Living in Nice, the French world collides with British culture because of the huge community of expatriates, which unites both countries in the south of France. At music festivals, or the annual ‘fete de la music‘, celebrated all around the country, you can find mostly British bands playing around the southern villages and towns, covering David Bowie, AC/DC, Queen, and many more iconic tunes from the 1990s. On the other hand, French songs do still make an appearance with classics such as Charles Aznavour, and Brigitte Bardot, or for a more modern twist, covers of Stromae, Mika, or even Indila.
Ironically, The Killers, especially “Human”, makes me think of my French hometown. It is a group that the French adore as they branch out to English music. My French father used to play this song all the time as I was growing up and I now assimilate it with home. My British mother was the one to bring in my French taste in music with artists such as Celine Dion, Julien Dore, Carla Bruni, and Mylene Farmer.
[The Killers] is a group that the French adore as they branch out to English music
Whenever I listen to “Ete 90” by a French group called Therapie Taxi, (a song I highly recommend), it brings me back to the Mediterranean summer, blasting music with car windows down and singing in unison over the feeling of freedom and joy during the summer holidays. Nice always plays high-energy tunes that go with the city’s vibrant colours and ambience. Tunes for the beach and the Italian coast do come in the mix with songs such as “Bella Ciao” for a real cultural mix.
Nice always plays high-energy tunes that go with the city’s vibrant colours and ambience
The French youths do listen to internationally renowned American pop music but nevertheless support young French singers who have surfaced in the last decade such as Louane, Indila, Bon Entendeur, and rappers such as PNL, Lomepal, Columbine, and many others which always bring me back to my years as a French teen. Consequently, growing up in the South of France, I was able to submerge myself in a mix of cultures and hold on to my multi-lingual background through music.
