Paris

Paris (UK: /ˈpærɪs/ PARR-iss; US: ⁱ/ˈpɛərɪs/ PAIR-iss; French: [paʁi]) is the capital and most populous city of France. Situated on the Seine River, in the north of the country, it is in the centre of the Île-de-France region, also known as the région parisienne, "Paris Region". The City of Paris has an area of 105 km² (41 mi²) and a population of 2,241,346 (2014 estimate) within its administrative borders essentially unchanged since 1860.

Since the 19th century, the built-up area of Paris has grown far beyond its administrative borders; together with its suburbs, the whole agglomeration has a population of 10,550,350 (Jan. 2012 census).Paris' metropolitan area spans most of the Paris region and has a population of 12,341,418 (Jan. 2012 census), or one-fifth of the population of France. The administrative region covers 12,012 km² (4,638 mi²), with approximately 12 million inhabitants as of 2014, and has its own regional council and president.

Paris was founded in the 3rd century BC by a Celtic people called the Parisii, who gave the city its name. By the 12th century, Paris was the largest city in the western world, a prosperous trading centre, and the home of the University of Paris, one of the first in Europe. In the 18th century, it was the centre stage for the French Revolution, and became an important centre of finance, commerce, fashion, science, and the arts, a position it still retains today.

Joëlle Ursull

Joëlle Ursull is a French singer of Guadeloupean origins.

She performed "White and Black Blues", composed by Serge Gainsbourg, in the Eurovision Song Contest 1990 of May 5, 1990. She won 132 points and was second, behind "Insieme: 1992" by Toto Cutugno. The single was a hit in France, where it peaked at #2 and remained charted for 26 weeks.

Previously, Ursull was a member of the trio Zouk Machine. Alone, she released the albums Miyel and Black French.

Biography

Early life

Joëlle Ursull was born on November 9, 1960 in Pointe-à-Pitre. She was elected Miss Morne-à-l'Eau before becoming Miss Guadeloupe in 1979. Ursull worked as a television actress in a sitcom produced by RFO. Later, she embarked on a modelling career before forming the group Zouk Machine. Among her influences are the Caribbean Zouk, Biguine, Reggae, Ragga, Quadrille, Salsa, and Merengue.

The creation of Zouk Machine

Zouk Machine was created by Guy Houllier and Yves Honore. They called Joëlle Ursull who is a friend of the family, Christiane Obydol who is the sister of Guy Houllier and Lisette Obydol who was called "Mama Zouk" and manager of the group at the time. She was one of three founding members of the group. The group won a great success from the release of their eponymous first album. In 1988, Ursull left the group attempted a career as a soloist.

White and Black: Crimes of Color

White and Black: Crimes of Color is a Canadian documentary directed by Jean-François Méan. Broadcast throughout Tanzania in 2010, it portrays the discrimination, hardships and stigmatisation endured by persons with albinism in Tanzania.

Its premiere in Dar es Salaam was inaugurated by Tanzania's Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda. After its broadcast, the murder rate of persons with albinism in Tanzania, which had been stable for three straight years, dramatically decreased (90%). The film became the cornerstone of Pamoko: a multimedia awareness campaign to end trade for albino body parts in Tanzania. It included notable Tanzanian artists: K-sher, Fid Q, Bi Chau and King Majuto.

Synopsis

Since 2007, Tanzania a murder wave of persons with albinism has swept the country to fuel an illicit trade in their body parts. Vicky Ntetema, a BBC Swahili radio journalist decides to investigate this trade and expose the roots of the beliefs that fuel it.

She follows the fate of the survivors of the attacks: two young girls and one young boy with albinism who have narrowly escaped their murderers and have been displaced as a result. Their only refuge: a school for the blind where no one can see their lack of pigmentation.

Zouk Machine

Zouk Machine is an all-female compas or zouk group from Guadeloupe which had several hits particularly in France, such as the summer number-one single on French SNEP Singles Chart "Maldòn (la musique dans la peau)", in 1990 that sold over 1 million copies well more than any others Antillean band, even Kassav.

History

Founded in 1986 by the members of Experience 7, Guy Houllier and Yves Honore, and composed by three Guadeloupians (Joëlle Ursull, Christiane Obydol, Dominique Zorobabel), the group knew very soon the success from his first album Sové Lanmou (composed by Guy Houllier and Yves Honoré, who are respectively Christiane Obydol's brother and brother-in-law). Joëlle Ursull left the group and proceeded to a solo career, culminating in second place in the 1990 Eurovision performing "White and Black Blues", composed by Serge Gainsbourg and Sylvain Augier.

In the early 1990s, Jane Fostin (came from a large musical family in Guadeloupe) was recruited to continue the musical adventure.

White and Black Blues

"White and Black Blues" was the French entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1990, performed in French (with some words in English) by Joëlle Ursull, from her album Black French. The song was performed fourteenth on the night of the competition. At the close of voting, it had received 132 points, tying for second place in a field of 22. "White and Black Blues" was co-written by French pop provocateur Serge Gainsbourg, who previously had composed France Gall's winning entry for Luxembourg in 1965, "Poupée de cire, poupée de son", as well as the Monegasque entry "Boum-Badaboum" for Minouche Barelli in 1967, which had finished fifth.

Background and writing

Composed by Georges Augier de Moussac with lyrics by Serge Gainsbourg, the song was originally titled "Black Lolita Blues", however Ursull, the first black woman to represent France at the Contest, declined to perform it due to the pejorative connotations of the word. The rewritten version met with her approval and has become something of a fan favourite.