2011 Music lineup!
Pearl Django
Celebrating more than 10 years in existence Pearl Django continues to be one of America’s busiest Hot Club style groups. Their music reaches out across the divides of taste to a wide variety of audiences.
The band’s fervent followers include Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli fans, guitar enthusiasts (and guitarists!), lovers of string music, including bluegrass devotees, who relish nimble, clean, intricate picking, “world music” fans drawn to French and Gypsy accents, plus jazz buffs and aficionados of the new swing music.
Read more about Pearl Django: www.pearldjango.com
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Filé Gumbo
Filé Gumbo played their unique blend of Louisiana musical styles on Tuesdays at the New Orleans Restaurant in Seattle’s Pioneer Square for 15 years! The group has made several recordings (see below) and has appeared with Queen Ida, Katie “Queen of the Swamp Boogie Piano” Webster, Buckwheat Zydeco and the Sundogs, as well as appearing on TV, radio and at a number of music festivals over the years. Whether it’s Rockin’ Cajun, Zydeco Soul, New Orleans Rhythm & Blues, Swamp Pop, Dixieland, Country Blues, Tex-Mex, Western Swing or other Southern idioms, Filé Gumbo makes you feel like you’re on the bayous of Southwestern Louisiana or Eastern Texas, and it’s party time!
Read more about File Gumbo : www.bluesuedenews.com
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Bonnie Birch
Bonnie began accordion lessons at the age of 7. Her primary teacher up to the age of 19 was Thorild Swanson from Stancatto School of Accordion. Thor was a classically trained musician on the piano and organ and was noted for his attention to detail and desire for perfection. With his guidance, Bonnie developed excellent technique, music reading skills, performing skills, and the appreciation of practice and patience. She was a consistent winner at the Washington Accordion Teachers competitions culminating in a trip to New York for an International competition and a performance in Carnegie Hall.
Read more about Bonnie Birch: www.bonniebirch.com
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Ranger and the Re-Arrangers
Ranger and the Re-Arrangers evoke the spirit of a Gypsy caravan with their unique twist on Gypsy jazz. Intriguing melodies played vigorously on string intruments give the band an acoustic, driving sound – their hand drummer adds a world rhythm feel. The band features outstanding jazz improvisers on violin and mandolin. Their repertoire includes early swing, Gypsy melodies, the music of Django Reinhardt plus many originals.
Read more about Ranger and the Re-Arrangers: www.rangerswings.com
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Eric John Kaiser
Eric John Kaiser, billed as “Portland’s French Troubadour,” delivers a modern pop-rock sound fusing rock, hip-hop and reggae wrapped in sophisticated French lyrics. He arrived to the creativity-soaked environs of Portland, Oregon, from his native Paris three years ago with more than 350 performances to his credit in addition to a successful career as a documentary filmmaker and Parisian radio personality. Since landing in America, he has released three full-length albums – the first, “L’Odyssée,” the second, “French Troubadour,” and the third “Portland Rendez-Vous.” Eric returns to France yearly for shows in addition to touring throughout the United States as well as Ireland, Hong Kong and Australia.
Read more about Eric John Kaiser: www.ericjohnkaiser.com/EJKEPK
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DJ Eric Lenger
Eric Lenger is a DJ whose core knowledge and passion is to share francophone music with his audience. He will be mixing a whole spectrum of different types of French and francophone pieces of music from the 1960s to the most recent French dance tunes for our festival. Eric Lenger truly takes pleasure in interacting with his audience, and he is very sensible in his choice of music depending on the public. This performance will give everyone the opportunity to dance and sing together, which is a truly French way of celebrating Bastille Day.
Note: DJ Eric Lenger will be mixing for la soirée MondExtra on Saturday, July 9 starting at 9:00 pm. Find out more about the event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=233087073382352
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Fathia et les Troubadours
Fathia Attalah is a French composer, guitarist and Jazz singer from Toulouse. She travelled with her own groups all over Europe and then, became the director of Le Centre Français Artistique et Culturel de Seattle from 1998 to 2003.
She produces a musical revue, French Cabaret on
Broadway. She sings Jazz standards as well as her own compositions in English and in French for many different audiences in Seattle. She has fans in France, Lebanon, Japan, Canada and last but not least the United States.
Her album Fathia and les Troubadours was recorded in Redmond, WA, with the participation of three other musicians: Omar Haggag, Joel Gamble and Mustapha. It is above all an “an album of uplifting traditional French music” with an Arabic influence.
Read more about Fathia et les Troubadours: http://www.fathiainseattle.com
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Pourquoi Pas
“Pourquoi Pas” offers a repertoire of French “chansons” tinged with Latin jazz and gypsy swing – a sound reminiscent of French cafés, long walks in the park, and romantic settings from Paris to Seattle.
The band features Paris-born Mireille Gotsis (guitar and vocals) and veteran Pacific Northwest fiddle-player and actor James Lucal (violin). The duo’s musical influences span the French jazz and samba songbook … in no particular order, Paris Combo, Henri Salvador, Jobim/Getz, Django/Grappelli, not to forget Cole Porter and all of the jazz greats … including original French lyrics.
Come for a taste of French café music! The band’s special blend of “bistro bossa” will you have tapping your feet through Bastille Day and beyond.
Read more about Pourquoi Pas: www.myspace.com/pourquoipasmusique
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La Famille Léger
Born of a time when family and friends would gather in the warmth of the kitchens of Québec and New Brunswick to play and dance time honoured tunes together, La Famille Léger keeps that rich tradition vitally alive. The Légers play the dancing music of French Canada – the music handed down through generations in the New World, the music of back porches and kitchen parties. Patriarch Louis Léger leads the band on the one-row melodeon (a type of button accordion), son Devon plays fiddle, Devon’s mom Barbara plays guitar and his wife, Dejah is on piano. This proudly “old school” family band will have your own family dancing and joining in on the fun.
Read more about La Famille Léger: http://www.lafamilleleger.com
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The Ave
Started in 2006 by Niki and Chris, this pop rock band has transitioned through different band members and names. In 2010 the band decided to call themselves THE AVE and recorded in Seattle with Danny VanHolebeke, creating their second EP Lift Off (released on June 21, 2010). In the summer of 2010 Chris and Matt went on a small tour through California. Their last show of the tour was an industry showcase at The Talking Stick in Venice Beach California. The band soon added a talented synth musician Reid Kenny from West Seattle Washington. The Ave is continuing to write and perform music and has since performed a whole band Benefit Concert in Los Angeles and many local shows in the greater Seattle area. Come see four teens that love to make music together, and get the show on the road!
Read more about The Ave: https://www.facebook.com/musictheave
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Hardcoretet
Hardcoretet performs music inspired by the desire of its members to write compositions with enough depth to satisfy the musically obsessed and a groove everyone can nod their head to. With years of formal jazz study and performance combined with a set of diverse influences from Robert Glasper to Pierre de Bethmann to Hermeto Pascoal, the band has built a singular sound and focuses more on group vibe and concept than on individual flash and fireworks. On stage, Hardcoretet represents a departure from your average unrehearsed solo-centric jazz.
Read more about Hardcoretet: http://hardcoretetmusic.com
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National Anthems
La Marseillaise is the national anthem of France. It was written and composed by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in 1792 and adopted in 1795 as the nation’s first anthem. It will be followed by “The Star-Spangled Banner”.
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Performers
Playing French, Steeplechase Productions
Steeplechase Productions is a Seattle based non-profit performing arts company, producing plays in French language since 2005. For the Bastille Day Festival the troop will be putting on Les Revoltés de la Bounty from the short story written by Jules Verne.
Read more about Steeplechase Productions: http://www.steeplechaseproductions.com
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Lily Verlaine
Lily Verlaine is a classical ballet dancer trained at The School of The San Francisco Ballet, Walnut Hill School, Ballet Chicago, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Steps On Broadway and other notable schools. As a solo burlesque artist and creator, she choreographed, costumed, designed and co-produced the evening-length works Through The Looking Glass: The Burlesque Alice In Wonderland (2009) and Land of The Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcracker (2006) which she toured to Chicago in the winter of 2008. As a burlesque performer, Miss Verlaine has shared stages with Dita Von Teese and other distinguished ladies of burlesque including Dirty Martini, Michelle L’Amour and Julie Atlas Muz. As a choreographer, Miss Verlaine has joyously set work upon many Seattle notables such as Indigo Blue, Kitten LaRue and Miss-ter Waxie Moon. For a number of years now Miss Verlaine has also been an educator, currently conducting twice-weekly ballet classes at The Academy of Burlesque. La Vie En Rose is the theme of the show she will perform at Bastille Day.
Read more about Lily Verlaine: http://www.lilyverlaine.com
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Presenters
Laurence Raybois
Laurence Raybois is a relocation professional providing comprehensive services for Americans wishing to live and work in France. She has been an ally, advocate, and consultant for more than a decade. She has intervened on both sides of the Atlantic and helped numerous individuals and their families become successful residents of France. Laurence is the author of “Chez Moi: The Foreigner’s Guide to Buying a Home in France,” now in its third edition. She regularly lectures, in the US and in France, on such topics as Buying a Home in France, Working in France, and Teaching English in France. As a French person who lives and works in both countries, Laurence has intimate knowledge of both cultures and systems.
Read more about Laurence Raybois Consulting: http://www.americansmovingtofrance.com
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Robert Foxcurran
Robert Foxcurran is a former Boeing employee, passionate about history, and a member of the Pacific Northwest Historians guild. His presentation is titled Washington Territory’s Tale of a Few Frenchtowns: and relocation of the metis into the backcountry and onto the reservations. The PNW Historians Guild promotes the study of history, preservation of historical resources, and publication of materials relating to Pacific Northwest history. The guild is headquartered in Seattle. Activities are focused on open monthly meetings with guest speakers; a yearly local history conference; and a yearly banquet dinner.
Read more about PNW Historians guild: http://www.pnwhistorians.org
