-M- : Les mots bleus at ho-m-e

 A cracking cover of Christophe's classic Les mots bleus by Matthieu Chedid, performed at home during lockdown.

The song, the title track of Christophe's 1974 album and top ten single, was co-written by Jean-Michel Jarre who was then a musical collaborator with Chrstophe. He'd already worked as lyricist for Christophe's 1973 album Les Paradis perdus. For an artist now best known for producing instrumental electronic work, it's quite an achievement to have been involved in creating two songs regarded as French language classics,

M's cover follows other artists such as Alain Bashung. 

It's a lovely version, performed during a live stream in April last year and it appears as one of the 35 tracks on his Le Grand P'tit Concert -M-aison streaming album that features cover versions and stripped-down arrangements of his own work. It's a great collection and well worth a download.

Festivals 2020: -M- and Black Eyed Peas for Solidays

Another of France's major summer festivals has confirmed some more of the names on its bill, with Solidays, one of the big events in Paris, listing the more names to appear at this year's event.

The biggest new international name is Black Eyed Peas, following the recent success of Ritmo. While WIll I Am might be a household name in the UK, due to his regular appearance on The Voice UK, he's not one of the judges of the show in France where he's perhaps known for his music, tracks like I've got a feeling and Where is the love being massive hits in France as they were elsewhere.

Metronomy and The Black Madonna are among the new acts announced.

Already confirmed at the top of the bill is -M-,  who has been touring in support of last year's Lettre Infinie album. He's got shows in arenas all over France in May, and also plays at some of the country's other summer events including Main Square festival, in June and July. He's also at the O2 Brixton Academy in London in April.

Laurent Garnier, Aya Nakamura, Deluxe , Niska,  Zola and Videoclub and are among others who were confirmed earlier. Others will be added in the coming months.

It's the 22nd edition of the festival, an event that combines activism as much as music. This year it's taking place on June 19 - 21 at Hippodrome de Longchanps.

Tickets go on sale on February 6.

Lamomali: Solidarité

An uplifting new video that features -M- and a cast of thousands is the latest release from the

Lamomali album, a collection that sees him accomplish his ambition of creating an album that celebrates the musical heritage of Mali.

M has been inspired by Mali since he was young, and for this collection that came out earlier this year he's working with some of the biggest names in that country's music, kora player Toumani Diabaté, Sidiki Diabaté and Fatoumata Diawara. 

The new video features contributions from Nekfeu, Santigold and Youssou N'Dour.

Lamomali are about to release a live album, Lamomali Airlines, in a few days time.

Lamomali have been playing at festivals over the summer, and are just about to undertake a series of live dates at Arenas around France. They've got two shows at the AccorHotels Arena on December 18 and 19.

Louis, Matthieu, Joseph & Anna Chedid: F.O.R.T.

A new track has been made available by Louis, Matthieu, Joseph & Anna Chedid , the family
featuring Louis Cheded and three of his children.

 The new single F.O.R.T comes as they completed a series of live dates over the summer with a set at the Fête de l'Humanité last weekend.

It comes ahead of a studio album due to be released next month, the four having been working together since the end of last year.

What's certain is that working together has seen all four artists reach new audiences and be met with a warm reaction from crowds around France. The album should cement their place as France's favourite musical family.

Their album is due out on October 23.

La famille Chedid: Anne, ma sœur Anne

An interview and a performance by La famille Chedid, an acts that spans generations of French musical talent.

The band, consisting of  Louis, Matthieu, Anna and Joseph Chedid played a series of  concerts at the Olympia in Paris, their set featuring both the hits of Matthieu Chedid - perhaps better known under his -M- pseudonym - and songs by his father Louis.

Anna and Joseph Chedid have both also musical careers, under the names Nach and Selim.

As well as an interview, the clip sees them perform the track Anne, ma sœur Anne.

La famille Chedid play festivals around France over the summer, and play at the Palais Garnier in Paris on September 6.

-M- : I kissed a Girl

An interesting new version of the Katy Perry hit I kissed a Girl by -M- has emerged.

The track comes from the soundtrack of the film Toute première fois, a newly released French comedy by Noémie Saglio and Maxime Govare.

The song was of course a massive international hit for Katy Perry. The new version makes it more of a French kiss and it sounds all the better for it.

-M- released the track  Comme un seul homme earlier this month as a free download in tribute to those killed in the Charlie Hebdo incident.

Meanwhile, under his Matthieu Chedid name he is to tour in May with his father Louis and Joseph and Anna Chedid.

They're playing 30 days including several shows at the L'Olympia in Paris.

Solidays festival: First line-up details

Details have been confirmed for this year's Solidays festival at the Longchamp racecourse near Paris.

This year sees M, Franz Ferdinand and Patrice, along with Yodelice, Vitalic and Gesaffelstein.

More names will be added shortly.

The three day event - the sixteenth time it's taken place- is being held on June 27, 28 and 29.

Last year around 170,000 people saw the likes of David Guetta and C2C at the festival which has become one of France's biggest musical events.

It originally started as an Aids awareness event, and it has raised over 2 million euros to organisations fighting the disease.

This year the spirit of Nelson Mandela  is being evoked by organisers, with the slogan "Tee fight must go on" .
Tickets for the festival go on sale on February 14.

-M- Il(s) release and private concert

The artist known as -M- plays a special concert in Paris tonight at the Bus Palladium venue to mark the release of his new live collection îl(s).

-M- has been touring extensively across France and beyond following the release of his îl album last year, and the new collection, which is both a CD and DVD documents his live show.

His most recent studio collection came out in November last year, and îl has produced hit songs like Mojo and Baia.

However, he's marking the occasion with a special low-key show in the capital, and while tickets might be hard to get, a live streaming of the gig means more people should be able to enjoy the spectacle.

-M- is due to play in Paris in December 12, 13 and 14 at the Palais Omnisport de Paris Bercy.

-M- : Live at the Roundhouse, London

A reminder that this evening sees the French music legend that is -M- taking to the stage in the Roundhouse

in London.

The artist known to his family and friends as Matthieu Chedid, continues to tour supporting his Îl album that was released last year, to both commercial and critical acclaim.

The album included the track Mojo, which gave him a top thirty hit, and also provided one of the most memorable videos of recent years.

The tracks Baïa and Océan have also been released as singles, and he's been touring extensively.

He will also be playing in Paris before the end of the year, with shows at Bercy on December 12, 13 and 14.

Before that, he releases a live album entitled (ÎL)S on November 18.

In the meantime, some lucky people in London get the chance to see one of France's most exciting artists perform live.

-M- : Baïa

A new clip for the track Baïa by -M-, the latest track from his album ÎL to get the promotional treatment.

The video sees Matthieu Chedid in B-movie Technicolor film action, or as it describes itself "A space opera picture in Rockabilly color."

It's certainly a very different proposition to the previous videos from the album, the title track Mojo being one of last year's more memorable clips.

ÎL was released last November, and he's been touring extensively since its release, with more shows at festivals over the summer.

Baïa, with its latin flavour, should easily find some airplay over the summer.

-M- : Océan

A new video for the track Océan from the -M- album Mojo.

It's the second track to be taken from the album as a single, the album originally coming out in November last year.

It's a very different video to the street style of the previous track Mojo. This is by far a more artistic proposition with nods to 1970s style and art house cinema.

Last month saw the release of a new edition of the album Mojo, with extra remixes of the title track by C2C and Willy Moon, and -M- has been playing live extensively, even playing some dates in the UK earlier this month.

There are two dates at the Zénith in Paris in June, as well as gigs at some of France's biggest festivals over the summer.

-M- : Océan

A new edition of the new -M- album Mojo has appeared, coinciding with this year's Victoires de la Musique awards.

The album was originally released in November last year, and the new special edition features extra remixes of the title track by C2C and Willy Moon.

the release comes out just days ahead of the the Victoires de la Musique awards ceremony, that seems Chedid nominated for best male artist, chanson album of the year and video of the year for the song Mojo. I'm sure he'll pick up at least one of these to add to his already large collection of Victoires awards.

-M- is touring extensively this year across France, with a date in London's Koko next month, followed by dates in Paris. There are other dates around France before a return to Paris in June.

Océan is being promoted as the second single from the album, and this video comes from a session he did for the UK website The Line of Best Fit.

M: Mojo in the Metro

A great clip of M playing at the Jaurès Metro station in Paris.

He spoke about playing at the Metro station, about how it was great to become part of people's everyday lives, and how the metro was symbollic because it was a place where people were going from one place to another, where it's not stylish but where you're really face to face with people without any filter.

It must have been quite an experience to see one of France's biggest stars - and most celebrated live performers - playing in an environment like that.

The performance in the street echoes the official video for the song,featuring as it did Matthieu Chedid and his musicians performing in the streets of Paris with passers by and dancers.

His album ÎL, which featured the track Mojo, was released last month.

M: Îl

A new release from M, with his sixth full studio album, entitled Îl coming out in France.

The single Mojo was released in September, followed by a video a few weeks later.

The album was recorded in Los Angeles earlier this year.

His last full release was 2009 Mister Mystère, he's been far from idle since with the sountrack for Un monstre à Paris last year and a live album the previous year, not forgetting his collaborative work with Johnny Hallyday on his Jamais Seul collection.

In his career so far, Matthieu Chedid has picked up eight Victoires de la musique awards, along with a César Award for soundtrack work, and it would be no surprise if there are more awards ahead for one of France's most highly regarded and talented contemporary artists.

His live dates in France next year are certainly going to be one of the most anticipated shows of the year.

-M- : Mojo

I previewed this track a few weeks ago, and it's great to see at long last the full video for the -M- track Mojo.

It's a cracking piece of contemporary rock, an edgy sound that's rooted in a great pop song.

It's also catchy as hell, and reminds me a bit of bands like The Hives with their modern take on classic garage rock.

Meanwhile, the video is an instant classic. The dancing and the air guitar are hard to forget once witnessed, and the street locations give it an effortlessly French context.

The song dropped without warning, perhaps this kind of release puts the record companies one step ahead of the illegal downloaders, maybe the element of surprise - especially when it's a great song - gives a release a bit more of an impact.

The album Îl, his sixth, is released on November 10, and -M- is on tour next year

-M- : Mojo

Some new material from -M-, the artist also known as Matthieu Chedid.

The track Mojo surfaced ahead of a new album due out later this year.

While his last full album was 2009's Mister Mystère, he's been far from idle, with last year seeing the release of the Un monstre à Paris soundtrack, the hit single La Seine with Vanessa Paradis and the work with Johnny Hallyday on his Jamais Seul album.

There was also a Victoires de la musique award for Best concert in 2011.

Chedid is a huge figure in the French music scene, and his album is much anticipated not just because of his previous success, but because he seems to be in recent years to be at the top of his game.

The song came out without warning, premiered on Oui FM There's a proper video due out shortly, a few previews have appeared online.

The new album, his sixth, is expected in November. He's also expected to tour in 2013.

Vanessa Paradis & Johnny depp

With the news that Vanessa Paradis and Johnny Depp have split, I though a look at her musical career was in order.

Most of the focus in news coverage on their split is in on Johnny Depp, without her career getting much of a mention. Depp and Paradis were together for 14 years, and have two children together.

Despite being a huge star in France, with a music and film career, she remains best known in the UK for a single released in 1987 when she was 14.

It reached number one in France, and number three in the UK, and remains one of the best known French language songs in recent years.

While none of her other work made such a mark outside France, her music career has continued there with some considerable success.

Following her 1988 debut album M & J that featured Joe le Taxi, her 1990 Variations sur le même t'aime album saw her collaborating with Serge Gainsbourg. The song Dis-lui toi que je t'aime probably being the best known from the collection.

Her third, self-titled album, was released in 1992. It saw her working with her then-partner Lenny Kravitz, leading to songs like Be My Baby, a top ten hit in the UK and another of her best-known works.

She didn't release a studio album again until 2000's Bliss, which included input from Matthieu Chedid (best known as -M- ) Chedid would go on to win two Victoires de la Musique awards that same year for his own work.

Johnny Depp also made a musical contribution to the album. Depp's musical ventures included playing with Oasis and in the band P, which he formed with Gibby Haynes of the Butthole Surfers.

Bliss went on to be  a number one album in France, despite not having a hit single on a par with her previous albums.

Her next studio album came in 2007, with Divinidylle, her most recent studio work. The cover, a stylised portrait of her was pained by Johnny Depp. It again featured collaborations with Matthieu Chedid. It too was a number one in France.

Over and above her studio albums, there have been live albums, mostly coming out following a tour in support of her studio work, including Live in 1994, Au Zénith in 2001 and Divinidylle Tour in 2008. The most recent of these Une Nuit à Versailles came out in 2010 and featured acoustic interpretations of her work.

Most recently she recorded much of the soundtrack for the animation film A Monster in Paris, in which she also starred. The track La Seine - a collaboration with -M- a hit single for her in France.

Meanwhile, her acting career has seen her win a César Award for her part in Noce Blanche in '89 and a Genie Award and a Juntra Award for her part in 2011's Canadian film Café de Flore, with memorable parts along the way including The Girl on the Bridge (La Fille sur le pont) and the animation A Monster in Paris.