Soan Faya's debut album - more than a pleasant surprise

Just five months after winning the 2009 edition of Nouvelle Star (the French version of Pop Idol), Soan Faya has released his debut album, "Tant pis".

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Even though he was undoubtedly the "enfant terrible" of the TV talent contest and the target of plenty of criticism throughout and after its run for his perceived arrogance, the album and first single will surely have many rethinking their initial impressions.

And perhaps even finding themselves liking his music.

Because it ain't half bad, and what's more is a somewhat refreshing departure from the kind of album some winners of similar talent shows in France have served up.

Soan - Putain de ballerine
par Soan-officiel

It's no syrupy, candy-coated sure-fire commercial hit, but instead autobiographical and one for which most of the tracks were written before his "adventure" and he was "full of ideas."

"If I had told my life as it is, it could have given the impression of wanting to evoke pity," he says

"I opted for a more ironic angle."

Oh yes, you might have noticed, contrary to his behaviour immediately following his win, when he refused to give interviews or cancelled them at the last moment, Soan is in full promotional mode for his album and he has been talking to the media, answering in particular criticisms that he was (and remains) big headed.

"They can say what they want," he says, adding that as far as he can tell it's mainly some within the media who haven't liked him.

"In the streets, most of the people I've met since the programme finished have always been friendly," he continues

"There are of course those who want to make me appear like an idiot, but now I try to have confidence in myself and I'm concentrating on the upcoming tour."

Apropos tour dates. After cancelled concerts immediately following his win because he "preferred not to give them just for their own sake and perhaps performing badly," the 28-year-old will be following up he release of his album and the first single, "Next Time" with a number of appearances, including Le Bataclan in Paris on February 17 next year.

Soan- Next Time HD from Mon Pauvre Ami on Vimeo.

Mother says Typhaine Taton is dead

A sad ending to the story of the five-year-old girl who "disappeared without trace" in June.

Anne-Sophie Faucheur, the mother of Typhaine Taton, a little girl who went missing in June this year, has admitted that her daughter is dead.

You might remember the case of Typhaine, the five-year-old girl who apparently vanished without trace while walking with her mother in the northern French town of Maubeuge in June.

Her disappearance made the national headlines here in France, with police questioning both Faucheur and her companion, Nicolas Willot as well as Typhaine's father, François Taton, from whom Faucheur was estranged, and searching both their homes and a lake and a river near the town.

But still there was no sign of the five-year-old and no indication of how she had "disappeared" so suddenly in broad daylight.

Faucheur even held a press conference a couple of weeks after her daughter's disappearance saying how she had panicked when she realised Typhaine was nowhere to be found and that she and Willot had questioned local shopkeepers and passers-by in desperation before reporting the girl missing.

On Monday though the 23-year-old was taken into police custody again and in the course of questioning apparently admitted that her daughter was dead.

It's still unclear as to whether Typhaine was the victim of abuse by Faucheur's companion, Willot, as some reports on national radio have suggested, or died accidentally with the couple trying to cover up exactly what had happened.

Both Faucheur and Willot are in police custody, and the search for Typhaine's body has been widened to include other towns in northern France and across the border in Belgium.

La bohème "starring" Natalie Dessay

Actually that's not quite right as the current run of Giacomo Puccini's four-act work at the Opéra Bastille in Paris came to an end on Sunday.

But for many in the audience, Natalie Dessay's presence was probably the reason for theirs, regardless of the fact that she wasn't singing the main role, and it was something of a case of "move over Mimi, Musetta's here."

There's no doubt that without really trying Dessay somewhat stole the show but at the same time without upstaging the other singers.

Quite an achievement really.



That's not to say that the main protagonists in this production weren't good: in fact they were very good.

Massimo Giardino as Rodolfo and Inva Mula as Mimi in the final performance of the run (roles they shared with Stefano Secco and Tamar Iveri) more than held their own during the first act) with moving interpretations of the star struck lovers in those arias probably everyone knows "Che gelida manina" and "Sì, mi chiamano Mimì".

And the duet "O soave fanciulla" more than lived up to expectations.

But midway through the second act the audience seemed to lean forward collectively to watch and listen more attentively as the coquettish Musetta made her entrance and Dessay charmed everyone with "Quando me n’vò".

All right so perhaps it wasn't hard work for the 44-year-old French coloratura soprano to win over an already converted public.

Quite simply put she's a star here in France. Take two. She's an international star and her success has been built not only on the quality of her voice but also her ability to act.

In that sense Musetta, although a secondary role, is exactly suited to Dessay's knack of adding the lightest of comic touches where it's needed without falling into the trap of appearing ridiculous.

Add to that the fact that in interviews Dessay always comes across as completely grounded and totally "un-diva-ish" and it's not hard to understand her popularity.

For those who might have missed her this time around in "La bohème" there'll soon be another chance to see her.

Dessay will be back at Opéra Bastille in Paris from January 25, 2010 when she'll be reprising her role of Amina in Vincenzo Bellini's "La sonnambula" - a part she sang to great critical acclaim at New York's Metropolitan Opera earlier this year.