AUTHENTICITY IN CABARET: HERITAGE AND INNER FEELINGS

BE AS AUTHENTIC AS POSSIBLE!

No matter how musically educated  and expert you are in musicology, you will never fully “feel” and  “understand” what “Takaseem Al Oud”  is, if you lived all your life in Manhattan, Monte Carlo, or in any Western city. Even if you have already earned a master degree in musicology. But, if you are from the Middle or Near East and even if you have never earned a degree in music or even a high school diploma, understanding “OUD” and its “Takaseem” would be a piece of cake for you! Simply, because to Middle and Near Easterners, the “OUD” is an integral part of their culture, tradition, folklore, amusement, social, professional and familial entertainment. Yes, you can learn how to play the mandolin by studying it in institutes of music in America,  Russia and very well developed countries, you can even earn a doctorate degree in mandolin culture and virtuosity but, you will never feel, understand and play as good as a Napolitano or a Caprese who lived all his life in Napoli or Capri and knew two things:  How to whistle at a beautiful girl in the street or pinch her and how to play the Mandolin. It goes with the territory! Consequently, a non French Cabaret Chanteuse MUST learn FRENCH CABARET REPERTOIRE from A FRENCH CABARET CHANTEUSE IN A FRENCH CABARET MILIEU.

WHERE IS THE PARISIAN ACCENT?

PLEASE, MADAME LEARN HOW TO PRONOUNCE "E" IN FRENCH.  "E" IS PRONOUNCED "EU", NOT EH!

In addition, the French born chanteuses have an inherited and privileged advantage: THE ACCENT! This is very true! Extremely true. The history of the French cabaret told us  alarming and entertaining stories about French singers who came to Paris to work as chanteuses in Parisian cabaret, and were rejected, simply because, they did NOT have a Parisian accent! One of them was the legendary Mistinguet who , years later, became the undisputed queen of the world of Parisian cabaret. Mistinguet had to learn how speak French with a Parisian accent. In other words, she had to learn French, the Parisian way! And that is ridiculous, mais c'est la vie! So, my advice to non French singers who aspire to sing in a French cabaret or simply sing the songs of Brel and Piaf IS to FIRST acquire a proper French accent. Not necessarily a Parisian accent, but at least a clean, typical French accent. It breaks my heart to hear some superstars and cabaret divas in America who still pronounce the French "E", EH. For God's sake, Madame, E in French is Eu, very sweet Eu, and NOT EH! or EY!

Photos from L to R: #1. The legendary French chanteuse, DAMIA. #2.Line Renaud,  first lady of the Parisian cabaret during the golden era of Maurice Chevalier and Charles Trenet.

If you are NOT a French-born  singer, and you want to sing in French, please observe the following:

1- Jacques Brel and Edith Piaf are NOT your only source of French cabaret material.  Please try to understand, Brel and Piaf were never considered cabaret singers in France! Explore other formidable and authentic French cabaret singers, like Mistinguet, Josephine Baker, Line Renaud, Patachou, Catherine Sauvage, Barbara, Zizi Jeanmaire,  etc.

2- Perfect your French accent. Bad pronunciation of intimate and romantic French words will kill your cabaret act.

3- Avoid cliche and over-exposed, over-used, over-consumed French cabaret songs, like "Les Feuilles Mortes", "La Vie en Rose"!

 

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