If there’s one song you’re unlikely to hear played in supermarkets on this side of the Channel, it’s probably You Can Leave Your Hat On… a shame, really, as it made quite the impression on me as I was queuing up to pay for my shopping at E. Leclerc!
I can only imagine the scene if it had happened at Asda… but in France, everyone simply carried on as if they’d played literally anything else. I’m sure they’d heard the song before, they just weren’t listening to – or understanding – the lyrics.
It certainly goes some way to explain why I’m so glad Les Franglaises have come along to show the French what they’re missing and remind us all how much fun can be had with languages (after all, they can be hard work as well).
This group of entertainers takes famous songs in English and performs them in French for maximum comedic effect. Think Michael Jackson, Queen, The Spice Girls and The Beach Boys… most of which never made that much sense in the first place, which is why it works so well!
Les Franglaises are a talented bunch: they sing, they dance, they act and some of them even play instruments. Two years on, I still can’t listen to Hotel California without having flashbacks to their show-stopping finale at The Bobino in Paris – it really was that good.
Who knows if they’ll ever crop up again as part of the Fête de la Musique, when I got to see their show again (this time for free)! Announced as the headline act in Clichy, they performed the same show I’d paid to see previously – as far as I could tell – and were every bit as impressive the 2nd time round!
Having announced another season of shows from September 2017 through to May 2018, I can’t wait to see what they come up with next. Tickets can be booked through their official website, where you’ll also find some video clips to whet your appetite.
Eleanor of Angleterre 