Music collectors

Ron and I have been on a quest to discover some genuinely home-grown French music, it's harder to find that you'd think. While France is renowned for its writers, chefs, philosophers, painters, dancers, film-makers, photographers, fashion designers etc. the French contribution to the music industry has been somewhat less forthcoming, at least to newbs like us. We've been asking everyone we meet for their recommendations, so many thanks to Adéline, Sonia, Isabelle, Guillaume/Benjamin, my Tuesday morning 3rd year pupils and all the others who have so far contributed to our francophone music collection.

Among some of the artists who we've discovered so far are the following:
Archimède, Cali, Camille, Christophe Maé, Coeur de Pirate, Corneille, Edith Piaf, Fatal Bazooka, Gérald de Palmas, Grégoire, Grégory Lamarchal, Guillaume Grand, Indochine, Irma, Jacques Brel, Jean-Jacques Goldman, Jenifer, La Rue Kétanou, Les Ogres de Barback, Louise Attaque, Malajube, Maurane, Max Boublil, Mes Souliers Sont Rouges, Mika, Noir Désir, Olivia Ruiz, Rose, Saez, Soha, Sexion d'Assaut, Stromae, Yann Tiersen, Zaz, Zaho...

Any further additions are, of course, more that welcome :)

So far our favourite is Zaz. Here's the song most likely to be being played in our flat at the moment:

Mal du pays

Todo Cambia (por Mercedes Sosa)

Cambia lo superficial
Cambia también lo profundo
Cambia el modo de pensar
Cambia todo en este mundo

Cambia el clima con los años
Cambia el pastor su rebaño
Y así como todo cambia
Que yo cambie no es extraño

Cambia el más fino brillante
De mano en mano, su brillo
Cambia el nido el pajarillo
Cambia el sentir un amante

Cambia el rumbo el caminante
Aunque esto le cause daño
Y así como todo cambia
Que yo cambie no extraño

Cambia, todo cambia

Cambia el sol en su carrera
Cuando la noche subsiste
Cambia la planta y se viste
De verde en la primavera

Cambia el pelaje la fiera
Cambia el cabello el anciano
Y así como todo cambia
Que yo cambie no es extraño

Pero no cambia mi amor
Por más lejos que me encuentre
Ni el recuerdo ni el dolor
De mi pueblo y de mi gente

Lo que cambió ayer
Tendrá que cambiar mañana
Así como cambio yo
En esta tierra lejana

Cambia, todo cambia

Pero no cambia mi amor
Por más lejos que me encuentre
Ni el recuerdo ni el dolor
De mi pueblo y de mi gente

Lo que cambió ayer
Tendrá que cambiar mañana
Así como cambio yo
En esta tierra lejana

Cambia, todo cambia...

Everything Changes (by Mercedes Sosa)

The meaningless changes
The profound also changes
Ways of thinking change
Everything in the world changes

Over time the weather changes
The shepherd's herd changes
And just as everything else changes
the fact that I change is not in the least strange

The finest diamond's loses it's brilliance
as it travels from hand to hand
The little bird changes its nest
A lover's feelings change

The traveller changes his path
Though it may do him harm
And just as everything else changes
the fact that I change is not in the least strange

Change, everything changes

The sun changes its path
to give way to the night
The plants change to clothe themselves
with the green of spring

The fur of the wild beasts change
The hair of the wise ones change
And just as everything else changes
the fact that I change is not in the least strange

But my love does not change
No matter how far away I find myself
Nor the memory nor the pain
of my country and my people

That which changed yesterday
Will have to change tomorrow
Just as I change
In this faraway land

Change, everything changes

But my love does not change
No matter how far away I find myself
Nor the memory nor the pain
of my country and of my people

That which changed yesterday
Will have to change tomorrow
Just as I change
In this faraway land

Change, everything changes

week 5

I've been a bit blog silent recently, the internet-man did eventually deblock facebook, skype and youtube for us but unfortunately I still don't have access to blogspot. Because of this, some of the more recent posts are only skeletons at the moment, I'll try to get them updated as soon as I can :)

So, in an attempt to catch up a bit, here's a quick summary of the last wee while:)

Over halloween, I spent 2 short days in Montpellier, in fact it wasn't even 2 days in the end, but it was of course lovely to find myself at Boulevard Rabelais once more (no tea on the roof this time though, the October rains arrived in Montpellier with a vengence). I got to see Aina and meet her lovely Japanese flatmate Yumiko, I managed to join in for the Sunday night CFU meeting and was even able to have lunch with Floriane :) I also collected my bike and my tart tin (inherited from the legendary Erbin Lim), two very important articles.

What else has happened?

Potluck
Following the joyous Saturday evening of last weekend I hosted a potluck soirée at our flat (sadly Ron missed it as he was in Bordeaux). Food was eaten. Fun was had :)

Foire de livre.

Swimming pool, swimming's cool, swimming school.
Angelica and I went for a swim. It felt so good to do some exercise and swimming was gentle enough not to hurt my knee (I injured it just before I left Edinburgh when a dog knocked me off my bike). Unfortunately, what with it being a Wednesday when schools have a half day, a bunch of my 6th year pupils were in the pool having swimming training. Somewhat embarrassing, but apparently it's worse when you meet them on a night out :/

Basketball
Yey! I found a basketball team! Yey! And they are really friendly! Yey! WOOP!

Dance

You're the God of this City

With the poet's permission, I've borrowed this poem from this week's Community Church e-newsletter. I'm finding it hard to explain quite why it moved me so much, perhaps it's because it showed me just how much I am homesick for this New Edinburgh.

To the new city

In this imagining I see

the tree of Life planted on the Mound

and the river running through all the streets

of the new town and the old,

people stopping to marvel at it

on its journey to heal the nations,

people sipping to taste again and see for themselves that God is good.

I see the seat of government making sure

that not one person has any need unmet,

celebrating God’s plentiful provision for all

and falling on their faces in gratitude and praise.

I see the financial centres working intently

busy calculating who to shower with blessing next!

I see the seats of learning busy, excited,

marvelling at the knowledge of what is,

of what had been so unsuspected.

I see them Enlightened,

revelling in the light and trying to find words to describe it -

falling on their faces in wonder.

I see the High Court busy, not with prisoners in the dock,

but in wonder-full discussion and declamation of God’s full justice

and marvellous wise judgement. They are interrupted often, all overwhelmed

with shouts and tears, loud singing and dancing –

as they see his mercy shining brighter still.

I see the museums extolling him through history and nature -

Dynamic Earth has found its roots at last!

I see the zoo with gates flung wide and marvellous undreamt of creatures emerging

while the lion basks in the sun with the lamb frisking over and around him.

I see the galleries filled with art extolling his creativity,

and many artists working on the steps,

in the gardens,

in the streets around,

so that more and more new expressions will fill the space.

I see musicians on the streets, not busking but enticing folk to sing and dance and praise Him in any way they can.

I see every hall, doors open,

ceilidhers laughing, panting from the dance, spilling out onto the pavement,

and every Fringe venue playing out another new aspect to be appreciated

in awesome wonder.

And every pub is ringing with songs of thanksgiving,

the whisky, long in the cask, now all ready, all at once,

to toast the King who’s come home to Edinburgh.

© ALW 2011