{{taxobox |name = Rue |image = Ruta chalepensis11.jpg |image_caption = Fringed Rue |regnum = Plantae |unranked_divisio = Angiosperms |unranked_classis = Eudicots |unranked_ordo = Rosids |ordo = Sapindales |familia = Rutaceae |subfamilia = Rutoideae |tribus = Ruteae |genus = ''Ruta'' |subdivision_ranks = Species |subdivision = Between 8–40 species, including: ''Ruta angustifolia''—Egyptian Rue ''Ruta chalepensis''—Fringed Rue ''Ruta corsica''—Corsican Rue ''Ruta graveolens''—Common Rue ''Ruta montana''—Mountain Rue |}}

Rue (''Ruta'') is a genus of strongly scented evergreen subshrubs 20–60 cm tall, in the family Rutaceae, native to the Mediterranean region, Macaronesia and southwest Asia. There are perhaps 8 to 40 species in the genus. A well-known species is the Common Rue.

The leaves are bipinnate or tripinnate, with a feathery appearance, and green to strongly glaucous blue-green in colour. The flowers are yellow, with 4–5 petals, about 1 cm diameter, and borne in cymes. The fruit is a 4–5 lobed capsule, containing numerous seeds.

It is very bitter. It was used extensively in Middle Eastern cuisine in olden days, as well as in many ancient Roman recipes (according to Apicius), and it is still used in northern Africa. In Italy rue leaves are sometimes added to grappa to obtain ''grappa alla ruta''.

Medicinal uses

According to ''The Oxford Book of Health Foods'', extracts from rue have been used to treat eyestrain, sore eyes, and as an insect repellent. Rue has been used internally as an antispasmodic, as a treatment for menstrual problems, as an abortifacient, and as a sedative.

Precautions

Caution should be taken with using rue topically. Applied to the skin with sun exposure, the oil and leaves can cause blistering. Some people are much more sensitive than others.

Literary references

Rue is mentioned in the Bible, Luke 11.42: "But woe unto you, Pharisees! For ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs".

Rue is well known for its symbolic meaning of regret and it is sometimes been called "herb-of-grace" in literary works. It is one of the flowers distributed by the mad Ophelia in William Shakespeare's ''Hamlet'' (IV.5):

:"There's fennel for you, and columbines: :there's rue for you; and here's some for me: :we may call it herb-grace o' Sundays: :O you must wear your rue with a difference..."

It was also planted by the gardener in Shakespeare's ''Richard II'' to mark the spot where the Queen wept upon hearing news of Richard's capture (III.4.104–105):

:"Here did she fall a tear, here in this place :I'll set a bank of rue, sour herb of grace."

Rue is considered a national herb of Lithuania and it is the most frequently referred herb in Lithuanian folk songs, as an attribute of young girls, associated with virginity and maidenhood.

In mythology, the basilisk, whose breath could cause plants to wilt and stones to crack, had no effect on rue. Weasels who were bitten by the basilisk would retreat and eat rue in order to recover and return to fight.

In the novel ''The Hunger Games'', the female tribute from District 11 is named Rue.

The Tacuinum Sanitatis, a medieval handbook on wellness, lists these properties of rue:

''Nature:'' Warm and dry in the third degree.

''Optimum:'' That which is grown near a fig tree.

''Usefulness:'' It sharpens the eyesight and dissipates flatulence.

''Dangers:'' It augments the sperm and dampens the desire for coitus.

''Neutralization of the Dangers:'' With foods that multiply the sperm.

In ''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'', Ron has to take essence of rue for a couple of weeks while recovering from the poisoned oak-matured mead he drank in Professor Slughorn's office.

Songs associated with rue

"Chervona Ruta" (Червона Рута—"Red Rue")—a song, written by Volodymyr Ivasyuk, a popular Ukrainian poet and composer. Pop singer Sofia Rotaru performed the song in 1971. Recently Rotaru performed in a rap arrangement.

The progressive metal band Symphony X named a song "Absinthe and Rue" on their first album, ''Symphony X'', and Kathleen Battle, American soprano, has recorded the song cycle "Honey and Rue" written by composer Andre Previn in collaboration with the Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison.

Many traditional English folk songs use rue to symbolise regret. Often it is paired with thyme: thyme used to symbolise virginity, and rue the regret supposed to follow its loss.

"''Una Matica de Ruda''" is a traditional Sephardic wedding song, dating back to the Middle Ages.

See also

Harmal (''Peganum harmala''), an unrelated plant also known as "Syrian rue"

References

Category:Herbs Category:Medicinal plants

ar:سذاب ca:Ruda es:Ruta (planta) eo:Ruto fa:سداب fr:Ruta hsb:Ruta io:Ruto la:Ruta lt:Rūta pl:Ruta pt:Ruta ru:Рута sv:Vinrutesläktet zh:�香�

La Fonky Family (often shortened to La Fonky, or La FF) are a French hip hop group from Marseille. They are composed of four rappers, Le Rat Luciano, Menzo, Don Choa and Sat, the producer Pone, DJ Djel, the dancer Blaze, the singer Karima, Flex (fetus) Nandell, and manager Fafa.

Fonky Family made their first appearance on the French hip hop scene in 1994, after IAM had paved the way for new hip hop artists originating from Marseille. In 1995, they appeared in the song titled ''Les Bad Boys de Marseille'' on ''Métèque et mat'', the first solo album by IAM's Akhenaton. Their first album, ''Si Dieu veut'', came out in 1997 and soon received a gold album. After the release of the album, Karima left the group.

In 1998, the group were invited to collaborate with Akhenaton on the soundtrack of Luc Besson's film ''Taxi''. The film became a huge success and its soundtrack topped the French charts. After numerous collaborations with different members of IAM on their solo albums, the group released an extended play (EP) record with six live and edited titles, titled ''Hors série volume 1'', in spring 1999. ''Hors série volume 2'' was released in 2000.

Their second album, ''Art de rue'', came out in 2001. After that, many members of the group chose to pursue solo careers: Le Rat Luciano had already released a solo album in 2000, and Sat and Don Choa followed in 2001 and 2002 respectively. DJ Djel produced two compilations in 2001 and 2003.

In January 2006, Fonky Family released their third album ''Marginale Musique'' (Jive/Sony BMG), which debuted on the French charts straight at number one.

Fonky Family have a global music publishing deal with BMG Music Publishing.

Fonky Family's track "La Furie et la Foi" was used as the soundtrack for French skateboarder JB Gillet's part in the film "Rodney Vs Daewon Round II".

Discography

1998 : ''Si Dieu Veut...''

1999 : ''Hors Série Volume 1''

2001 : ''Art 2 Rue''

2001 : ''Hors Série Volume 2''

2006 : ''Marginale Musique''

External links

Fonky Family - Official site

Fonky Family at MCM.net

Fonky Family Biography at Radio France International

Category:French hip hop groups Category:French musicians Category:People from Marseille Category:Marseille culture

de:Fonky Family es:Fonky Family fr:Fonky Family it:Fonky Family nl:Fonky Family ja:フォンキー・ファミリー ru:Fonky Family

name	Suzanne Collins
birth date	1962
birth place	Connecticut
occupation	Television scriptwriter, Novelist
nationality	United States
genre	FantasyScience fictionChildrenYoung adultSuspenseAction
website	http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/ }}

Suzanne Collins is an American television writer and author.

Career

Collins's career began in 1991 as a writer for children's television shows. She worked on several television shows for Nickelodeon, including ''Clarissa Explains It All'', ''The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo'', ''Little Bear'', and ''Oswald''. She was also the head writer for Scholastic Entertainment's ''Clifford's Puppy Days''. She received a Writers Guild of America nomination in animation for co-writing the critically acclaimed Christmas special, ''Santa, Baby!''

After meeting children's author James Proimos while working on the Kids' WB show ''Generation O!'', Collins was inspired to write children's books herself. Her inspiration for ''Gregor the Overlander'', the first book of ''The New York Times'' best selling series ''The Underland Chronicles'', came from ''Alice in Wonderland'', when she was thinking about how one was more likely to fall down a manhole than a rabbit hole, and would find something other than a tea party. Between 2003 and 2007 she wrote the five books of the ''Underland Chronicles'': ''Gregor the Overlander'', ''Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane'', ''Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods'', ''Gregor and the Marks of Secret'', and ''Gregor and the Code of Claw''. During that time, Collins also wrote a rhyming picture book illustrated by Mike Lester entitled ''When Charlie McButton Lost Power'' (2005).

In September 2008 Scholastic Press released the ''The Hunger Games'', the first book of a new trilogy by Collins. ''The Hunger Games'' was partly inspired by the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. Another inspiration was her father's career in the Air Force, which allowed her to better understand poverty, starvation, and the effects of war. This was followed by the novel's sequel, ''Catching Fire'', in September 2009. The third book of the trilogy, ''Mockingjay'', came out on August 24, 2010. In just 14 months, 1.5 million copies of the first two ''Hunger Games'' books were printed in North America alone. ''The Hunger Games'' has been on the ''New York Times'' Best Seller list for more than 60 weeks in a row. Collins was named one of ''Time'' magazine's most influential people of 2010.

Personal life

Suzanne Collins was the daughter of an Air Force officer. Collins now lives in Connecticut with her husband, their two children, and two adopted feral kittens. She earned her M.F.A. from New York University in Dramatic Writing.

Publications

;''The Underland Chronicles'' # ''Gregor the Overlander'' (2003) # ''Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane'' (2004) # ''Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods'' (2005) # ''Gregor and the Marks of Secret'' (2006) # ''Gregor and the Code of Claw'' (2007)

;''The Hunger Games'' trilogy # ''The Hunger Games'' (2008) # ''Catching Fire'' (2009) # ''Mockingjay'' (2010)

;Other books

''Fire Proof: Shelby Woo #11'' (1999)

''When Charlie McButton Lost Power'' (2005)

''The Hunger Games'' film adaptation

Lions Gate Entertainment has acquired worldwide distribution rights to a film adaptation of ''The Hunger Games'', which will be produced by Nina Jacobson's Color Force production company. Collins will adapt the novel for film herself. The film will be directed by Gary Ross. Ross plans to start filming in late spring 2011. On March 16, 2011 it was announced that Jennifer Lawrence landed the coveted role of Katniss. On April 4, 2011, Lionsgate announced that Peeta will be played by Josh Hutcherson and Gale will be played by Liam Hemsworth.

Awards

2011 - California Young Reader Medal 2010 - Georgia Peach Book Awards for Teen Readers ''Publishers Weekly's Best Books of the Year: Children's Fiction'' ''An American Library Association Top 10 Best Books For Young Adult Selection'' ''An ALA Notable Children's Book'' ''2008 CYBIL Award--Fantasy and Science Fiction'' ''KIRKUS Best Young Adult Book of 2008'' ''A Horn Book Fanfare'' ''School Library Journal Best Books of 2008'' ''A Book List Editor's Choice, 2008'' ''NY Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing'' ''2004 NAIBA Children's Novel Award'' ''2006 ALSC Notable Children's Recording (audio version)''

References

External links

Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:American children's writers Category:Writers from Connecticut Category:The Hunger Games Category:New York University alumni

ar:سوزان كولنز cs:Suzanne Collinsová de:Suzanne Collins es:Suzanne Collins fr:Suzanne Collins hu:Suzanne Collins no:Suzanne Collins pl:Suzanne Collins ru:Ð?оллинз, СьÑ?зен simple:Suzanne Collins fi:Suzanne Collins tr:Suzanne Collins uk:СÑ?занна Ð?оллінз

Name	Yann Tiersen
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Yann Pierre Tiersen
Born	June 23, 1970
Origin	Brest, Brittany, France
Instrument	Piano, Violin, Accordion, Guitar, Toy piano, Voice and various others.
Genre	Minimalist, Avant-Garde,
Occupation	Musician, Songwriter
Years active	1995–present
Label	VirginANTI-Mute Records
Website	Official website }}

Yann Tiersen (born 23 June 1970) is a musician from France. His musical career is split between studio albums, collaborations and film soundtracks with a distinctive sound that is ever evolving. It can be recognized by its use of a large variety of instruments; primarily the guitar, synthesizer or violin together with instruments like the melodica, xylophone, toy piano, harpsichord, accordion and typewriter. Tiersen is often mistaken as a composer of soundtracks, himself saying "I'm not a composer and I really don't have a classical background," but his real focus is on touring and studio albums which just happen to often be suitable for film; his most famous soundtrack for the film Amélie was primarily made up of tracks taken from his first studio albums.

Biography

Tiersen was born in Brittany, France, in 1970 and received classical training at several musical academies, including those in Rennes, Nantes, and Boulogne. In the early 1980s as a teenager he was influenced by the post-punk culture of bands like The Stooges and Joy Division. He has Belgian and Norwegian origins.

Before releasing scores under his own name, Tiersen recorded background music for a number of plays and short films, such as ''La Vie Rêvée des Anges'' (1998, Erick Zonca), ''Alice et Martin'' (1998, André Téchiné), ''Qui Plume la Lune?'' (Christine Carrière, 1999).

He rose to domestic fame upon the release of his third album, ''Le Phare'', but remained relatively unknown outside France until the release of his score for the film ''Amélie'' in 2001, which was a mixture of both new and previously released material.

Tiersen favors the piano, accordion, and violin, but is also known for his experimentation and use of obscure and found instruments like the ondes martenot and the typewriter.

Yann Tiersen's list of collaborators continues to grow album after album (see discography below for details). While composing his fifth album, ''L'absente'', Tiersen lent his musical talent to Françoiz Breut and Les Têtes Raides for their own albums. His 2005 album, ''Les Retrouvailles'', featured vocals from Stuart Staples of Tindersticks, Jane Birkin, and Elizabeth Fraser, formerly of Cocteau Twins. Tiersen also played piano on Staples' solo album, ''Lucky Dog Recordings 03-04''. In 2004 he also released a collaborative CD with American singer-songwriter Shannon Wright.

His live performances vary greatly. Sometimes he is accompanied by an orchestra and many guest collaborators, like Dominique A. Other times, he offers the more frequent minimalistic sessions, usually accompanied only by a drummer/bassist and a guitarist, with Tiersen switching seamlessly between piano, accordion, and violin for his lighter songs, and electric guitar for his louder pieces (where his Avant-Garde Music meet some rock sonorities). Lately, however, he has almost banished piano, accordion and violin and focused more on his electric guitar instead, as visible in his 2009-2010 Live Tours.

Yann Tiersen was married to Belgian actress Natacha Régnier, but they have since been divorced. They have a daughter, Lise born in 2002.

''Dust Lane'' 2010

October 2010 saw the release of Tiersen’s sixth studio album titled ''Dust Lane''. The album was two years in the making and was largely recorded in Ushant, France. Further parts were recorded in the Philippines. The album is preoccupied with mortality; during the recording sessions Tiersen lost his mother and a close friend. The recordings started out as simple song based tracks with Tiersen playing acoustic guitar, mandolin and bouzouki. New layers were added to the recordings creating a more complex sound. Then an array of vintage synthesisers and electric guitars were added to create further textures. The album was released by Mute Records in Europe and Anti- Records in the US. The record was promoted in a tour beginning in October 2010, starting in New York. Tiersen has been chosen by Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel to perform at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival that he will curate in December 2011 in Minehead, England.

Discography

Studio albums

''La Valse des Monstres'' (1995)

''Rue des Cascades'' (1996)

*featured performer: Claire Pichet.

''Le Phare'' (1998)

*featured performers: Claire Pichet, Dominique A.

''L'Absente'' (2001)

*featured performers: orchestral group Synaxis, Lisa Germano, Sacha Toorop, Dominique A, Neil Hannon, Natacha Régnier, Têtes Raides

''Les Retrouvailles'' (2005)

*featured performers: Stuart Staples of Tindersticks, Jane Birkin, Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins, Christophe Miossec, Dominique A.

''Dust Lane'' (2010)

''Skyline (album)'' (TBA)

Soundtracks

''Amélie Original Soundtrack'' (2001)

''Good Bye Lenin! Original Soundtrack'' (2003)

*featured performer: Claire Pichet.

''Tabarly'' (2008)

Live albums

''Black Session: Yann Tiersen'' (1999)

*Black Session radio performance

*featured performers: Neil Hannon (of The Divine Comedy), Bertrand Cantat (of Noir Désir), Françoiz Breut, The Married Monk, Têtes Raides and a string quartet.

''C’était ici'' (2002)

*live compilation album

*featured performers: 35-member orchestral group Synaxis, conducted by Guillaume Bourgogne. Claire Pichet, Christine Ott, Christian Quermalet, Marc Sens, Nicholas Stevens, Jean-François Assy, Renaud Lhoest, Oliver Tilkin, Ronan le bars, Têtes Raides, Dominique A, Lisa Germano.

''On Tour'' (2006)

*featured performers: Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins , Diam's , Katel, DD la Fleur

Singles and EPs

''Tout est Calme'' (1999)

*collaboration with The Married Monk

*other featured performers: the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Lisa Germano, Neil Hannon (of The Divine Comedy), Dominique A, Françoiz Breut, Têtes Raides, Sacha Toorop (of Zop Hopop), the actress Natacha Regnier, Christian Quermalet (of The Married Monk), Marc Sens (a Serge Tessot-Gay collaborator), Christine Ott and a string quartet.

''3 titres inédits au profit de la FIDH'' (part of the ''On Aime, On Aide'' collection, composed to raise funds for the FIDH, sold exclusively at Fnac) (2003)

''PALESTINE'' (vinyl EP) (2010)

Collaborations

''Bästard'' (EP) (1999)

*collaboration with Bästard

''Yann Tiersen & Shannon Wright'' (2004)

*collaboration with Shannon Wright.

''This Immortal Coil'' (2010)

Contributions

''One Trip, One Noise'' (by Noir Désir) (1997)

*"A ton étoile" (arrangements, strings, vibraphone, bell, mandolin, electric guitar and bass)

''Vingt à Trente Mille Jours'' (by Françoiz Breut) (2000)

*"Porsmouth" (vibraphone), "Vingt à trente mille jours" (vibraphone), "L'heure bleue" (violin), "Le verre pilé" (vibraphone); arrangements

''Gratte-poil'' (by Têtes Raides) (2001)

*"Cabaret des nues" (violin)

''The Married Monk'' (by The Married Monk) (2001)

*"Roma Amor" (strings, vibraphone), "Holidays" (strings) and "Cyro's Request" (vibraphone)

''Les oiseaux de passage (tribute to Georges Brassens)

*cover of "Le parapluie" with Natacha Régnier

''Absent Friends'' (by The Divine Comedy) (2004)

*"Sticks & Stones" (accordion); "Anthem for Bored Youth" (accordion), a track appearing only on the French limited edition

''The Endless Rise of the Sun'' (by Smooth) (2006)

*"The Endless Rise of the Sun" (keyboards)

''Raides à la ville'' (by Katel) (2006)

*"La Vielle" (violin)

''13m²'' (by David Delabrosse) (2006)

*production and arrangements

''Solitude Nomade'' (by Christine Ott) (2009)

*"Pensées sauvages" (violin)

''Finistérien'' (by Miossec) (2009)

*music and arrangements

''Li(f)e'' (by Sage Francis) (2010)

*production and arrangements on "The Best Of Times"

DVDs

''La Traversée'' (2005) (by Aurélie du Boys, about the recording and composition of ''Les Retrouvailles'' in Ouessant)

''On Tour'' (2006) (by Aurélie du Boys, about the tour)

References

External links

Yann Tiersen's official homepage

Yann Tiersen Sheet Music Archive compiled by Vladimir Yatsina

Concert photos by Laurent Orseau (Black Session)

Concert photos by Laurent Orseau (La Route du Rock 1998)

Music Video for La Noyée from the ''Amelie'' soundtrack

Music Video for Comptine d'un autre été: l'après midi from the ''Amelie'' soundtrack

Article on Yann Tiersen at Everything2.com

Article on Yann Tiersen and piano at Scribd

Yann Tiersen in Lebanon Event Review

Red Alert - Live Review

Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:French musicians Category:Breton musicians Category:French film score composers Category:Anti-Zionism Category:Antisemitism in France Category:French people of Belgian descent Category:French people of Dutch descent Category:French people of Norwegian descent Category:People from Brest, France

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name	Édith Piaf
background	solo_singer
birth name	Édith Giovanna Gassion
alias	La Môme Piaf(''The Little Sparrow'')
born	December 19, 1915Belleville, Paris, France
died	Plascassier, France
instrument	Voice
genre	CabaretTorch songsChanson
occupation	Singer, songwriter, actress
years active	1935–1963
label	Pathé Records, Pathé-Marconi
associated acts	}}

Édith Piaf (, ; ; 1915–1963), born Édith Giovanna Gassion, was a French singer and cultural icon who became widely regarded as France's greatest popular singer. Her singing reflected her life, with her specialty being ballads. Among her songs are "La Vie en rose" (1946), "Non, je ne regrette rien" (1960), "Hymne à l'amour" (1949), "Milord" (1959), "La Foule" (1957), "l'Accordéoniste" (1955), and "Padam... Padam..." (1951).

Early life

Despite numerous biographies, much of Piaf's life is shrouded in mystery. She was born Édith Giovanna Gassion in Belleville, Paris. Legend has it that she was born on the pavement of ''Rue de Belleville 72'', but her birth certificate cites the Hôpital Tenon, the hospital for the 20th arrondissement of which Belleville is part.

She was named Edith after the World War I British nurse Edith Cavell, who was executed for helping French soldiers escape from German captivity. Piaf—an ''argot'' colloquialism for "sparrow"—was a nickname she would receive 20 years later.

Her mother, Annetta Giovanna Maillard (1895–1945), was of French descent on her father's side and of Italian and Berber origin on her mother's. She was a native of Livorno, a port city on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. She worked as a café singer under the name ''Line Marsa''.

Louis-Alphonse Gassion (1881–1944), Édith's father, was a Norman street acrobat with a past in the theatre. Édith's parents soon abandoned her, and she lived for a short time with her maternal grandmother, Emma (Aïcha) Saïd ben Mohammed (1876–1930). Before he enlisted with the French Army in 1916 to fight in World War I, her father took her to his mother, who ran a brothel in Normandy. There, prostitutes helped look after Piaf.

From the age of three to seven, Piaf was allegedly blind as a result of keratitis. According to one of her biographies, she recovered her sight after her grandmother's prostitutes pooled money to send her on a pilgrimage honoring ''Sainte Thérèse de Lisieux'', which the author claims resulted in a miraculous healing.

In 1929, at 14, she joined her father in his acrobatic street performances all over France, where she first sang in public.

She took a room at Grand Hôtel de Clermont (18 rue Veron, Paris 18ème) and separated from him, going her own way as a street singer in Pigalle, Ménilmontant, and the Paris suburbs (cf. the song "''Elle fréquentait la Rue Pigalle''").

She joined her friend Simone Berteaut ("Mômone") in this endeavor, and the two became lifelong partners in mischief. She was about 16 when she fell in love with Louis Dupont, a delivery boy.

At 17, she had her only child, a girl named Marcelle, who died of meningitis at age two. Like her mother, Piaf found it difficult to care for a child while living a life of the streets, so she often left Marcelle behind while she was away, and Dupont raised her until her death.

Singing career

In 1935 Piaf was discovered in the Pigalle area of Paris by nightclub owner Louis Leplée, whose club ''Le Gerny'' off the Champs-Élysées was frequented by the upper and lower classes alike. He persuaded her to sing despite her extreme nervousness, which, combined with her height of only , inspired him to give her the nickname that would stay with her for the rest of her life and serve as her stage name, ''La Môme Piaf'' (''Parigot'' translatable as "The Waif Sparrow", "The Little Sparrow", or "Kid Sparrow"). Leplée taught her the basics of stage presence and told her to wear a black dress, later to become her trademark apparel. Leplée ran an intense publicity campaign leading up to her opening night, attracting the presence of many celebrities, including actor Maurice Chevalier. Her nightclub gigs led to her first two records produced that same year, with one of them penned by Marguerite Monnot, a collaborator throughout Piaf's life.

On 6 April 1936, Leplée was murdered and Piaf was questioned and accused as an accessory, but was acquitted. Leplée had been killed by mobsters with previous ties to Piaf. A barrage of negative media attention now threatened her career. To rehabilitate her image, she recruited Raymond Asso, with whom she would become romantically involved. He changed her stage name to "Édith Piaf", barred undesirable acquaintances from seeing her, and commissioned Monnot to write songs that reflected or alluded to Piaf's previous life on the streets.

In 1940, Édith co-starred in Jean Cocteau's successful one-act play ''Le Bel Indifférent''. She began forming friendships with prominent people, including Chevalier and poet Jacques Borgeat. She wrote the lyrics of many of her songs and collaborated with composers on the tunes. In 1944, she discovered Yves Montand in Paris, made him part of her act, and became his mentor and lover. Within a year, he became one of the most famous singers in France, and she broke off their relationship when he had become almost as popular as she was.

During this time she was in great demand and very successful in Paris as France's most popular entertainer. After the war, she became known internationally, touring Europe, the United States, and South America. In Paris, she gave Atahualpa Yupanqui (Héctor Roberto Chavero)—the most important Argentine musician of folklore—the opportunity to share the scene, making his debut in July 1950. She helped launch the career of Charles Aznavour in the early 1950s, taking him on tour with her in France and the United States and recording some of his songs. At first she met with little success with U.S. audiences, who regarded her as downcast. After a glowing review by a prominent New York critic, however, her popularity grew, to the point where she eventually appeared on ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' eight times and at Carnegie Hall twice (1956 and 1957).

Édith Piaf's signature song "La vie en rose" was written in 1945 and was voted a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1998.

Bruno Coquatrix's famous Paris Olympia music hall is where Piaf achieved lasting fame, giving several series of concerts at the hall, the most famous venue in Paris, between January 1955 and October 1962. Excerpts from five of these concerts (1955, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962) were issued on record and CD and have never been out of print. The 1961 concerts were promised by Piaf in an effort to save the venue from bankruptcy and where she debuted her song "Non, je ne regrette rien". In April 1963, Piaf recorded her last song, "L'homme de Berlin".

World War II

During World War II, she was a frequent performer at German Forces social gatherings in occupied France, and many considered her a traitor; following the war she stated that she had been working for the French Resistance. While there is no evidence of this, it does seem to be true that she was instrumental in helping a number of individuals (including at least one Jew) escape Nazi persecution. Throughout it all, she remained a national and international favorite. Piaf dated a Jewish pianist during this time and co-wrote a subtle protest song with Monnot. According to one story, singing for high-ranking Germans at the ''One Two Two Club'' earned Piaf the right to pose for photographs with French prisoners of war, to boost their morale. The Frenchmen were supposedly able to cut out their photos and use them as forged passport photos.

Personal life

The love of Piaf's life, the married boxer Marcel Cerdan, died in a plane crash in October 1949, while flying from Paris to New York City to meet her. Cerdan's Air France flight, flown on a Lockheed Constellation, went down in the Azores, killing everyone on board, including noted violinist Ginette Neveu. Piaf and Cerdan's affair made international headlines, as Cerdan was the former middleweight champion of the world and a legend in France in his own right.

In 1951, Piaf was seriously injured in a car crash along with Charles Aznavour, breaking her arm and two ribs, and thereafter had serious difficulties arising from morphine and alcohol addictions. Two more near fatal car crashes exacerbated the situation. Jacques Pills, a singer, took her into rehabilitation on three different occasions to no avail.

Piaf married Jacques Pills in 1952 (her matron of honour was Marlene Dietrich) and divorced him in 1956. In 1962, she wed Théo Sarapo (Theophanis Lamboukas), a Greek hairdresser-turned-singer and actor who was 20 years her junior. The couple sang together in some of her last engagements.

Death and legacy

Piaf died of liver cancer aged 47 at Plascassier, on the French Riviera, on 11 October 1963 (according to some, 10 October in Paris). She had been drifting in and out of consciousness for several months. It is said that Sarapo drove her body back to Paris secretly so that fans would think she had died in her hometown. She is buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris next to her daughter Marcelle, where her grave is among the most visited.

Although she was denied a funeral mass by the Roman Catholic archbishop of Paris because of her lifestyle, her funeral procession drew tens of thousands of mourners onto the streets of Paris and the ceremony at the cemetery was attended by more than 100,000 fans. Charles Aznavour recalled that Piaf's funeral procession was the only time since the end of World War II that he saw Parisian traffic come to a complete stop.

In Paris, a two-room museum is dedicated to her, the Musée Édith Piaf (5 rue Crespin du Gast).

In popular culture

Films

The film ''Piaf'' (1974) depicted her early years, and starred Brigitte Ariel, with early Piaf songs performed by Betty Mars.

Piaf's relationship with Cerdan was also depicted in film by Claude Lelouch in the movie ''Édith et Marcel'' (1983), with Marcel Cerdan Jr. in the role of his father and Évelyne Bouix portraying Piaf.

''Piaf...Her Story...Her Songs'' (2003) is a film starring Raquel Bitton in her performance tribute to Edith Piaf. Bitton performs Piaf's most famous songs and describes her tempestuous life. Woven into the filmed concert is a luncheon in Paris, hosted by Bitton, in which some of Piaf's composers, friends, lovers, and family share their memories. These include Michel Rivgauche and Francis Lai, two of Piaf's composers, as well as Marcel Cerdan, Jr., son of the boxing champion who was her greatest love.

''La Vie en rose'' (2007), a film about her life directed by Olivier Dahan, debuted at the Berlin Film Festival in February 2007. Titled ''La Môme'' in France, the film stars Marion Cotillard in the role that won her the Academy Award for Best Actress (Oscar), as Piaf. Dahan's film follows Piaf's life from early childhood to her death in 1963. David Bret's 1988 biography, ''Piaf, A Passionate Life'', was re-released by JR Books to coincide with the film's release.

Plays

''Piaf'' (1978), by Pam Gems

''Piaf Piaf'' (1988), by Juha Siltanen and Jorma Uotinen

''The Sparrow and the Birdman'' By Raquel Bitton (1999)

''Edith and Simone'' (2000 and 2006), by Ronny Verheyen

''Pure Piaf'' (2006), by Alex Ryer

''No Regrets'' (2009), by Scotti Sween (TheatreVision/Off-Off-Broadway)

''Piaf de Musical'' (1999 and 2009), a Dutch musical

''Edith, het legendarische verhaal van Edith Piaf''(2009), by Yves Caspar

Other

The minor planet of 3772 Piaf, discovered by Soviet astronomer Lyudmila Karachkina in 1982, is named after her.

Songs

;1925

;1933

;1934

;1935

;1936 (from the movie ''La Garçonne'')

;1937

;1938

;1939

;1940

;1941 (from the movie ''Montmartre-sur-Seine'')

;1942 (from the movie ''Montmartre-sur-Seine'')

;1943 (from the movie ''Montmartre-sur-Seine'')

;1944

;1945

;1946 (with Les Compagnons de la chanson) (with Les Compagnons de la Chanson) (with Les Compagnons de la Chanson) (with Les Compagnons de la Chanson)

;1947 (from the movie ''Neuf Garçons, Un Cœur'') (from the movie ''Neuf Garçons, Un Cœur'')

;1948

;1949 (from the movie ''L'Homme aux Mains d'Argile'')

;1950

Hymn to Love

Autumn Leaves

The Three Bells

Simply a Waltz

(English version)

;1951 (with Eddie Constantine) (with Eddie Constantine) (with M. Jiteau)

;1952 (from the movie ''Boum sur Paris'') (with Jacques Pills) (from the movie ''Boum sur Paris'')

;1953 (with Jacques Pills) (from the movie ''Boum sur Paris'')

;1954 (from the movie ''Si Versailles M'Était Conté'') (from the movie ''French Cancan'')

;1955

;1956

Heaven Have Mercy

One Little Man

'Cause I Love You

(English)

Don't Cry

I Shouldn't Care

My Lost Melody

;1957

;1958

;1959

;1960

;1961

No Regrets

;1962 (with Théo Sarapo) (with Charles Dumont) (with Mikis Theodorakis/Jacques Plante) (with Théo Sarapo)

;1963 (her last recording)

Filmography

''La garçonne'' (1936), Jean de Limur

''Montmartre-sur-Seine'' (1941), Georges Lacombe

''Étoile sans lumière'' (1946), Marcel Blistène

''Neuf garçons, un cœur'' (1947), Georges Freedland

''Si Versailles m'était conté'' (1954), Sacha Guitry

''French Cancan'' (1954), Jean Renoir

''Música de Siempre'' (1958), sang La vida en rosa, the Spanish version of "La Vie en rose".

''Les Amants de demain'' (1959), Marcel Blistène

Theatre credit

''Le Bel Indifférent'' (1940), Jean Cocteau

Discography

The following titles are compilations of Édith Piaf's songs, and not reissues of the titles released while Édith Piaf was active.

''The Voice of the Sparrow: The Very Best of Édith Piaf'', original release date: June 1991

''Édith Piaf: 30th Anniversaire'', original release date: 5 April 1994

''Édith Piaf: Her Greatest Recordings 1935–1943'', original release date: 15 July 1995

''The Early Years: 1938–1945, Vol. 3'', original release date: 15 October 1996

''Hymn to Love: All Her Greatest Songs in English'', original release date: 4 November 1996

''Gold Collection'', original release date: 9 January 1998

''The Rare Piaf 1950–1962'' (28 April 1998)

''La Vie en rose'', original release date: 26 January 1999

''Montmartre Sur Seine'' (soundtrack import), original release date: 19 September 2000

''Éternelle: The Best Of'' (29 January 2002)

''Love and Passion'' (boxed set), original release date: 8 April 2002

''The Very Best of Édith Piaf'' (import), original release date: 29 October 2002

''75 Chansons'' (Box set/import), original release date: 22 September 2005

''48 Titres Originaux'' (import), (09/01/2006)

''Édith Piaf: L'Intégrale/Complete 20 CD/413 Chansons,'' original release date: 27 February 2007

There are in excess of 80 albums of Édith Piaf's songs available on online music stores.

Édith Piaf on DVD

''Édith Piaf – A Passionate Life'' (24 May 2004)

''Édith Piaf : Eternal Hymn'' (''Éternelle, l'hymne à la môme'', Non-US Format, Pal, Region 2, import)

''Piaf – Her Story, Her Songs'' (June 2006)

''Piaf: La Môme'' (2007)

''La Vie en rose'' (biopic, 2008)

''Édith Piaf – The Perfect Concert'' and ''Piaf The Documentary'' (February 2009)

Books on Édith Piaf

''The Wheel Of Fortune: The Autobiography of Édith Piaf'' by Édith Piaf (originally written in 1958, 5 years before her death), Peter Owen Publishers; ISBN 0720612284

''Édith Piaf'', by Édith Piaf and Simone Berteaut, published January 1982; ISBN 2904106014

memoirs, written by stepsister

''The Piaf Legend'', by David Bret, Robson Books,1988.

''Piaf: A Passionate Life'', by David Bret, Robson Books, 1998, revised JR Books, 2007

"The Sparrow – Edith Piaf," chapter in ''Singers & The Song'' (pp. 23–43), by Gene Lees, Oxford University Press, 1987, insightful critique of Piaf's biography and music.

''Marlene, My Friend'', by David Bret, Robson Books, 1993. Dietrich dedicates a whole chapter to her friendship with Piaf.

''Oh! Père Lachaise'', by Jim Yates, Édition d'Amèlie 2007, ISBN 978-0-9555836-0-5. Piaf and Oscar Wilde meet in a pink tinted Parisian Purgatory.

''No Regrets. The Life of Edith Piaf'', by Carolyn Burke, Alfred A. Knopf 2011, ISBN 978-0-307-26801-3. An in depth and insightful look at Piaf's life.

Édith Piaf in contemporary music and popular media

Barbara Feldon sings Édith Piaf's "La vie en rose" in the 1966 episode of Get Smart entitled "Casablanca".

Édith Piaf is mentioned in the song "Piaf chanterait du rock" by Luc Plamondon, which was most famously recorded by Marie Carmen and Celine Dion.

The song "Edith and the Kingpin" on Joni Mitchell's 1975 album ''The Hissing of Summer Lawns'' was revealed to be about Édith Piaf in an interview with Mitchell published in the February 2008 issue of ''Mojo''.

The Elton John song "Cage the Songbird", from his 1976 ''Blue Moves'' album, is a tribute to Édith Piaf.

Édith Piaf is mentioned in the song "Chocolate Cigarette" by Tom Russell and Sylvia Tyson on Russell's 1991 album ''Hurricane Season''.

In 1996, Ari Folman released the near futuristic comedy ''Saint Clara''. In this film, Édith Piaf is repeatedly mentioned by many of the adults, who remember her seemingly from school, and prove that they are part of the leading culture, as opposed to the immigrants

In the film ''Saving Private Ryan'' (1998), Piaf's 1943 songs "C'Était Une Histoire D'Amour" and "Tu Es Partout" are central to providing a common thread of longing for loves and lives left behind in scenes between Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) and Private Ryan (Matt Damon) as well as providing a context for anecdotes from other central characters.

The song La Foule was used in the 2004 film My Summer of Love.

Martha Wainwright sings a collection of 15 songs made famous by Piaf on her album ''Sans Fusils, Ni Souliers, A Paris: Martha Wainwright's Piaf Record'', released on 24 November 2009, by MapleMusic Recordings. All songs were recorded at Dixon Place Theatre in New York City during the summer of 2009.

Japanese musician, Utada Hikaru, has covered the song Hymne à l'amour (Ai no Anthem) for her second compilation album Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 2 in 2010.

"Non, je ne regrette rien" is featured extensively in the 2010 movie Inception.

In the film ''X-Men: First Class'' (2011), the song La Vie En Rose is used.

See also

Music of France

French popular music

References

External links

Edith Piaf's songs

Genealogy of Edith Piaf, Généalogie magazine, n° 233, pp. 30–36

Category:1915 births Category:1963 deaths Category:Musicians from Paris Category:Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery Category:Cabaret singers Category:Cancer deaths in France Category:Deaths from liver cancer Category:French buskers Category:French female singers Category:French-language singers Category:French people of Italian descent Category:French people of Algerian descent Category:French pop singers Category:French Resistance members Category:Torch singers

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