Adieu Mr Ferrat

[moonraker]

http://www.lepost.fr/article/2010/03/13/1986108_jean-ferrat-n-est-plus.html

[Chancer]

You beat me to posting Moonraker, its nice to know that there are others that follow the French media.

I hear his songs every day on the radio, someone who wrote and sung with real feeling.

http://www.lemonde.fr/carnet/article/2010/03/13/jean-ferrat-est-mort_1318912_3382.html

[Christine Animal]

Yes, I saw that too earlier on.  It said his father died in Aushwitz when he was eleven and he himself was rescued by communist militants, something he never forgot.  Sorry Norman if that's on your link as I haven't read it yet, but thank you for mentioning him here.

 

[NormanH]

Not my link alas.

Happily there are other people who enjoy French culture and post about it [:D]

It's true that the strong presence of  French Communists in the Resistance gave them a good name in France that has never been equalled in the Anglo-Saxon world!

I like the poems by Louis Aragon that he set to music "Que serais-je sans toi ?"and "Aimer à perdre la raison"

more than his music, but it certain that had a great success. His death was the leading story on the 20:00 news on France 2

[Chancer]

My favorites too equalling  La Montagne.

Despite his loyalty and militancy he was never actually a party member.

[moonraker]

This is another of my favourites;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN3O6vZh_Mk&feature=related

PS! Could anyone tell me why my links don't show up as clickable please. Windows 7 and IE 8.

[Christine Animal]

So sorry Moonraker.  How could I have got you mixed up with Norman.  [geek]

Roger Gicquel also died the other day.  I can't believe he was 77 and Jean Ferrat 79.  Two great losses.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN3O6vZh_Mk&feature=related

I used to be able to just copy and paste a link and it was clickable. But now since IE8 I have to use the little link box at the top, ball and chain, Moonraker.

 

It says here that he was in hospital for some exams and it was because he had a bad fall from his bed that he died!

http://fr.news.yahoo.com/51/20100313/ten-mort-de-jean-ferrat-un-adieu-mu-n-en-0111c6b.html

 

[Chancer]

My favorite: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iGkBJVXz9s

There are some lovely photos that accompany it.

Enjoy!

[pachapapa]

... like the poems by Louis Aragon that he set to music "Que serais-je sans toi ?"and "Aimer à perdre la raison"...

Listening to Ferrat Aragon L'Integrale on Spotify, both albums, France Bleu did a memoriam this morning from 9 till 10.

If you have not Spotify then here is a Deezer link;

http://www.deezer.com/fr/#music/jean-ferrat/ferrat-chante-aragon-l-integrale-250132
 

[NormanH]

Thanks for that link.[:D]

I hadn't realised quite how many of Aragon's poems he had set to music and sung.

[moonraker]

He had cancer for several years.

http://www.republicain-lorrain.fr/fr/article/2838879,78/Jean-Ferrat-la-mort-d-un-poete-engage.html

[Christine Animal]

Saw him this afternoon in a programme with Michel Drucker a few years ago.  Such a deep and gentle man, very moving. 

He wrote this very sad song himself

Nuit et Brouillard

Here's another lovely one

Ma France

[Gardengirl]

Thanks for the links everyone; several there that I hadn't heard.

[Thibault]

I was very sorry to hear the news - I love his voice and the melodic songs he wrote.  Since first hearing him on Nostalgie, I have been able to collect a number of CDs and, thanks to a song lyric site, have been able to practise my French by trying to translate them into English.

[Chancer]

To make a positive from bad news.

He had stopped already recording (I assume) but his music will always live on, is being played a lot more at the moment and will probably continue to do so.

Thibault what is the lyric site?

I often find music so heard to understand, often I misinterprete the chorus and when I finally work it out the rest follows, its bad enough with music of your own language hence my recent thread about Lily Allen.

[NormanH]

I used to use paroles.net and have linked to it sometimes, but it has been shut down

[Chancer]

There will be a hommage to Jean Ferrat this evening 20.35 on FR3

[Thibault]

[quote user="Chancer"]

Thibault what is the lyric site?

I often find music so heard to understand, often I misinterpret the chorus and when I finally work it out the rest follows, its bad enough with music of your own language hence my recent thread about Lily Allen.

[/quote]

 

I used http://www.lyricsmania.com.  I have found other lyrics for other songs (eg by Charles Aznavour) simply by googling the song title followed by lyrics - it is surprising what is around.

 

 

[Chancer]

Well its certainly been a pleasant couple of days on the radio, every cloud has a silver lining.

What is it about the French language that makes songs like Ma France and La Montagne sound so beautifull?

Or is it perhaps the genre of singer/songwriter? I cant think of anything similar that I have heard in the UK but if there is please let me know.

Another one I like is Henri Salvador.

[Swissie]

Jean Ferrat's songs were certainly part of my teenage years - sadly I had forgotten most of the songs until this week - very moving. I actually found my 1966 LP today.