Editorial: November 2018

Another busy month for French music, with some of this year's big releases especially the new album by Johnny Hallyday setting records for album sales in France.

Whatever your opinion of Johnny and whatever your views on the album, it's the kind of event that puts French music on the front pages of the national news and encourages the kind of sales that the industry hasn't seen in a long time. But above all, it's a reminder of the importance of music, in encouraging participation and community, discussion and debate. While unquestionably a lucrative event for the music industry, it's been an emotional time for all those for whom Johnny was a part of their lives.

It was also a month where France said farewell to another legend, if anything a bigger figure than Johnny. The final curtain came down for Charles Aznavour, an artist who had for decades been a standard bearer for French music, an interntional ambassador for chanson the world over. His passing genuinely marks the end of an era.

November is traditionally a month where we remember those who have left us, whether commemorations of wars past, or ceremonies for All Saints or other souls, and this month sees a memorial for Alain Bashung, with a posthumous collection released this month. His version of Dominique A's Immortels suggests it will be more than just a collection of sub-par outtakes, hopefully an appropriate footnote to the Bashung's legacy.

Among artists who are very much with us, there are other significant releases this month, with a new album by Nolwenn Leroy at the beginning of the month, and a new album from Jean-Michel Jarre later in the month. Both worth looking forward to.

If things have seemed a little quiet on the blog over the last couiple of months, it's worth getting over to Facebook where you should Like or Follow the French Music Podcast UK page, where I'm posting links to French music videos - new and old - several times a day.

Previously I might have put a short post on the blog here if I had an interesting video, but recently I've taken to presenting them on the Facebook page instead. I'll maybe use the blog here for longer pieces instead, such as reviews and the like, and keep shorter pieces on the Facebook page. I'll see how it goes.

There will be a few reviews going up here in the next few days, so no shortage of material. It just gives us another platform to get across material we might otherwise miss.

I'm available by email at johnkilbrideAThotmailDOTcom, with a couple of obvious changes in the email address that I'm sure you can guess.

If you're a PR for a French act, label or event, just drop me an email. I look forward to hearing from you. I'm always pleased to get feedback, suggestions and inspiration.

The blog is also on Twitter as @viveleroq, so give us a follow or contact us via there. I'm also on Twitter as @karnag, and usually respond a bit quicker on that address especially when I'm out the office.


 Thanks as always to the team at Oui Love Music for all their work introducing French acts to the international audience. John K