Music in Paris

The French state has long been known for its desire to keep tabs on the country’s pop production, the notorious law dictating that ten per cent of music broadcast in France must be sung in French being a case in point. However, president Nicolas Sarkozy has taken it to an entirely new level, with family members involved in two of the most durable genres in French music: chanson and rap.

Thanks to Sarkozy, most visitors will be aware of at least one contemporary French artist: Carla Bruni, former model, purveyor of winsome, folky pop and, more recently, France’s First Lady.

Fewer know that his son, Pierre, is a hip hop producer who trades under the name Mosey. Still, visitors in search of musical kicks needn’t take their cue from the Elysée. There are many finer chanteuses to be discovered elsewhere in the capital, as well as a multitude of other musical styles alongside a vibrant, intriguing classical and opera circuit.

Rock, jazz & world music

Rock & dance

Rock has been on the rise in Paris, and in areas like Bastille, small, rock-orientated venues have gradually usurped the funky Latino vibes that dominated a decade ago.

The trashy, rock ’n’ roll aesthetic of dance labels like Ed Banger (www.myspace.com/edbangerrecords) and Kitsuné (www.kitsune.fr) has also helped blur the line between gig-goers and clubbers, and the hipster entities that have emerged are well catered for by the new éminences grises of the capital’s music scene, La Clique (www.laclique.fr) – the team behind don’t-miss venues such as Le ParisParis, Le Baron and new hit Le Showcase, with its unusual location (underneath Pont Alexandre III) and formula of live gigs followed by DJs.

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Jazz

On the flipside, one of Paris’s mainstays, jazz, has been suffering. The past few years have seen keepers of the flame like Le Slow Club (once arguably one of the most famous jazz joints in Europe), Le Bilboquet and Les 7 Lézards struggling and finally giving up the ghost. It’s not all doom and gloom, though: Au Duc des Lombards keeps the traditional standards high, and Le Sunset/Le Sunside has stayed on top of its game.

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World music

Paris is also a European leader for world music, particularly African and Arab acts, and the café culture that nurtures native chansonniers still survives – check recent arrival La Bellevilloise for proof. This is all in addition, of course, to the many UK and US rock acts whose European tours inevitably include a Paris stopover. And don’t forget that every 21 June, the whole place turns into one giant music venue for the Fête de la Musique, when a party in the street is guaranteed (see festivals & events below).

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Classical & opera

Contemporary classical

The contemporary repertoire plays a growing role in the French capital, attracting a young audience eager to discover the music of our time. The revitalised Opéra Comique, which sees the return of Carmen under Sir John Eliot Gardiner in June 2009, was packed last year with an enthusiastic, student-driven crowd to hear a revival of Pascal Dusapin’s abstract opera Roméo et Juliette.

Electronic music

The IRCAM remains the most important European centre for electronic music research, and the Ensemble Intercontemporain is a driving force in contemporary performance. Even the Opéra National de Paris, under outgoing director Gerard Mortier, produces a major world premiere each season – in 2009 Yvonne, Princesse de Bourgogne by Philippe Boesmans.

New music

New music in France tends to follow the Debussy-Messiaen-Boulez-Dusapin atonal axis, but Jean-Luc Choplin, director of the Châtelet, is making a commendable effort to discover a more inclusive strand of composition, which tries to mix popular music with classical composition. Welcome to the Voice in 2008 involved Elvis Costello and Sting, and Gérard Pesson’s La Pastorale in June 2009 will mix variety performers with scholarly contemporary musicians.

Main orchestras

Radio France is responsible for two of the city’s main orchestras, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and the Orchestre National de France. The Orchestre de Paris is waiting impatiently for the construction of Jean Nouvel’s new 2,400-seat concert house, the Philharmonie de Paris, scheduled to open in 2012.

Early music

Early music is an abiding passion in Paris, sustained by strong CD sales and a seemingly inexhaustible supply of obscure, unrecorded Baroque works. And there's plenty going on in churches, for example The Festival d’Art Sacré (01.44.70.64.10) presents church music in authentic settings in the run-up to Christmas.

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Tickets & information

Rock, jazz & world music

Venue box offices are usually closed in the daytime, and most venues take a break in August. Prices for gigs vary according to a group or artist’s pulling power, but several excellent venues, like La Flèche d’Or, host regular free nights – ideal if you’re feeling adventurous and/or are on a budget. For concerts, it’s best to turn up at the time stated on the ticket: strict noise curfews mean that start times are adhered to pretty closely.

Classical & opera

For listings, see L’Officiel des Spectacles or Pariscope. Monthly magazines Le Monde de la Musique and Diapason also list classical concerts, and Opéra Magazine provides good coverage of all things vocal. Look out too for Cadences and La Terrasse, two free monthlies distributed outside concerts.

For the Fête de la Musique (21 June), all events are free, and year-round freebies crop up at the Maison de Radio France and the Conservatoire de Paris, as well as in certain churches.

Festivals & events

Banlieues Bleues: an annual five-week festival of quality French and international jazz, blues, R&B, soul, funk, flamenco and world music (Mar-Apr).

Festival de St-Denis: the Gothic St-Denis basilica and other historic buildings in the neighbourhood host four weeks of top quality classical concerts (May-June).

Fête de la Musique: free gigs (encompassing all musical genres) take place across the country as part of this festival on the summer solstice (21 June).

Paris Jazz Festival: two months of free jazz weekends at the Parc Floral (June, July).

Solidays: a three-day music festival, for the benefit of AIDS charities (early July).

Paris, Quartier d’Eté: a series of classical and jazz concerts, dance and theatre performances in outdoor venues (mid July-mid Aug).

Rock en Seine: three days, three stages, and one world-class line-up of rock and indie groups (end Aug).

Jazz à la Villette: the first fortnight in September brings one of Paris’s best jazz festivals (early Sept).

Techno Parade: the Saturday parade (finishing at Bastille) marks the start of electro music fest Rendez-vous Electroniques (mid Sept).

Festival des Inrockuptibles: this festival, curated by popular music mag Les Inrockuptibles, boasts top international indie, rock, techno and trip hop acts, and a discerning crowd (early Nov).

Africolor: a month-long African music festival (late Nov-late Dec).

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Top tips

Rock and Gig listings: visit www.gogoparis.com, which selects regular concert highlights and also features a decent gig list for the coming months, with all information provided in English and French; www.infoconcert.com is also well worth a look. The Fnac and Virgin Megastore ticket offices also display details of up-and-coming concerts.

Radio: depending on your tastes (and your French) radio can be useful for tip-offs; Nova (101.5FM) does electro, lounge and world, TSF (89.9FM) and FIP (105.1FM) cover jazz, and Le Mouv’ (92.1FM) and OuiFM (102.3FM) are for rock fans.

Our listings

While every effort and care has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this guide, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors it may contain. Before you go out of your way, we strongly advise you to phone ahead and check the particulars.

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