No more summer in les Pays-Bas, the rain and wind make it feel like fall these days. Still, I continue with my summersongs-cycle. Voilà L'Été is a song by Les Negresses Vertes, an eclectic troupe that first appeared around 1988 and that played a mix of flamenco, chanson, Arab music and polka. Eye-catcher was singer Helno, the spitting image of Belgian counterpart Arno Hintjens. I saw The Green Female Negroes live around 1990, and Helno made a big impression on me. Zobi La Mouche, Voilà L'Été, Oran, they were good on record, but live the songs really bloomed. Helno looked like he woke up in a ditch, downed a bottle of whiskey before the show and crawled on stage - and probably had too. I remember him asking to the roaring crowd: "Parlez-vous Français?" We all cheered, and he responded: "Moi aussi!". Unfortunately, Helno o.d.'d in 1993. The other members continued, but with less succes outside France.
In 1996, the band guest-starred on Jane Birkins Versions Jane album, a sort of prequel to Arabesque, with re-arranged songs by Serge. The track Jane and LNV did together was La Gadoue, made famous by Petula Clark.
Petula Clark - La Gadoue
Versions Jane stands up well more than a decade later - its certainly more "fun" than recent efforts.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenGreat selctions!
Muse said: we simply don't get a chance to hear this in the us of a.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenWell, I've got news for you. Neither do we in the Lowlands. And it is so close to France. But we can count our blessings: we've got Filles Sourires to keep us posted. Thanks for that!!!!!