#north american french
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Text
Music and Arts for Interview with the Vampire and other French-Enjoyers
I am so genuinely excited to find out that Zachary Richard, the Francophone folk singer from Louisiana, has released a novel! The story addresses the concerns of the American Francophonie with the story of a family wracked by politics and violence in the wakr of the American Civil War.
Friends, this the is the first American novel to be published in French since 1894! Although there is still a Francophone community in Louisiana to this day, they have been dealing with forced Anglicization for well over a hundred years, including the forced Anglophone education of Francophone children.
Zachary Richard remains an outlier in an largely English American cultural landscape. He wrote and recorded the majority of his songs in French and is popular in the international Francophone musical community.
I have been meaning to talk about Richard for a very long time, particular in the context of Interview with the Vampire. There are a good many cultural references in Interview, but unfortunately it seems that the show-runners are not really too informed about historical French arts because there aren't many references to French music or playwriting. Lestat would be more likely to act Moliere than Shakespeare. Louis would be somewhere in between, probably listening to and speaking both French and English songs. Unfortunately, I'm not too familiar with Black Creole musicians, of which there were/are indeed plenty in Louisiana. I've been meaning to educate myself in that area and post a selection along with my favourite tracks from Richard, but life has been very pressing indeed these last few years, so that never happened.
Here, then, are a few of my favourite songs from Zachary Richard and a few brief recordings from Black Zydeco artists, as well as the blurb from Richard's novel.
I didn't include translations, because that would make this long post long indeed, but Richard's lyrics are readily available in any search engine.
The novel:
Summary:
In the disarray that fell on southern Louisiana following the Civil War, André Boudreaux, seventeen years old, discovered life with his grandfather Drozin. This southern veteran, who became a rich man thanks to the arrival of the railway, tries to regain his prestige and his political power. But the sordid murder of André's uncle, the turbulent elections of 1882 and the political aims of his daughter-in-law will turn his world upside down. Les Rafales du carême is the first French-language novel published by a Louisiana author since 1894.
The music:
Dans les grands chemins. (On the big roads). A song about personal history and being drawn away from your place of origin to explore the wider world.
youtube
Au bord de Lac Bijou (On the shore of Lac Bijou). One of his bigger songs and very basic of me, but it's beautiful.
youtube
Le Ballade de Jean Batailleur. Again, one of his big ones, but it's a ballad about an orphan who grows up to be a criminal and dies alone. Depressing but gorgeous.
youtube
And this one gives me chills every time. It's a live rendition of Richard's song "La Promesse Cassee," performed with Celine Dion. This is hands down Dion's best performance ever, imho. Her voice is so nuanced and her expression so powerful, without ever once over-singing. The song's content probably has a lot to do with that. Richard wrote it in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, when New Orleans was so utterly devastated, and the US federal government promised aid, which, after days of waiting, never came. "The Broken Promise" is a scathing and haunting commentary on that betrayal.
youtube
youtube
"Laisse le vent souffler" (Let the wind blow) addresses the same issue, but years later. The singer tells the story of the police arriving to evacuate the community as another hurricaine approaches. He refuses to leave because he has already survived other storms and he has seen how the police have failed to support a scattered community in the past.
Can't believe I almost forgot this one:
Reveille--A powerful song addresses the expulsion of the Acadians, the forced removal (by British/English Canadian forces) of the Acadian French from the Canadian east coast and northern USA east coast. Many of the Acadians were shipped further south or "back" to Europe, where most had never been. Plagued by attendant atrocities of starvation, drowning and disease, thousands of Acadians were killed. Those who survived the journey down the American coast eventually became known by the shortened name of "Cajuns."
youtube
There are also a few extra things here from Richard's YouTube, where he highlights other Louisiana French singers and musicians. I've only included a couple, but people writing for Interview might want to explore his page more, since there's some Black Zydeco (Louisiana folk and French) musicians there.
J'ai une chanson dans mon coeur:
I couldn't find anything out about this. A young, Black American girl sings this song in an American school. I think, and hope, that she's another member of the French Louisianian musical community. Very sweet.
youtube
Zachary Richard talking about his influences and earlier Zydeco music in Louisiana.
youtube
#music#francophonie#zydeco#zachary richard#interview with the vampire#louisiana french#french american#books#Youtube#french#francais#north american french#acadian french#cajuns#amc interview with the vampire
7 notes
·
View notes
Text
My family: makes fun on the French Also my family: Everyone but my dad is North American French
#shitpost#north american French#French North American#Cajun#French Cajun#Louisiana French#family#French
3 notes
·
View notes
Text
Anniversary of the Marquis de Lafayette’s Death
Rest in Peace 💐
#history#french history#american history#french revolution#american revolution#revolutionary war#frev#amrev#european history#north american history#lafayette#marquis de lafayette#gilbert du motier
114 notes
·
View notes
Text
F100 vs Mirage III
Artist: Daniel Bechennec
#F100 #MirageIII #fighteraircraft #theaviationart #theaviationartofficial #Paintings #Artwork #Airplane #Planes #warbird #carrierplanes #militaryhistory #fighteraircraft #aviationpic #airforce #flight #plane #military #aircraft #jet
@TheAviationArt via X
#f 100 super sabre#north american aviation#Mirage III#dassault aviation#fighters#aircraft#french air force#french aircraft#aviation#cold war aircraft
15 notes
·
View notes
Text
"Bagatelle"
Karl Lagerfeld for Jean Patou Haute Couture Collection Fall/Winter 1958-59.
(top) Eva Marie Saint in the "Bagatelle" cocktail dress in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest.
(below) A model wearing the “Bagatelle” cocktail dress. Photo Georges Saad.
Karl Lagerfeld pour Jean Patou Collection Haute Couture Automne/Hiver 1958-59.
(top) Eva Marie Saint dans la robe de cocktail "Bagatelle" dans La mort aux trousses de AlfredHitchcock.
Un modèle portant la robe de cocktail "Bagatelle". Photo Georges Saad.
#haute couture#fashion 50s#1958-59#german designer#french style#fall/winter#automne/hiver#bagatelle#eva-marie saint#alfred hitchcock#north by northwest#geaorges saad#american actress#cocktail dress#robe de cocktail#jean patou
43 notes
·
View notes
Text
#american film institute#afi#movie polls#thriller#the silence of the lambs#the birds#alien 1979#raiders of the lost ark#the french connection#north by northwest#psycho#jaws#jaws 1975#psycho 1960#alien#the birds 1963#alfred hitchcock#william friedkin#mia farrow
14 notes
·
View notes
Text
#poll#polls#tumblr polls#time zone#time zones#USA#us american#canada#canadian#latin america#Latino#Latina#latine#white people#black people#French speakers#I summon you Canada USA Latin America#North America#South America#go!#tell me the time zone#please
17 notes
·
View notes
Text
I started reading Llewellyn’s Complete Book of North American Folk Magic today, and usually these books on “North American” magic don’t have anything at all about Canada, and if they do, it’s one or two mentions of like “hey yeah, Canada is in North America and they’ve got witchcraft too!” But they rarely have any substantial info. Which is a bit frustrating as a Canadian witch, but I’ve learned to deal with it and work with the limited info I can find.
Anyways, this book opens with a chapter on French Canadian magic (Sorcellerie). The two authors—creators of the Courir le loup-garou blog about French Canadian magic, which is a wonderful and bilingual resource—describe a brief history of French Canadian people and the context behind the historical folk traditions they were a part of. And then they get into a discussion of what some of those traditions and practices were, what their uses were, and so forth.
I wasn’t expecting to read anything about my Acadian ancestors’ traditions in this book, and reading it made me a bit emotional because it’s just so rare to come across this information, let alone in an accessible book like this. The Acadian side of my family have become very disconnected from our culture over the last fifty-so years, largely the result of a lot of complicated historical stuff that went on. The last two generations (me and my mum’s generation) don’t even speak French. Nowadays, being bilingual is a massive source of pride in Canada, but knowing French wasn’t always a positive, so it wasn’t passed down for that reason.
Over the last year or so, my practice has shifted a bit from largely eclectic and neo-pagan to a calling to explore the traditions of my ancestors, many of whom are Acadian. But with that has come a difficult realization: since I don’t know French, a lot of the existing sources on sorcellerie aren’t accessible to me. Which is fair enough, and one of the reasons I’m trying to learn the language, but sad when taken in context with the gradual loss of culture in my family.
All of this to say that while I’ve only read the first section of the book (the essay on Sorcellerie) and have no idea how the rest of the book is, reading this chapter about the traditions of my Acadian ancestors was very beautiful and healing, and if you’re trying to reconnect to those traditions like I am, I really recommend reading this essay. I’ve learned a lot and have a few jumping off points now for further research, which is always so exciting!
#folk magic#sorcellerie#french canadian folk magic#acadian folklore#acadian folk magic#canadian folk magic#french canadian witchcraft#acadian witchcraft#books#ancestors#my post#Llewellyn’s Complete Book of North American Folk Magic
9 notes
·
View notes
Text
for the past couple years ive been slowly. slowly learning beginners japanese and its very fun and im enjoying it a lot but also it has made me painfully aware in ways i wasnt before of how much my specific vaguely ontario accent makes me make out sloppy style with my vowels. i am going at those vowel's tonsils. i am doing things to diphthongs you wouldnt even believe.
#come and meet the letter people. come and visit the familyyy#literally like i dont mind my ontario accent coming through my japanese thats okay BUT i do care about making sure im saying what#im actually trying to say. and sometimes without realizing my vowels have left off somewhere else in the middle of my word#turning it into some manner of other word. i accidentally said picasso bought the mona lisa instead of painted it the other day <3#i dont mind my mistakes but like. i still wanna do my best!!!!#its blowing my mind though. okay as an anglophone here the only way we'll learn anything about our own language is by#1) just having a natural interest in linguistics in general and/or 2) learning a new language#much to my mothers frustration when she came here in the 70s not knowing any english. even the english speakers couldnt help her#BUT luckily i was both interested in linguistics and learning new languages so i got to learn more things after preschool LOL#but like i remember taking french throughout highschool and being like. wait a god damn minute. i understand english grammer now?#it was bizarre. learning japanese phonetics as well has made me realize what on earth i do with my vowels. actually the entire way i talk#i didnt pay much attention to it but in my head i hear everything as my voice but with perfect north american man radio voice pronunciation#which it turns out. is not what my actual voice sounds like. its not even thaaat different its just different Enough. uncanny valley accent#although the reason i specify vaguely with my vaguely ontarian accent is because#in my area half of the native english speakers say stuff one way and the other half a different way. like within the same neighbourhoods#people always giggle at the way i say bagel. in my head i do picture it as bey-gul. but the second it lease my mouth its become BAG-ul#no one in my familiar says it like that. i dont know where it came from. i cant even stop it. im forever BAG-ul. forever.
6 notes
·
View notes
Text
October 1, 1800
Spain and France sign the Third Treaty of San Ildefonso, by which Spain agreed to trade Louisiana to France in exchange for territories in Tuscany, Italy.
#north american history#french history#spanish history#colonization#italian history#october#1800#american history#us history#louisiana
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
oh my fuckin god theres infighting on my goddamn 4v4 pass time team what the fuck do you mean you just learned about the official a few hours ago I PINGED ABOUT IT ON THE 8TH STOP ARGUING YOU GODDAMN MAN CHILDREN OR IM GONNA FUCKING KILL THIS TEAM RIGHT NOW
#you will hear about competitive tf2#live posting about my comp troubles#soldier is finnish and he took all of his gaming shit to a friends place to play this offi#last minute our demo says 'nah i wanna play with other solly who is a master'#finnish solly is already 200 meters away at his frienss house#so hes rightfully pissed ans threatening to leave the team#i (med) am panicking because im the team leader and the rosters just locked so if he leaves he cant join back#my co-tl (us solly) is awol#we are getting casted tonight and the other team is french and want to play on a french server#because me and finnish solly are central ish eu we play on netherlands servers#idk how much ping my otherwise north american team is gonna get#idk if we want a pregame#idk how these frenchies play but they are eu so my expectations are low#and its 30 FUCKING DEGREES (celsius) in my room#DOESNT HELP THAT MY HALF FRENCH FRIEND IS CASTING US#AND WE ARE PLAYING UNDER HIS TEAMS NAME#im gonna throw up
4 notes
·
View notes
Text
if you’re ever wondering how to name things in your world building, remember that the oldest province in Canada (in terms of European settlement) is literally New Found Land with spaces removed
#of course the country was long inhabited before that#canada#newfoundland and labrador#a lot of places in Canada are actually various words from Indigenous languages that were bastardized by french#and then that was bastardized by english#sometimes that process flipped between the two a few times#plus the competetion between European and North American English#and then out where I live you also have the french words bastardized by Ukrainian and German#which then got bastardized by English#as all things inevitably are in this country
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
not enough people know about the croziflette... the best thing to come out of the alps
#i think a croziflette and/or tartiflette would go crazy at a north american potluck#cheese+onion+lardons+cream+pasta or potatoes?#all well seasoned#its like french mac and cheese but we put a whole cheese wheel in there
4 notes
·
View notes
Text
Here’s a fun reminder, Jean-Baptiste is an actual French first/given name. There are people who instead of just being named Jean after John the Baptist are given the full title. And I 100% wouldn’t be surprised if I have some Jean-Baptiste in my family tree.
#French#Cajun#French diaspora#Haitian#New Orleans Creole#french creole#french canadian#names#French names#French North American#and every other French speaking people and countries
5 notes
·
View notes
Text
For #InternationalBeaverDay :
"The Original Beaver Map & Its Legacy"
via Swann Galleries
#animals in art#animal holiday#european art#French art#18th century art#animals on maps#cartography#map#maps#mapmaking#beaver#beavers#International Beaver Day#article link#Swann Galleries#Nicolas de Fer#North American wildlife
4 notes
·
View notes
Text
And now that you've answered that, why not sit back and enjoy a brief history of the American Revolution:
First, the Seven Years War happens. It's mostly thought of as having been fought in Europe, but a campaign (not that kind) is also fought in North America. It is called "The French and Indian War" by the locals.
Britain wins the war against France, and subsequently gets the rights to all land east of the Mississippi river.
Colonialists start moving onto native land, probably with a lot of aggression and arrogance. This is ok so far as Britain is concerned, because they assume that the colonialists can play nice with the natives.
That is not the case. As such, the natives push back against them. 500+ colonialists die during this conflict.
Britain realizes that the colonialists CAN'T play nice and forbids them from going west of Appalachian mountains. Troops are sent to enforce this. Taxes are raised to support the troops, levied mostly on the colonies because they're the reason this mess exists at all.
Wealthy Land / Business Owners get frustrated by Britain imposing its will on the colonies and disallowing them from spreading West. Sure, taxes are bad, but it probably wasn't the little folks paying the lion's share of them, except insofar as the fees associated with them are concerned, but you pay sales taxes, so you know that heavy toll already.
Unhappy working class colonialists don't like paying those extra fees, like any USAmerican doesn't like, but this dislike is further stoked into unhappiness via propaganda until war is inevitable.
France, convinced by wealthy colonialists, backs to revolution as a "fuck you" to Britain ("We can't have land in the Americas? Fine. You don't get your precious colonies, either")
America is born! If you're a wealthy white man you're free to do whatever! Otherwise you can fuck off.
Imperialist conquest of the continent begins in earnest ("but really it's just our Manifest Destiny to control the whole continent so it's alright").
+++++
Ultimately, if they don't benefit the wealthy, any establishment of rights in USAmerica regarding a disenfranchised group only happens after massive civil disruption.
Said rights are never seen as good by the establishment, only as the necessary price for keeping/restoring the peace.
For Example:
The north fought the civil war to keep the south in the union. The south fought the civil war to keep their slaves.
If Lincoln hadn't been killed and his VP hadn't bungled things as much as he did, there would be no amendment regarding slavery, it would be a purely legislative matter, not a constitutional one.
This means that, if Lincoln lived, we'd need to worry about republicans overturning anti-slavery laws too, in addition to everything else.
#american revolution#America#usa#founding fathers#Tax the rich#eat the fucking rich#eat the rich#manifest destiny#the big lie#imperialism#colonialism#westward expansion#north america#seven years war#french and indian war#thirteen colonies#original colonies#taylor polls
3 notes
·
View notes