Friday's French music break - Shakira, "Je l'aime a mourir"

Friday's French music break this week is sung by a woman who surely needs no introduction as she's one of the biggest international stars around today.

Shakira.

Shakira (screenshot from NRJ Music Awards)

It's her rendition - sung in French - of a song originally written and performed by Francis Cabrel.

Unless you've not flipped on a French music radio station recently or seen a variety programme on television, you cannot help but have heard it.

Not surprisingly given the song's exposure and Shakira's 2010 and 2011 concerts dates in France as well as the release of the song as part of the "Live from Paris" DVD, her version of "Je l'aime a mourir" entered the French charts at number one in the middle of January.

While you've probably heard of Shakira, you might not be familiar with Cabrel and quite frankly, as a matter of general French popular music culture you should be.

The 58-year-old is arguably one of the best songwriters of his generation.

He first recorded and released "Je l'aime à mourir" in 1979 and then in 1998 he re-released it as "La quiero a morir" on his Spanish-language album "Algo más de amor".

Cabrel's appeal probably lies in the poetic nature of his lyrics and polished melodies.

Indeed "Je l'aime à mourir" is one example of several of his songs that cut across generations and the chances are (if you live in France) that you know a French person or two (or several) who could sing along without any trouble.

If you need more words, then try the excellent and not-too-long biography on Radio France Internationale which tracks the career of "one of the most prominent figures on the French music scene" from his humble beginnings in the département of Lot et Garonne, the influence of Bob Dylan on his writing style, his attachment to the village of Astaffort away from the glare of celebrity, his charity work throughout the years and some truly memorable songs along the way.

Meanwhile back to Shakira, and although there are plenty of live recordings of her singing "Je l'aime a mourir" available on YouTube if you want to search, here's one from a performance at the recently televised NRJ Music Awards in Cannes.

So sit back and enjoy.

It'll give you a taste of Cabrel's magical songwriting skills and maybe encourage you to listen to some of his other material.

Bon week-end.

Katy Perry - Rihanna mix-up at French music awards

"And the winner of this year's award for best song by an international artist is......Katy Perry for 'I kissed a girl'."

So went the announcement during the NRJ Music awards ceremony broadcast live on national television in France over the weekend.

And on to the stage tripped Perry applauding herself to the strains of.... "Disturbia" by Rihanna.

Huh?

Had the television production team scheduled the wrong song?

After all Rihanna along with Coldplay "Viva la vida", Estelle and her "American Boy", "Beggin" from Madcon, and of course Perry were among the five artists shortlisted.

Unperturbed, Perry went on to thank the Pussycat Dolls, who had pulled her name out of the magic envelope, "everyone who had voted for her" of course, and told the packed auditorium in the southern French town of Cannes and the millions of viewers following the live broadcast on national television,

"I always love coming to France, and it's great to be in Cannes and I'm really ***ing nervous right now" (translated for more sensitive Gallic ears as "I feel really VERY nervous").




And well she might have been - "nervous" that is. Because she could have taken her cue from the production team.

You see there had apparently been something of a cock-up in the distribution of the winning envelopes.

Indeed while Perry had also been nominated and would later go on (rightly) to collect the prize in the best international album category for "One of the boys", it was in fact Rihanna who should have been on stage at that moment to collect the gong for best song.

The two awards followed each other in the evening's schedule and in a joint statement issued afterwards by TF1 and the national music radio station NRJ, the muddle was put down to a "simple human error."

"The two envelopes, as in the case of all those carrying the names of the other winners had been verified and sealed beforehand," read the statement.

"We apologise to both Rihanna and Katy Perry for the mistake, as well as the whole of the public."

Viewers might not have made the (dis)connection at the time between Perry receiving the award to the music of Rihanna, as in the time honoured tradition of events broadcast live "the show went on".

It wasn't until the closing minutes that the presenter, Nikos Aliagas announced that there had been an error and that Rihanna had in fact won.

Whoops.

The awards, organised annually, are based on the votes of the public in a poll carried out on NRJ's website in the weeks prior to the ceremony.