Jadis & naguère - Une histoire de France par les chansons

Description

Telling stories. Such is the "trademark" of our ensemble Les Lunaisiens, as our previous works reveal. Jadis et naguère is no exception, and takes the mantra literally, as it transports us to the heart of the fabulous epic of French history. To do so, we will not follow in the footsteps of Michelet, the father of our "national narrative," but rather the more recent traces of France Vernillat and Pierre Barbier, who in 1982 published a « Histoire de France par les chansons » that says as much about history as about its perception, leaving as much room for satire as for poetry.Our aim here is not so much to aim for "authenticity" as to see—and above all to hear—how centuries, sovereigns, and events have nourished popular creation. It is therefore a resolutely "offbeat" vision that we present to today's audience, who will readily resonate with the antics, gossip, or biases inherent in street narratives.In Jadis et naguère, we wander between the immemorial times of the Frankish kingdom and those of grand Versailles, between glorious deeds and unspeakable blunders, summoning both a deeply nostalgic character and a parodic streak. Moreover, the rule in concocting this album was to respect not chronology, but rather the flavor of each story, to offer a textually savory and musically delightful blend.