Archive for 'Culture'
Les Victoires de la musique de 2011 Posted by Hichem on Feb 11, 2011
Comme chaque année (Like every year), the musicians who are considered the best are awarded a prestigious trophee called “une victoire de la musique” (a “Music Victory.“) In the first part of this vingt-sixième édition(Twenty Sixth Edition) of the music ceremony, the organizers put the focus on “la récompense de la jeunesse” (“the reward of the youth.”)…
French Disney – The Hunchback of Notre-Dame Posted by Hichem on Feb 10, 2011
Those who have read Victor Hugo‘s work and then watch the movie adaptation would easily notice the major differences between the two— But then again, what would a Disney movie be without a “tout est bien qui finit bien” (“All is well that ends well”)! * * * French…
Common French Words with “Gaulois” Origin, Part 2 Posted by Hichem on Feb 8, 2011
* Caillou: Pebble—Obélix carrying a “caillou” of rather huge proportions: It’s actually called a “menhir”! * * * * Changer: To change * * * * Char: Chariot, or tank—As in “le char Leclerc!“ * * * * Chemin: Path—Think “Sur le chemin de la vie” (“On the Path of Life” by Gérard Lenorman) * * * * Chemise: Shirt—Think “Tomber la chemise”…
The “Gaulois” Legacy in French Part 1 Posted by Hichem on Feb 8, 2011
Long before that the hexagonal land that we know today as France was invaded by foreign German tribes called the Franks, who went as far as changing its original language and name, it was known to its inhabitants as La Gaule. Those native inhabitants, who were of Celtic “souche“(a Gaulish word meaning “stock”, “origin”), were known…
La Tulipe Noire in the French Revolution Posted by Hichem on Feb 6, 2011
What if the world of les vengeurs masqués (masked avengers) were to be thrown into the tumultuous times of la révolution française? L’acteur iconique of the French, Alain Delon, incarnated “La Tulipe Noire.” An 18th century Zorro unleashed in the French Revolution! A decade later, inspired from the Delon movie, the Japanese had to fall for the…
The Godfather of l’Opéra français Part 2 Posted by Hichem on Feb 4, 2011
Molière and Jean de la Fontaine: Two famous victims of the intrigues devised by le Parrain (the Godfather) of French Opera. As such, they join a long list of hommes de lettreswho were -it’s tempting to say- “lulled by Lully” * * * If le cardinal Mazarin were to be regarded as the “Overall Godfather“, the capo…
Jean-Baptiste Lully and l’Opéra français Part 1 Posted by Hichem on Feb 3, 2011
It seems that whenever people around the world think of the term opera, it is l’opéra italien that comes up first in their minds. But, all “chauvinistic” considerations aside (no doubt more suitable for the purpose of rehashing the “intricacies” of, say, some highly “theatrical” match finalde la Coupe du Monde de la FIFA), it is…