The Voyageurs were the people who engaged in the transportation of furs by canoe during the fur trade era. Voyageur is a French word which literally means "traveler". This article covers the emblematic meaning of the term which applies to places (Canada and the upper Midwest of the US) and times (zenith in the 18th and early 19th centuries) where transportation was for longer distances, and this major and challenging task of the fur trading business was done by canoe and largely by French Canadians. The term in its fur trade context applied to a lesser extent to other fur trade activities (such as trading and soldiering), to those in the fur trade industry that traveled by dog sled, those engaged in fur trade travel on inland waterways in other parts of what is now the US, to the individuals who practiced it even when they were not doing so, and to individuals engaged in wilderness exploration whose involvement in fur trade was secondary to that. The emblematic meaning at the time also included being a part of a licensed, organized effort, a distinction that sets them apart from the Coureur des bois engaged in the fur trade at that time.

Serge Reggiani (2 May 1922 – 23 July 2004) was an Italian-born French singer and actor. He was born in Reggio Emilia, Italy and moved to France with his parents at the age of eight. For many years, he struggled with alcoholism, caused in part by the 1980 suicide of his son Stephan.

After acting school (Conservatoire des arts cinématographiques) he was discovered by Jean Cocteau and appeared in a wartime production of Les Parents terribles ("The Terrible Parents"). During World War II, he left Paris to join the French resistance.

His first feature film came in 1946 with his role in Les portes de la nuit ("Gates of the Night"). He later went on to perform in 80 films including Casque d'or, Les Misérables (1958),Tutti a casa, Le Doulos, Il Gattopardo, La terrazza, The Pianist (1998).

In spite of never quite reaching the peak with his acting career, he did triumph in the theatre in 1959 with his performance in Jean-Paul Sartre’s play Les Séquestrés d'Altona. In the meantime, though, in 1965 he began a second career, that of a singer (at the age of 43), with the help of Simone Signoret and her husband Yves Montand and later with great assistance of the French diva Barbara. Reggiani became one of the most acclaimed performers of French "Chanson" ("song") and although he was in his 40s, his bad-boy rugged image made him popular with both young and older listeners.

Alain Bashung (born Alain Baschung [alɛ̃ baʃuŋ]) (1 December 1947 – 14 March 2009) was a French singer, songwriter and actor.

Alain Bashung was the son of a Breton factory worker and French Kabyle father, whom he never knew. His mother remarried, and at the age of one, Bashung was sent to Strasbourg to live with his new stepfather's parents. He spent his childhood in the countryside.

A multi-platinum artist, Bashung received three awards during the ceremony at the Paris Zenith, including best male artist, best album for "Bleu Pétrole" (Barclay/Universal) and best live show. He spent his career singing a pop-chanson repertoire. With 11 trophies won since 1993, he was the most awarded artist in the history of the Victoires de la Musique. Bashung, who had cancer, had to postpone several dates of his last tour. While receiving his award, he said he hoped that record companies would "remain in a human dimension by making people happy with records."

Long beginnings

Boris Bergman

Jean Fauque

Other collaborations