Album Review

I listened to a recording from the Smithsonian Folkways Recordings website (www.folways.si.edu). The album is entitled the “24 Best-Loved French Folk Songs”. I chose this album because I feel like it is a purchase that will enlighten me, but also be very useful. I am very interested in the French culture and am inspired to learn more about their society and language. I was intrigued when I viewed the song list to this album to see if any American folk songs have stemmed from or even resemble these loved French songs. I was correct with this assumption when I listened to track 3 “Frere Jacques” also known as “Brother James”. In track number 11, there were thirty seconds of only instrumental that sounded almost exactly like the American folk song, “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”. It was very interesting to listen to the different accents and styles. There were several different styles of songs on the album. Track 15 “Il pleut Bergere” was similar to a lullaby, where as number 16 “La tour prends garde” sounded more like a march. There were a few tracks that I really did enjoy. “Savez-vous planter les choux” was very funny, a song about planting cabbage; it made me laugh that this song was included in an album dedicated to France’s most loved folk songs. I also enjoyed “Ah! Mon beau chateau!” It reminded me of any American sing-a-long song because of the echo effect displayed by the singers.

All in all, I benefitted from hearing the different language and accents presented in the songs, but the styles were fairly familiar because of American folk songs that resemblance them.

This post was in response to my Second Encounter Project.