French classics in 'Paris of the Orient'

The songs of Edith Piaf are known around the world, and now Shanghai audiences will have the chance to hear them sung by one of the great French songbirds of today.

You may be humming a Piaf chanson without even knowing it.

Chanson is the French word for "song", and Edith Piaf (1915-1963) is the most famous French singer of all time.

Patricia Kaas' concert at Shanghai Oriental Art Center on May 7 will bring French music to the city that was known as the "Paris of the Orient" in Piaf's heyday.

The concert is one of several events marking the 50th anniversary of Sino-French diplomatic relations, says Liu Weilin, general manager of Feifan Culture & Art Co, Ltd, the host of Kaas Chante Piaf in Shanghai.

Besides La Vie en Rose, there will be many songs familiar from old movies, all performed live by Kaas, who made a very successful tour of China in 2005, Liu says.

French art and culture has a smaller audience compared with that in the English language. "But we are ready to provide opportunities for further cultural exchange," Liu says. "We hope to introduce elegant French songs to wider audiences in China."

Chanson are different from other songs because they follow the rhythms of the French language. "I think the difference comes from the emotions the French language and the melodies give to an audience," Kaas says. "They have a certain French flavor. I perform them with my deep voice, with power and emotion."

Kaas has a throaty, smoky voice that is often compared to Piaf and Marlene Dietrich. She has had a successful career in the French music scene since the 1980s, and is one of the best-selling French entertainers in the world.

"Kaas broke into the international market even before Celine Dion did," Liu says. Her third studio album D'allemagne sold more than 12 million copies all over the world, and her autobiography The Shadow of My Voice has been translated into six languages.

"The first Piaf song that I sung when I was a kid, was La Vie en Rose," Kaas says. "Piaf recorded 430 songs and when I prepare my show Kaas Sings Piaf, I listen to all of them. I choose some famous and some less famous, that I want to present to the audience. I love La Belle Histoire D'amour, Avec Ce Soleil and T'es Beau Tu Sais. They touch me a lot."

Piaf was very creative in her time, Kaas says. "We marked the 50th anniversary of her death last year. I'm impressed by her life, her voice, everything in her life, her songs."

She wanted the project Kaas Chante Piaf to be a tribute, rather than just copying her predecessor. Kaas invited Abel Korzeniowski to arrange the music. "I wanted some modern classic arrangements, like for a movie. I wanted to pay homage to her in my own way and style. Abel helped me a lot with that," Kaas says.

Korzeniowski is a Polish composer of film and theater music. His composition for A Single Man won a San Diego Film Critics Society Award, and he was nominated for best original score for films in 2009 and 2012 respectively.

"I will talk to the audience in French or English and will have a translator so they understand what I say. I will also add some of my own songs－six of the most famous," Kaas says.

Kaas Chante Piaf world tour in Asia will only take place in Tokyo, Japan, Seoul, South Korea, and Shanghai, China.

"It will not go to any other city in China, so this is a rare opportunity for audiences in Shanghai," Liu says.

Contact the writer at zhangkun@chinadaily.com.cn.

IF YOU GO

Shanghai Oriental Art Center, Concert Hall, 425 Dingxiang Lu (Road), Pudong New Area, Shanghai. 021-6361-3061.

80-680 yuan.

7:30 pm, May 7.