Nini la chance... or a mighty nostalgia trip!

I don't watch television _that_ much. News bulletins, weather, at times some documentaries and that's that.

It seems that for the weekend they unscramble more channels, so I got one of those "nostalgia" channel.

And boy I was yanked... in a past that I didn't suspect it got that far. A delightful hour with singer Annie Cordy, and the songs she sang in the 70s.

It's been already 30 years, almost 40 years ago. Wow. That doesn't make me feel young!!!

And it's amazing that after a few hesitations, all of a sudden it comes back to you.

I had that same feeling, and probably at the most oddest place, singing in duo at 10 000km away from Paris, in front of an English-speaking public. Not bad eh? :)

A street artist by the name of Joshua, a former Frenchman... at the Vancouver's Grandville Island Market, on a warm day of December 2006. He spotted my "Québec" jacket. He invited to join him and to sing along in front of the public. And I dare to say YES!

Singing in French... songs from Yves Montand, Charles Aznavour and Michel Sardou of that same era, in front of a (small) public who obviously never heard anything in French but were curious at us. An impromptu duo. It's one of those crazy things that makes you love travels.

Boy I thank him for "priming" me, so i wouldn't look too silly. Those songs were tucked deep deep in my memory, as I haven't heard them in decades, and then after a few seconds, poof it's all fresh.

Many crazy things also happened during that trip to Vancouver, good and bad, but I digress. Suffice to say that of all my travels, I have highly fond memories. You can read my original blog entry at FC about that crazy trip to Vancouver. End of digression again. :)

So... when you need a video for your blog, say about Annie Cordy, where do you turn to? YouTube, of course.

The snippet I have chosen looks like from the show I saw earlier this evening. "Nini la chance" is the kind of easy going music, with style that were prevailing in the 70s.

Somehow, with all the techno, and all the modern music, which to me it's awful noise... I kind of regret those songs from the 70s.

Also, look at the orchestra. Back then, they had $$$ ! Today's television wouldn't be able to afford so many live musicians. Also the use of *real* instruments back then, and no electronic keyboard around.

Sometimes, when one wonders about culture, well this *is* culture. A snapshot of our world, how we live, and when delivered later, it makes you dreaming all over again.

I was a bit sad that the show lasted just an hour, I'd take an additional hour or two or even three with Annie Cordy. Sigh. For the songs themselves, for the memories that they brought to the surface... and about an era that seems getting incredibly distant.

So, here she goes, Annie Cordy with Nini la Chance.... (Sorry, no close captioning, I couldn't find a clip with it).



Cheers,

-E