Friday's French music break - Magic System, "La danse des magiciens"

Friday's French music break this week is by a group from Côte d'Ivoire that have made quite an impression in recent years on this country's charts and, just as importantly, its dance floors.

Magic System (screenshot from "La danse des magiciens")

Magic System's "La danse des magiciens" will likely have you pumpin' and a groovin' no matter what your age.

It's the third track to be released from their latest album "Toutè kalé (to date they've released six) and proof once again that the quartet can churn out tunes that make you wish you were still young enough to "shake your stiff" (sic) (some of you might still be).

They formed back in 1994 when they were an eight-piece set up (having come from an even larger group of apparently more than 50 members)

But even with (just) eight members, according to their website, the group was just too large for any producer to be interested in signing them and three years later they split in half.

While A’salfo (Salif Traoré) , Manadja (Adama Fanny), Tino (Étienne Boué Bi) et Goudé (Narcisse Sadoua) kept the name Magic system, the four others (now down to three) formed the group Les Marabouts.

They've never had the same crossover success as Magic System, but they're still worth listening to.

Anyway, back to Magic System. They've become synonymous with Zouglou, dance music from Côte d'Ivoire which has apparently proven to be a form of expression for the country's youth to describe the problems they have and the "ills of society": the Ivorian equivalent of rap perhaps.

That might well have been how the group started and was received back home, but once they made it big in France with the 2002 single "Premier gaou" commercial appeal seemed to be the key to success and the hits...well, they just kept-a-comin'.

Among them were "Bouger bouger" in 2005, "Ki Dit Mié" in 2007, "Zouglou dance" in 2008.

The latest in a long line of dancefloor hits, "La danse des magiciens" is nothing outrageously innovative and very produced - perhaps overly so.

The lyrics? Well they're an exhortation to dance - Zouglou style: quite rightly not exactly Pulitzer prize-winning material. but enjoyable, fun...and man, it makes you wanna move!

Bassory Ouattara, a president's football-playing son - or is he?

Alassane Ouattara isn't just making the headlines in the world news sections of the French media over the ongoing disputed leadership of his country, Côte d'Ivoire, with Laurent Gbagbo.

He's also making an appearance in the sports sections, courtesy of a player at Vannes Olympique Club (VOC), a football team in Ligue 2.

Alassane Ouattara (screenshot interview with France 24, January 2011)

Bassory Ouattara is in VOC's reserve team, and if the surname looks familiar that's because he claims to be the son of the man the international community recognises as Côte d'Ivoire's elected leader.

Last weekend he spoke to the regional daily Le Télégramme revealing how he had lived with his four brothers and sisters in the United States from the age of eight to 15 while Alassane Ouattara was working as an economist in New York.

According to Bassory, he came to France in 2005, first settling in Lyon where he sat his baccalauréat, played for the local side Association sportive Lyon-Duchère and then after he had met his girlfriend, moved with her to northwestern France and signed with VOC.

He evoked memories of an early childhood spent in Côte d'Ivoire and how concerned he remained for the welfare of his cousins who still lived there, and of course the man he insisted was his father.

"I frequently talk to him on the 'phone," he said. "He's calm and said that everything is all right and that Gbagbo will leave."

Journalists were soon beating a path to the young player's door wanting to find out more, and Bassory was more than accommodating quoted in Le Télégramme as saying he "would respond to all media enquiries and even go to Paris if necessary."

He didn't get much of a chance though because the following day brought about an official denial from Côte d'Ivoire.

"The information is false. His Excellency Mr. Alassane Ouattara has no son named Bassory Ouattara," said a statement published in the regional daily Ouest-France.

And that was followed up by Patrick Achi, a government spokesmen, telling Agence France Presse that, "The young man is just a storyteller."

Media attention returned to Bassory, whose story hadn't changed - much - although his apparent enthusiasm to talk about it appeared to have been dampened.

"Alassane Ouattara is my biological father although, it's true, he has never officially recognised me as such," he told Agence France Presse.

"It was my uncle, Gaosso, who 'recognised' me as his son at my birth," he continued.

"I spoke to my biological father again this morning and he gave me something of an earful because of my comments to the media and he asked me not to say any more."

The 'phone of course didn't stop ringing at VOC, but it was the president of the club, Michel Jestin, and the general director, Olivier Cloarec, who were fielding the calls.

"He's unavailable for comment," was the message journalists received when requesting further interviews with Bassory.

"We've been in touch with the French foreign ministry and it said it would review the case," Cloarec told the national daily Aujourd'hui en France - Le Parisien.

"Other than that, we've been asked to say nothing."

France's tale of two Misses

Côte d'Ivoire might have two presidents at the moment but France has double trouble of a different sort.

The country has two newly-elected national beauty queens.

All right so the comparison might be more than a little inappropriate, but you could be excused for thinking that the world had been turned on it head somewhat (in France) given the amount of radio and television airtime that have been devoted to last weekend's election of Miss France and the rival Miss Nationale.

Perhaps a sign that someone was listening and watching the wrong programmes.

On Saturday more than 6.8 million viewers tuned in to TF1 to watch 19-year-old Laury Thilleman, Miss Bretagne, crowned Miss France 2011.

Miss France 2011, Laury Thilleman (screenshot from BFM TV)

After a jury headed by actor Alain Delon had, with the help of the viewing public, whittled down the 33 regional candidates to just five finalists, it was left to those at home watching to cast their votes.

And Thilleman, a keen surfer and former volleyball player (yes you can learn a lot from listening to the seemingly endless round of interviews that followed her election) who in the future apparently wants to "pursue a career in the fields of communications or audio-visual" (in other words TV - don't they all?) was the public's choice with 35 per cent of the vote.

She'll now go on to represent France at the Miss World and Miss Universe competitions.

Meanwhile on Sunday it was the turn of another 19-year-old, Barbara Morel, Miss Provence, to be crowned Miss Nationale 2011, a rival contest launched this year by the former organiser of Miss France, Geneviève de Fontenay.

Miss Nationale 2011, Barbara Morel, being interviewed on Europe 1 national radio (screenshot from Marc-Olivier Fogiel's morning show)

No mass audience for Miss Nationale as it wasn't transmitted on any of the major channels.

And even though the public had been able to choose which of the 25 regional representatives would be selected to appear among the final seven by voting online ahead of Sunday evening's decision, the choice of the eventual winner was left to a jury of seven.

Although Morel's turn to face the microphones came the day after her election, the real interest was focussed unsurprisingly on the woman who accompanied her, Geneviève de Fontenay.

She had been the doyenne of French beauty pageants for several decades and until earlier this year had been at the heart of the competition's committee.

After a very public falling out with official organisers, the Dutch TV production company Endemol, the 78-year-old set up her own rival pageant.

"We've achieved a lot," she said during an interview with Europe 1 national radio.

"There were times during the run-up to the final when I had been a little worried."

But the 78-year-old would not be drawn on the future of the competition (or its real value come to that).

"I hope there'll be another one," said the 78-year-old

"If I started, it's obvious I want to continue but sometimes in the morning you don't know what's going to happen in the evening."




Geneviève de Fontenay : "On revient de loin"
envoyé par Europe1fr. - Regardez les dernières vidéos d'actu.