EllesOnParis

The idea looks so simple: ask a bunch of songwriters to compose a song about every Parisian arrondissement, then have famous actresses, singers and filles sourires favourites sing those songs. A female ode to the eternal city… I wish I came up with the idea, but alas, it was Nicolas Boualami Gaubiac who deserves all credit.

The result is a project called “ElleSonParis”. And the result is as exciting as it sounds

The songwriters are big names like Alex Beaupain, Thomas Roussel, Philippe Bresson, La Grande Sophie and Alain Chamfort. And what about the line-up! We have Juliette Gréco (!), Jane Birkin (!) Charlotte Rampling and Hanna Schygulla on one side and Zaza Fournier, Adrienne Pauly, Agnès Jaoui, Elisa Tovati, Irène Jacob and more on the other.

“ElleSonParis” is a musical tour through the arrondissements of Paris. They pay tribute to the Paris’ neighborhoods, all with their different character and own history.
Some of the songs are a bit so-so (one is not better than the high school musical level, but I won’t tell your which one…), but in general it is very nice trip into the City of Light.

Jane Birkin sings a song for the 16th arrondissement. A sober song with some with piano (or is it a  harpsichord?) called “5, Avenue Marceau”. Just in case you wonder: that was the home address of.. Yves Saint Laurent. And Chez Régine? We’ve all been there, no?

Jane Birkin – 5, Avenue Marceau
Adrienne Pauly – Chez Régine

Alex Beaupain & Camelia Jordana

We know Alex from his brilliant filmscores, but he makes albums under his own name too. I missed this duet, an update of an older song, from Beaupain’s Pourqoui battait mon coeur-cd when it came out in April. But now it’s released as a single, with a nice video (shot by Christophe Honoré) featuring gorgeous Camelia. Not for a second you feel awkward that she’s 19 and he’s 37, this is totally believable. See an acoustic version HERE

Alex Beaupain & Camelia Jordana – Avant la haîne

Les Bien-aimés

Les Bien-Aimés (The Beloved)  is a new film written and directed by Christophe Honoré. A mouthwatering cast for Filles Sourires Fans: Ludivine Sagnier, Catherine Deneuve and her daughter Chiara Mastroianni. The story is set in the 1960s and 1990s in Paris, Prague and London. You can see the trailer here and along interview with the three (en français) here. In an earlier film “Les chanson d’amour” (2007), Honoré already worked with Ludivine and Chiara. That resulted in a wonderful album, witten and composed by Alex Beaupain. This time they team up together again, and again the result is worth it. To put it short: what a lovely album! All the ladies have their own songs, they sing duets (with each other and with other actors). There is one mother/daughter duet and a song by all three. Because it is so hard to choose, two songs. The ladies all together in “Tout est si Calme” and a very nice duo from Ludivine with Rasha Bukvic, “Les Chiens Ne Font Pas Des Chats”

Sagnier, Mastroianni, Deneuve & Clara Couste – Tout Est Si Calme
Ludivine Sagnier & Rasha Bukvic – Les Chiens Ne Font Pas Des Chats