He played Quasimodo in the musical drama that toured Paris, Montreal, Lyon, Brussels and London. The winner of many international music awards, he got his…
French Christmas Carols and their English Equivalents Posted by Transparent Language on Dec 15, 2008
As promised, here are the French Christmas carols again and their English equivalents or translations… Vive le vent Jingle Bells Douce nuit Silent Night Le divin enfant He is Born, the Holy Child Noël blanc White Christmas Rodolphe Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer Venez divin Messie O Come, Devine…
French Christmas Carols Posted by Transparent Language on Dec 12, 2008
Well, the holiday season is here in many parts of the world. Although France is home to many different world religions, it is predominantly Roman Catholic (85% according to WikiAnswers). So, everything to do with the Christmas season can be found in France as well as Québec. Thus, this month I will write a few…
French Music – The Biggest Rock Star You’ve Never Heard Of Posted by Transparent Language on Dec 10, 2008
Quite possibly the highest-paid French singer (8.75 million euros in 2006 according to Figaro), Johnny Hallyday was born Jean Philippe Léo Smet in Paris on June 15, 1943, to Hugette and Léon Smet. As a small child, he lived for four years in Great Britain with his paternal aunt, a dancer and silent film actress. …
French Music – Francis Cabrel Posted by Transparent Language on Oct 23, 2008
As I’ve mentioned before, I love French music. So, in this article I will present another of my favorite French singers – Francis Cabrel. This singer/songwriter was born on November 23, 1953 in Agen, France and grew up in a small village near Toulouse. He started learning guitar as a shy teenager and later said…