French Traditional Music on 78s

[CptBob]

Perhaps it's easier to collect things that other people aren't interested in. In 2010 I bought a damp box of 78s, before I had anything to play them on. Amongst them was one from Le Soleil label of a valse varsovienne that I happened to know. Since then I've been looking out for Le Soleil and other Trad records.

Le Soleil records in particular are interesting. The company was run by a Cabrette player from the Auvergne, Martin Cayla who also owned a record shop. It seems he was a performer on most of the records, although I haven't seen enough of them to be sure about that.

They're not an easy listen for the modern ear, and seemingly the performers don't make any concessions. What is interesting is that unlike so many of the records we have of old fiddle players and such that were tracked down by enthusiasts with recording equipment when they were in their declining years and persuaded to play - you know the sort of thing you read on record covers - "he was very reluctant to play and said he had athritis and hadn't played for thirty years, but in the end we persuaded him" - these records are of relatively young men at the height of their powers.

I've made up a short play list on youtube, which hopefully will get longer as I get more records and record the rest of the ones I have.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL ... Jww-C7Uh05

As I've said these records won't be everyone's cup of tea - probably very few, but these recordings are a little musical backwater that I'd not have been aware of without starting collecting 78s.

[Orchorsol]

Really enjoyed those Bob (being a bit of a Francophile myself) - REAL stuff - how much more authentic can one get? Especially the Soleil records. I must look out for those when I'm next in France.

[Valecnik]

Nice, You can really hear the similarity with the Louisiana Cajun folk music.

Thanks for posting.

[VintageTechnologies]

CptBob, I like those. There may not be many collectors in the States that like the traditional French music, but I'm an exception. As a Pathé collector, I have acquired some interesting stuff. I have a stack of late sapphire Pathés by Fredo Gardoni. You can't be more French than that, or can you? Want to talk about acquired tastes? How about quartets of French hunting horns?

[CptBob]

We came across a quartet (it might have been a trio) of hunting horns in a village square in Tarn & Garonne on March 1st 2008. It was a Sunday morning and it was the day after my birthday (that's why I remember the date). Natural horns playing in the open are are impressive. Sadly we turned up just as they were finishing. Funnily as you say an acquired taste.

I've only got one record by Fredo Gardoni. It came from my damp box of €4 records and it's not really in good enough condition to put on you tube. You're right, you can't get much more French than that and it's exactly that style of music that got me interested in 78s in the first place.