The Fete de la Musique

Get yourself kitted out with a pair of dancing shoes and a good map, and follow the crowds as Parisians flood the capital for this year's Fete de la Musique. With hundreds of live acts there is definately something for everyone, however leftfield...

For 25 years now, The Fete de la Musique has let people play music in
the streets of Paris and in the last few years has become an absolutely
huge all day and all-nighter with bands on every corner and in every
bar, DJs, sound systems, huge concerts, and every style of music you
could possibly think of. It has also been adopted by other countries
throughout Europe.

The party is held every June 21st (the day of the summer solstice) and
generally starts at around 6pm. Rock acts usually play the Place de la
Republique, indie bands the Place Denfert-Rochereau, and classical
orchestras the grandiose courtyard of the Palais Royal. Hundreds of
musicians gather in the streets, bars, and cafes of Paris, giving free
performances of everything from jazz and rock to hip-hop and electronic
music.

There's so much to do see and hear that by the end of the musical
whirlwind, you may feel like your senses have been sandblasted and lost
their veneer. All of Paris will be out dancing in the streets, so it's a
good idea to have some idea of where to go and what to see, so you don't
miss too much. Or you could just wander aimlessly and savour the musical
flavours. Here are some of the highlights of this year's programme:

This year's biggie is the event at the garden of the Palais Royal where the organisers,
The Ministry of Culture are staging a bash based on this year's theme of
film music. At 8pm there's an original creation based on Nino Rota
followed by the inimitable Goran Bregovic and his orchestra at 9.30pm.

The MTV bash  Shake ton Booty, will be shaking the Place de la Sorbonne from 6 - 10.30pm, with French DJ star Cut Killer mixing between the various groups on the agenda.

The Orchestre de Paris will be playing Tchaikovsky's fourth symphony in
F minor, opus 36, under the pyramid at the Louvre from 10 - 11.30pm. The
stunning setting, together with the beautiful classical programme
promises to make this a concert to remember.

Before that, make sure you get your free tango lessons at the Marche St.
Honore from 6pm onwards, followed by a DJ jam in front of the
hairdresser's on 44 rue des Lombards, also starting at 6pm.

Melo'Men will be singing latin influenced songs a cappella at the Hotel
a'Albret, 31 rue Francs Bourgeois from 6-8pm and at bijou place Dauphine
from 8.30-10pm.

Diamonds and other classical (music) pieces will be on display at the
stately Place Vendome from 6-8pm, After that, Jazz Challengers play
classics from Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and Charlie Parker at the Cafe
l'Epoque, Passage Vero Dodat from 8pm-midnight.

The 17th arrondissement will be the place to be for electroheads - the
Bd des Batignolles is where its all happening, followed by more
electronic shenanigans at Madame Shawn, 18 rue Caffarelli, with 8
different DJs between 6pm and midnight.

If you like a good didgeridoo, get yourself down to the intimate Imprevu
Cafe at 9 rue Quincampoix from 7pm to midnight for a healthy dose of
aboriginal vibes.

International music is high on the agenda with lots of vibes of an Asian
persuasion, of which more niche performances include the Bamboo dance
and traditional Vietnamese music on the Place St Michel from 8pm till
midnight.

For a hot Latin flavour, get your salsa skirts on and shake your tush at
En La Puta, at 11.30 at the Cinema Reflet Medicis, 3 rue Champollion.
This is a dance piece that is also part of the Espagnolas en Parns -
Diffyrent ! festival, featuring Blanca Li, Miguel-Ange, Myriam Meziires,
Eric Caravaca on guitar and special guests.

At any cultural centre, church, courtyard, square, park and bar you'll
be able to hear any type of music from all around the world, from every
era, although expect quite a few dodgy rock bands for every bright young
swing thing... And at every night club, the party will be continuing
until the next morning!

Although the official programme is only in French, it is arranged by
arrondissement and pretty easy to follow, easily accessible and readily
available.

As you can imagine, with the streets heaving with music lovers, traffic
doesn't really stand a chance and the metro will be even more heaving
than during a strike, so it's better to walk around armed with a
street-map, weather permitting.

So wherever you go in Paris this weekend and whatever you end up doing,
don't miss your chance to get involved, drink up the carnival atmosphere
and enjoy more free music than you shake a (drum) stick at. Paris' Fete
de la Musique concept has proved so popular that its success has since
been exported to San Francisco and New York, as well as across Europe,
Manila, Brazil and Colombia. They obviously know when they're onto a
good thing. Put on your dancing shoes and go find out why.