Tourism of France: entertainment

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Thursday, April 7, 2016

France Cinema

Paris can justifiably claim to be the world’s capital of film appreciation. With more than 370 screens within the city limits, distributed among over 100 movie theatres and multiplexes, a fabulous cornucopia of movies are screened, both brand-new and classic. Although American movies dominate the market, virtually every filmmaking industry in the world has found a niche in the city’s art houses. Theaters change their programs on Wednesdays. The cheapest practical guides to what’s on are Pariscope and L’Officiel des Spectacles with complete theater listings and timetables for some

300 movies. Movies shown in subtitled original language versions are coded “VO” (version originale); dubbed movies are coded “VF” (version française). The Fête du Cinéma is held for three days in June. The system is that you pay full price for one movie and then every movie seen subsequently in any theater on that day costs around two euros. Film buffs think nothing of taking in six or seven screenings in one day.

MOVEMENTS IN CINEMA

Paris was the cradle of the cinematograph over 100 years ago, when Auguste and Louis Lumière invented the early film projector. Their screening of L’Arrivée dun Train en Gare de La Ciotat (Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station) in Paris in 1895 is considered by many to mark the birth of the medium. The French reverence for movies as a true art form is based on a theory of one of the world’s first film critics, Ricciotto Canudo, an Italian intellectual living in France, who dubbed cinematography “the Seventh Art” in 1922. The title holds true even today. The city was of course also the incubator of that very Parisian vanguard movement, the new wave, when film directors such as Claude Chabrol, François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, and Eric Rohmer in the late 1950s and early 60s revolutionized the way movies were made and perceived. The exploration of existential themes, the use of long tracking shots, and the rejection of studios for outside locations are some of the characteristics of New Wave film. In 2001, the success of Amélie revitalized the Parisian moviemaking scene; many of its locations are easy to spot as you walk around town. The same is true of The Da Vinci Code, also featuring Amelie star Audrey Tautou.

MOVIE ZONES

Most Paris movie theaters are concentrated in several movie belts, which enjoy the added appeal of nearby restaurants and shops.

The Champs-Elysées remains the densest theater strip in town, where you can see the latest Hollywood smash hit or French auteur triumph, as well as some classic reissues, in subtitled original language versions. Theaters in the Grands Boulevards, in the vicinity of the Opéra de Paris Garnier, show movies in both subtitled and dubbed versions.

The Place de Clichy is the last Parisian stronghold of Pathé, which operates no fewer than 13 screens there, all showing dubbed versions. A major hub of Right Bank movie activity is in the Forum des

Halles shopping mall.

The Left Bank, historically associated with the city’s intellectual life, remains the center of the art and repertory cinemas. Yet, it has equally as many of the latest block busters. Since the 1980s, many

theaters in the Latin Quarter have closed down and the main area for Left Bank

theaters is now the Odéon-St- Germain-des-Prés area. The Rue Champollion is an exception. It has enjoyed a revival as a mini-district for art and repertory movies.

Farther to the south, Montparnasse remains a lively district of new movies in both dubbed and subtitled prints.

BIG SCREENS AND

PICTURE PALACES Among surviving landmark theaters are two Grands Boulevards venues, the 2,800-seat Le Grand Rex with its

Baroque decor, and the Max

Linder Panorama, which was

refurbished by a group of

independent movie buffs in

the 1980s for both popular

and art film programming.

The massive new 14-screen

MK2 Bibliothèque theater

(plus bar, stores, and exhibit-

ion space), recently opened

up in the revitalized 13th

arrondissement and just across

the river, the Bercy movie

complex is worth a visit too.

In the Cité des Sciences et

de l’Industrie at La Villette,

scientific movies are shown at

La Géode (see p237). This has

a hemispheric screen (once

the world’s largest) and an

“omnimax” projector which

uses 70-mm film shot horizon-

tally to project an image

which is nine times larger

than the standard 35-mm

print. Along the Canal St-

Martin, MK2’s twin theater

complexes – Quai de la Loire

and Quai de la Seine – are

linked by a canal boat.

REVIVAL AND

REPERTORY HOUSES

Each week, more than 150

titles representing the best of

world cinema can be seen. For

old Hollywood movies, the

independent Grand Action

mini-chain can’t be beaten.

Other active and thoughtful

repertory and reissue venues

include the excellent Reflets

Médicis screens in the Rue

Champollion and the Pagode.

The latter is particularly

striking: the Oriental pagoda

was constructed in 1895 and

has been recently renovated. Studio 28 in Montmartre is a

lovely old movie house with

lights in the theater designed

by Jean Cocteau and a

charming garden bar full of

fairy lights and kitsch cut-outs

of old movie stars. Opened in

the 1920s, Studio 28 claims to

be the first ever avant-garde

theater and once played host

to film greats such as Luis

Buñuel and Abel Gance. They

screen everything from the

latest releases through to Fellini

festivals and documentary

shows. There are at least ten

films screened here each

week, including art-house

classics and pre-releases. The

theater also holds regular

debates with well-known

directors and actors. Another

Parisian institution, Studio

Galande has shown the

Rocky Horror Picture Show to

costumed movie-goers every

Friday night for over 20 years.

CINÉMATHÈQUE

FRANÇAISE

The private “school” of the

New Wave generation, this

famous film archive and

repertory theater was created

by Henri Langlois in 1936

(see p200). It has lost its

monopoly on classic film

screenings, but it is still a

must for cinephiles in search

of that movie film no longer

in theatrical circulation or,

perhaps, recently restored or

rescued. The association is

now housed at 51 Rue de

Bercy in a wonderfully

futuristic-looking building

The sail-like façade has given

the building its nickname:

“dancer revealing her tutu.”

The movie library has more

than 18,000 digitalized

movies, and there are enough

exhibitions, projections,

lectures, and workshops

to satisfy the appetite of

any film enthusiast. For those

interested in the building’s

architecture there are tours on

the first Sunday of each month.

NON-THEATRICAL

VENUES

In addition to the Ciné-

mathèque Française, film

programs and festivals are integral parts of two highly

popular Paris cultural

institutions, the Musée

d’Orsay (see pp144–5) and

the Pompidou Center (see

pp110 –11) with its two

screening rooms. The Musée

d’Orsay regularly schedules

film programs to complement

current art exhibitions and is

usually restricted to silent

films. The Pompidou Center

organizes vast month-long

retrospectives, devoted to

national film industries and

on occasion to some of the

major companies.

Finally, the Forum des

Images (see p109) in the

heart of Les Halles is a

hi-tech film and video library

with a vast selection of films

and documentaries featuring

the city of Paris from the late

19th century to the present

day. The archives here are

amazing and include news-

reels and advertisements

featuring Paris alongside the

feature films and documen-

taries. The Forum has three

theaters, all of which run

daily screenings of feature

films. One ticket allows the

visitor access to both the

video library and to the

theater screenings. The

screenings are frequently

grouped according to theme

or director, making it possible

to spend several hours enjoy-

ing a mini-retrospective. See

website for details.

TICKET PRICES

Expect to pay around €9

at first-run venues or even

more for films of unusual

length or special media

attention. However, exhibitors

practice a wide array of

collective discount incentives,

including cut-rate admissions

for students, the unemployed,

the elderly, veterans, and

large families. Wednesday

is discount day for everybody

at some theaters – prices are

slashed to as low as €4.

France’s three exhibition

giants, Gaumont, UGC,

and MK2, also sell special

discount cards and accept

credit card reservations for

their flagship houses, while

repertory houses issue

“fidelity” cards.

MOVIES WITH STRONG

IMAGES OF PARIS

Historical Paris

(studio-made)

An Italian Straw Hat

(René Clair, 1927)

Sous les toits de Paris

(René Clair, 1930)

Les Misérables

(Raymond Bernard, 1934)

Hôtel du Nord

(Marcel Carné, 1937)

Les Enfants du Paradis

(Marcel Carné, 1945)

Casque d’Or

(Jacques Becker, 1952)

La Traversée de Paris

(Claude Autant-Lara, 1956)

Playtime

(Jacques Tati, 1967)

New Wave Paris

(location-made)

Breathless

(Jean-Luc Godard, 1959)

Les 400 coups

(François Truffaut, 1959)

Documentary Paris

Paris 1900

(Nicole Vedrès, 1948)

La Seine a rencontré Paris

(Joris Ivans, 1957)

Paris as seen by

Hollywood

Seventh Heaven

(Frank Borzage, 1927)

Camille

(George Cukor, 1936)

An American in Paris

(Vincente Minnelli, 1951)

Gigi

(Vincente Minnelli, 1958)

Irma La Douce

(Billy Wilder, 1963)

Paris when it Sizzles

(Richard Quine, 1964)

Frantic

(Roman Polanski, 1988)

French Kiss

(Lawrence Kasdan, 1995)

The Ninth Gate

(Roman Polanski, 1999)

Moulin Rouge

(Baz Luhrmann, 2001)

The Bourne Identity

(Doug Liman, 2002)

Le Divorce

(James Ivory, 2003)

Before Sunset

(Richard Linklater, 2004)

Film Festivals

Film festivals are a way of life for Parisian movie buffs.

There are several major events each year and lots of

small themed festivals happening at any given time

around the city. The annual Paris Film Festival, held at

the end of March, may be dwarfed by its glitzier sister

in Cannes, but the capital’s version is a far friendlier

event for the public to attend – and there are still more

than enough opportunities to spot celebrities.

OPEN-AIR FESTIVALS

There are several outdoor

cinema festivals throughout

the summer, including the

Festival Silhouette which

shows short films in the

lovely Buttes Chaumont (see

p234), the Cinéma au Clair

du Lune festival, which has

projections of films at Parisian

sites which are relevant to the movie and Le Cinéma en

Plein Air, which draws crowds

to a lawn in La Villette (see

pp236-7), where a giant

inflatable screen shows old

and contemporary classics.

This is one of the summer’s

Night Clubs in France

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Night Clubs in France

The club scene in Paris is now somewhat under siege as government legislation on noise levels slightly hampers establishments’ modus operandi. The city council is waging war on noise pollution and while this suits those with neighbors who possess large stereos, it’s bad news for people who like to dance till dawn. They carry on regardless, albeit with fewer decibels, and you will still find every type of sound (and a great deal of creativity) on the club scene. There are clubs to suit every taste and it’s worth noting that bouncers often treat foreign would-be entrants preferentially, so be sure to stand proud, ditch the attempts at French and speak English when you get near the door. The English website www.gogoparis.com reviews some of the capital’s trendiest establishments. Alternatively, read the posters at the Bastille metro station or listen to Radio NOVA 101.5 FM, which gives details of the night’s best raves. Flyers advertising what’s on at which clubs can be found on café, bar, and shop counters. Popular night time options for the more mature set include ballroom dancing and visits to suave piano bars. If you’re wondering about what to wear, the smart side of the smart-casual approach is usually the safest bet. Attire for nightclubs varies; for upscale venues be sure to put your designer-labeled best foot forward, while more relaxed ones will accept an urban look, but generally, tracksuits, jeans, and sneakers are definite no-nos.

MAINSTREAM

A vast yet convivial venue, Le Bataclan is a showcase for current bands. After the show on Saturday nights, it becomes one of the best nightclubs in Paris, legendary for its varied mouth-watering choice of funk, soul, and new jack swing.

Barrio Latino occupies three floors of a building designed by Gustav Eiffel. It combines Latin music with great cocktails and tapas served from trolleys by roaming staff. Dancers can perfect their moves at the Sunday salsa classes. The expensive Le Baron attracts a select crowd, and plays host to ultra-fashionable party producers. Linked to the Alcazar, which is a fashionable Terence Conran bar and restaurant very popular with a pre-club crowd, WAGG just next door is a wonderful spot for some uninhibited dancing. WAGG is unpretentious although the door staff are discriminating, and the disco and soul played in the stone cellars make for a great night out.

Les Bains-Douches, a former Turkish bath, may have lost some of its glitterati appeal but it is still a place to go to see and be seen. Its upstairs restaurant, now serving Thai food, is a popular place for private dinner parties. This is the place to be, so book a table for dinner if you’re concerned about gaining entry and getting a much-coveted seat. The dance floor is tiny and music is mainly house, with 1970s and 80s disco on Mondays, and R&B on Wednesdays. Gay night is Café con Leche on Sundays. Legendary promoters and Parisian nightowls David and Cathy Guetta left Les Bains a while ago and took some of their regulars with them, but the club is still a flash place to be and there is always the possibility of spotting a film star. A mix of ages and trends frequent the Rex Club.

Despite the essentially conservative nature of the clientele, the music on different nights ranges from glam rock and house to “exotique” – funk, reggae, and world music. Sounds are mainly rock and roll at the smart and non-ageist Zed Club. The vast La Loco caters to mainstream tastes most nights, with rock, house, groove, and dance music each occupying a different floor.

Utterly unpretentious, Club Med World is the place to go for 1980s classics and unselfconscious dancing.

EXCLUSIVE

Being rich, beautiful, and famous may not be enough to get you into Castel’s, but it could help. It is a strictly private club and the happy few who make it, dine in one of two very good restaurants before heading down to the dance floor. Regine’s is mostly full of besuited executives and wealthy foreigners who dine and dance to the easy-listening music. However, it is now enjoying something of a renaissance, especially on ladies nights, when a trained physiognomist picks out only the best looking women to come in for a girls-own session for a few hours, complete with male strip show. Predictably, when the doors open to men later in the evening, it becomes one of Paris’s top nightspots for seeing and being seen.

The wood-paneled, cozy Ritz Club in the legendary Ritz hotel is open only to members and hotel guests, though the chic and elegant are welcome. The ambience is upscale and the music makes for easy listening. A younger, glamorous set have recently begun to make the Ritz Club their home, attracted, no doubt, by its old-fashioned star quality.

Le World Place is one of the city’s hippest places to see and be seen in. The smooth and stylish decor sets off the expensive tans sported by the jetsetters, supermodels, and film stars who come here. Booking a table at the expensive, but decent, Lobster Café restaurant is a good way to ensure access. Equally posh, Le VIP is populated by wannabes attracted by the name. Private parties are often held here, so it’s a good idea to call ahead.

Showcase is the latest event on Paris’s night-scene with over 32,000 sq ft of space below the Pont

Alexandre III. It triples as a bar, nightclub, and concert hall. Another extremely upscale spot is L’Etoile situated near the Arc deTriomphe. Be prepared to make the effort to look your best (and most-solvent) to get in here.

The most popular of the posh clubs and the most laid-back and friendly once you’re inside, is Le Cab (formerly known as Cabaret). The interior has recently been redesigned by Ora Ito, and today, anybody who’s any-body comes here to dance like crazy or lay back and take it all in on one of the

sumptuous mattresses in the chillout area.

TRENDY

MadaM is known for its late-night sessions and beautiful, moneyed crowds. The music is very French, with lots of electro and disco.

An ultra-hip young crowd come to the new I Love Opera, an all-in-one restaurant, lounge and club.

The 6pm–10pm happy hour cocktails draw in the crowds.

For a top dancing night out, try the fortnightly “Bal” with live big band at the Elysée Montmartre. Here too, look out for “Return to the Source,” Goa-trance nights that come all the way from

London’s Fridge.

Paris’s trendy clubs seem to have a longer shelf-life than those in some other cities and another hip venue that’s still going strong is Le Gibus which offers different dance styles throughout the week. Check the flyers to pick your own style of party.

The Batofar, the scarlet lighthouse ship moored on the Seine in the 13th arrondissement, is now a mainstay of the Paris club scene. The music here varies from underground techno to reggae depending on the night of the week, but the crowd are always friendly and relaxed. In the summer, try not to miss their wonderfully chilled-out afternoon sessions on the quayside.

The Nouveau Casino behind the ever trendy Café Charbon in Oberkampf pulls in an eclectic crowd for events varying from dub to air-guitar competitions.

Newcomer Le Social Club has made an impressive mark on the Paris club scene with both its mixed programming and excellent live music agenda.

Old-timer La Flèche d’Or also offers an eclectic array of concerts, DJ nights, and concept evenings. Whilst if it’s just a large dance floor that’s needed, then Mix Club should suffice.

WORLD MUSIC

Le Cabaret Sauvage entertains a chic crowd under a big-top. Its eclectic program includes jazz,

African sounds, and drum ‘n’ bass. Le Casbah is exclusive, jazzy and one of the best established venues on the Paris club scene. Its African-Middle Eastern decor has always been a magnet for models and trendies who, in between dances, do a little nocturnal shopping in the club’s downstairs boutique. Le Casbah is at present deservedly enjoying something of a renaissance of its former “chicest of the chic” reputation.

If your nervous system responds favorably to the heaving rhythms and throbbing beat of authentic

Latin music, you should head for La Java, which combines glorious sounds with the quaint appeal of a Belleville dance hall. Barrio Latino definitely is the place to go for salsa with soul. Mood on the other hand, is a more upscale venue on the Champs-Elysées with a distinctive Japanese theme. Other lively world musicand rock nights are held at Satellit’ Café and La Maroquinerie, which attract

big stars. The latter also houses a restaurant and literary café.

GAY AND LESBIAN

The gay scene in Paris is thriving. Le Queen boasts a great line-up of DJs. Monday is disco night, Friday and Saturday are garage and soul and the rest of the week is drum and bass and house.

Some of the raunchier events are men-only. Girls should go with pretty boys.

Some nights at La Loco draw in a gay crowd. Le Champmeslé, one of the most venerable fixtures of Paris’s ever more upfront and confident lesbian scene, continues to evolve and attract a new clientele. Le Tango is a converted dance hall that features a wacky crowd, Madonna, and accordion music.

For a pre-club venue, lesbian bar Le Troisième Lieu is the hippest and busiest.

Le Day Off is a favorite haunt for afterwork drinks.

Scream is the gay night at the Elysée Montmartre. Le Depôt is rumored to be one of the most fun gay clubs in Paris, with a much-talked about backroom. Their Gay Tea Dance, held every Sunday, is legendary.

ADMISSION CHARGES

Some clubs are strictly private, others have a more generous admission policy. Prices can range from €12 to €15 or €30, or more, and may be higher after midnight and on week-ends. But quite often there are concessions for women. In general, one drink (une consommation) is included in the club’s entry price; thereafter it can become an extremely expensive evening.

France Sports and Fitness

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France Sports and Fitness

There is no end of sports activities in Paris. Certain events such as the Roland Garros tennis tournament and the Tour de France bicycle race are national institutions. The only drawback is that many of the facilities are on the outskirts of the city.

For details regarding all sporting events in and around Paris contact Paris’s tourist office. The weekly entertainment guides L’Officiel des Spectacles, Pariscope, and the Wednesday edition of Le Figaro also have good listings of the week’s sports events. For in-depth sports coverage there is the daily paper L’Equipe.

OUTDOOR SPORTS

The annual Tour de France bicycle race finishes in July in Paris to city-wide frenzy, when the French president awards the coveted maillot jaune (yellow jersey) to the winner. For over twenty years now the final stage of the tour has taken place on the Champs-Elysées with the riders racing up the famous avenue. Traffic across the city grinds to a halt and sports fans and couch potatoes alike flock to cheer on the cyclists.

Finding a spot to watch can be extremely tough, it’s best to hunt down your spot several hours before the riders are expected.

For those brave enough to cycle through the city traffic, bikes may be rented through-out Paris, including at Vélo Paris in Montmartre and at around 1,500 locations across the city with the self-service Vélib’ scheme. Buy a one- or seven-day card at any bike parking station and for just €1

a day you can ride around Paris for 30 minutes. An additional fee must be paid after this at a rate of €1 for the next 30 minutes, €2 for another 30 minutes and thereafter at €4 for every additional 30 minutes. The Fédération Française de Cyclotourisme in the Rue Louis Bertrand provides information on over 300 cycling clubs around Paris.

Things are gradually improving for those who favor pedal power; the city council shuts down some of the quaysides on Sundays and national holidays to allow cyclists freewheeling next to the Seine. The city has also undertaken a program of expansion for its cycle lanes.

Be aware though that Paris traffic is heavy and Parisian drivers not especially two-wheel friendly. Those who can’t wait for the quais along the Seine to be closed on Sundays should head over to the Bois de Vincennes or the Bois de Boulogne for a leisurely bike ride through the woods. The more ambitious can pick up a copy of the free Paris à Vélo map from a tourist office to find details of all the city’s cycle lanes. If you’d prefer to take an organized cycle tour through the city, there are several organizations who run fun trips. Fat Tire Bike Tours in the Rue Edgar Faure are expensive but have daily trips in spring and summer in which knowledgeable guides shepherd cyclists around the streets while imparting interesting information on the city’s landmarks. Their partner, Segway Tours, also offers guided tours on motorized scooters (over 12s only). Paris à Vélo c'est Sympa

runs multilingual tours to offbeat parts of the city.

In-line skaters can enjoy parades through the city on Friday nights. The police close off boulevards around the city allowing thousands of skate fans to join the trip every week. The parade usually starts at Place de la Bastille at 10pm, but you can join the route at any point if the whole circuit seems a little much. Contact www.pari-roller.com for details of the route. Beginners can enjoy free tuition prior to the departure of the parade if they arrive at the start point at 8pm.

There are many good outlets in the city for in-line skate rental. The parade’s website provides useful links to recommended outlets. As a safety precaution the trip is cancelled if the weather is inclement and the roads wet.

Parisians enjoy Sunday afternoon boating in the Bois de Vincennes, the Bois de Boulogne, and the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont. Just line up to hire a boat.

All the golf courses are outside Paris. Many areprivate clubs, but some will admit non-members – for further information contact the Fédération Française du Golf in the Rue Anatole-France. Otherwise try the Golf de Chevry, Golf de Villeray, Golf de St-Quentin en Yvelines, or the Golf de Villennes.

Expect to pay at least €25 each time you want to play.

You can go horse-riding in both the Bois de Boulogne and the Bois de Vincennes.

For details, contact the Comité Departemental d’Equitation de Paris in the Rue Laugier.

Tennis can be played at municipal courts such as the Tennis Luxembourg in the Jardin du Luxembourg. Courts are available every day on a first-come first-served basis.

Tennis de la Faluère in the Bois de Vincennes has some of the better courts, but these must be booked at least 24 hours in advance.

INDOOR SPORTS

There are plenty of gyms in Paris that you can use with a day pass. Expect to pay €20 or more, depending on the facilities.

Club Med Gym is a well-equipped, popular chain of gyms with more than twenty sites in Paris and the suburbs.

Good choices include the branches in Rue de Berri and Rue de Rennes. Club Jean de Beauvais in the Rue Jean de Beauvais, is a state-of-the-art gym with personalized fitness programs. The Ken Club on

Avenue President Kennedy is an upscale gym complete with pool and sauna in the chic 16th arrondissement. Its proximity next to a major radio studio means French media personalities are often to be found there working out on their lunch break. In theory the Ritz Gym, which has the finest indoor swimming pool in Paris, is for guests or members only, but if the hotel is not too

full you can buy a day pass. Ice-skating is a cheap pastime and can be enjoyed year-round at the Patinoire d’Asnières-sur-Seine located on Boulevard Pierre de Coubertin.

Squash can be played at Squash Club Quartier Latin in the Rue de Pontoise, where options also include billiards, gym, and a sauna. Other good clubs include the Squash Montmartre and the

Jeu de Paume et de Squash.

SPECTATOR SPORTS

A day out at the races is a chance to see the rich in all their finery. The world-famous Prix de l’Arc de

Triomphe is held at the Hippodrome de Long champ in the Bois de Boulogne on the first Sunday in October.

More flat racing takes place at the Hippodrome de St-Cloud and Maisons-Laffitte, which are a short drive west of central Paris. For steeple-chasing go to the Hippodrome d’Auteuil in the Bois de

Boulogne. The Hippodrome de Vincennes on Route de la Ferne hosts the trotting races.

For detailed information on all of these, consult France Galop by phone or check their website.

The 24-hour car race at Le Mans, 115 miles (185 km) southwest of Paris, is one of the best-known road races in the world. It takes place every year in mid-June. Contact the Automobile Club de

l’Ouest for details. The Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy sports stadium in Boulevard Bercy is the venue for a vast range of events, including the Paris tennis open, the six-day cycling race, show jumping, world-class martial arts demonstrations, and tournaments in everything from figure

skating to handball, and major rock concerts.

Parc des Princes can hold 50,000 people. It is home to the main Paris soccer team, Paris St-Germain, and hosts the rugby internationals.

The colossal Stade deFrance is a major venue for soccer, rugby, and music concerts. Sports fans can go on a behind-the-scenes tour.

The Stade Roland Garros in Avenue Gordon-Bennett is famous for its international tennis tournament. From late

May to mid-June everyone lives and breathes tennis. Business meetings are transferred from

the conference room to the stadium. Apply for tickets several months ahead. Don’t miss a trip to the stadium’s excellent museum of tennis featuring everything from prototype rackets to a Bjorn Bjorg headband. Also, be sure to book a table at one of the swanky restaurants here, which are transformed into a place to see and be seen during the tournament. Tennis fans should also be sure to catch the mens’ masters series at the Palais Omnisports de Paris Bercy in November and the womens’ Open Gaz de France tournament, which takes place at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin on Avenue Georges Lafont, in March.

SWIMMING

There is a massive aquatic fun park, known as Aquaboulevard, in south Paris. Besides an exotic artificial beach, swimming pools, water toboggans, and rapids, there are tennis and squash courts, golf, bowling, table tennis, billiards, a gym, bars, and shops.

Of the many municipal swimming pools, one of the best is the piscine des Halles in Place de la Rotonde, with an Olympic-sized swimming pool in the underground shopping complex. For a lovely 1930s mosaic decor with two levels of private changing cabins, a whirlpool, sauna, and water

jets, go to the Piscine Pontoise-Quartier Latin. This complex also has a small gym overlooking the pool, where fitness fans can pump a little iron before taking a dip. The Piscine Henry de Montherlant

is part of a municipal sports complex that includes tennis courts and a gym. The beautiful Art Nouveau pool in the Butte aux Cailles is a treat for serious swimmers and sunbathers.

A decent-sized indoor pool is perfect for laps while the two outdoor swimming areas are great for lounging. The villagey atmosphere of the surrounding area only serves to reinforce the feeling of

relaxing on holiday miles away from the city. The Piscine Josephine Baker near the Bibliothèque F. Mitterand is a pleasing addition which floats on the Seine. In the summer the rooftop terrace is

a good spot for sunbathing.

Some of the smarter hotels and gyms also have their own pools. It is possible to buy a day pass to the chic Sofitel Paris Club Med Gym in the Rue Louis Armand and have access to their 15-meter pool. Similarly at the Novotel Tour Eiffel, non-guests are welcomed to their health club and pool which

has a retractable roof for swimming under the sun in spring and summer. It is important to note that all municipal pools and some private ones insist that bathers wear swimming caps and that male swimmers wear swimming trunks rather than baggy shorts.

MISCELLANEOUS

Baseball, fencing, jogging in the parks, volleyball, windsurfing at La Villette, and bowling are just some of the other sports activities that can be enjoyed during your stay.

Fishing on the Seine is fast becoming a popular pastime with Parisiens. Due to a clean-up operation the Seine is now home to a variety of freshwater fish.

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Rock, Jazz, and World Music France

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Rock, Jazz, and World Music

Music lovers will find every imaginable form of music in Paris and its environs, from international pop stars in major venues to buskers of varying degrees of talent in the metro. There’s a hugevariety of styles on offer, with reggae, hip-hop, world music, blues, folk, rock, and jazz – Paris is said to be second only to New York in the number of jazz clubs and jazz recordings and there is always an excellent selection of bands and solo performers.
On the summer solstice (June 21) each year, the Fête de la Musique takes place, when anyone can play any form of music, anywhere, without a license, and when the whole city parties all night. Ears may be assailed by a heavy metal rock band or lulled by an accordionist playing traditional French songs.
For complete listings of what’s happening, buy Pariscope (published every Wednesday) at any kiosk.
For jazz fans there’s the monthly Jazz magazine for schedules and in-depth reviews.

MAJOR VENUES
The top international acts are often at the enormous arenas: Palais Omnisports at Bercy, Stade de France at St-Denis or the Zénith. Other venues such as the legendary chanson center of the universe, the Olympia, or the Grand Rex (also a cinema), have assigned seating and a more intimate atmosphere.
They host everyone from bewigged and cosmetically enhanced iconic first ladies of country to acid jazz stars.

ROCK AND POP
Until recently, Paris’s indigenous rock groups (Les Négresses Vertes are probably the best-known, and are still going strong) drew foreign attention precisely because they were French.
For too long, Paris pop meant Johnny Hallyday and insipid covers of US and UK hits, or
Serge Gainsbourg and his brand of faintly naughty decadence. Paris rock traditionally (and deservedly) attracted either patronizing praise or outright mockery.
That is no longer the case. The international success of the groups Daft Punk and Air and the contribution to the music scene of producer, songwriter, and musician Bertrand Burgalat have led to a growth in confidence in the local music scene. The phrase French Touch often describes hip producers, writers or singers, now in demand all over the world. Banlieue- (suburb-) based rap, rai, and reggae no longer sound like French versions of imported forms, instead they now have their own identity.
There is no shortage of gigs. The latest bands usually play at La Cigale and its downstairs den of din,
La Boule Noire, the Divan du Monde, and the Elysée-Montmartre, while the Bataclan and the Rex club are the best places for R&B.
The Olympia is the city’s most famous rock venue, attracting top acts. Many nightclubs also double up as live music venues.

JAZZ
Paris is still jazz-crazy. Many American musicians have made the French capital their home because of its receptive atmosphere. All styles, from free-form to Dixieland and swing, and even hip-hop-jazz crossover, are on offer. Clubs range from quasi-concert halls to piano bars and pub-like venues. One of the most popular places, though not the most comfortable, is the New Morning. It’s hot and the table service can be a little erratic, but all the great jazz musicians continue to perform here, as they have in the past. Arrive early to ensure a good seat. Le Duc des Lombards is a lively jazz club in Les Halles, which also features salsa.
Many jazz clubs are also cafés, bars or restaurants. The latter includes the intimate Autour de Midi...et Minuit in Monmartre, with its vaulted “cave.” Dining might not be a requirement, but it’s always wise to check first.
Other hotspots are Le Petit Journal Montparnasse for modern jazz, Le Petit Journal St-Michel for Dixieland, and the Sunset. A trendy crowd is drawn to La Belle Villoise’s jazz brunches in Ménilmontant. Caveau de la Huchette looks like the archetypal jazz joint, but today it favors swing and big-band music, and is popular with students.
The Caveau des Oubliettes has a growing reputation for cutting-edge jazz.
For a change, try the local talent at small, friendly bars such as the less expensive Bistrot d’Eustache and super cool La Flêche d’Or, set in an old railroad station. The Jazz-Club Lionel Hampton in the
Méridien hotel is a well-respected venue which features Sunday jazz brunch.
On the other side of town, the renovated Trabendo has an intriguing mix of up-and-comers and down-and-outers.
Paris does not neglect blues fans either. The Quai du Blues is the best-known haunt, hosting concerts by established performers.
Paris has two international jazz festivals in summer: the Paris Jazz Festival which is the mainstay of the summer calendar, and the Jazz à la Villette in July, with films on jazz, debates, and discussions and boeufs (jam sessions).

WORLD MUSIC
With its large populations from West Africa and the countries of the Maghreb, the Antilles, and Latin America, Paris is a natural centre for world music. The Chapelle des Lombards has played host to top acts; it also has jazz, salsa, and Brazilian music. Aux Trois Maillets is a medieval cellar with everything from blues to tango and rock and roll covers, while Kibélé is a great place for North African sounds. Many jazz clubs intersperse their programs with ethnic music. These include New Morning, which also has shown with South American artists, and Baiser Salé, for popular acts including Makossa, Kassav, Malavoi, and Manu Dibango. World music in a stunning setting can be found at the Institut du Monde Arabe, a wonderful architectural feat which draws stars from the Arab music world to its concert hall.

TICKET PRICES
Prices at jazz clubs can be steep, and there may be a cover charge of over €15 at the door, which usually includes the first drink. If there is no cover charge, the drinks will be expensive and at least one must be bought.
Tickets can be bought from FNAC outlets and Virgin Megastore, or directly from venue box offices and at the door of the clubs themselves.

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