A Remembrance of Bastille Day with Jessye Norman

Jessye Norman
Screenshot from video

In 1989, in honor of the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution, Jessye Norman was invited to sing the French national anthem "La Marseillaise" in Paris at Place de la Concorde. Her performance was part of a grandiose celebration that was the brainchild of French designer and photographer Jean-Paul Goude. The celebration included a nocturnal parade down the Champs Elysées.

Norman's costume, which represented France's flag "Le Tricolore," was designed by Tunisian-born fashion designer Azzedine Alaïa.

To view the event, click on the video screen below:




A singer with an unusually large range in the soprano register, Norman is an Augusta, Georgia native. She fell in love with opera at a young age after hearing one broadcast on the radio, and went on to pursue formal musical studies at Howard University, the Peabody Conservatory, and the University of Michigan. She made her operatic debut in a 1969 production of Tannhaeuser at the Deutsche Oper Berlin.

Since that time, Norman has sung in scores of operas, concerts, and recitals, and has been the recipient of many honors and awards. She is an honorary fellow of Harvard and Cambridge universities, and has received honorary doctorates from, among other schools, Juilliard, Howard, Harvard and Yale. In 1990, Norman was named Honorary Ambassador to the United Nations by U.N. secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar.

Jessye Norman is held in very high esteem in France. In 1984, the French government made her a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters, and the National Museum of Natural History (Muséum National de l'Histoire Naturelle) named an orchid after her (Phalaenopsis Jessye Norman). President François Mitterand bestowed the Legion of Honor upon her in 1989.

In 1997, Norman became the youngest recipient to date of the Kennedy Center Honors, the U.S.'s most prestigious award in the performing arts. In 2009, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama.

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A Weekend in Paris

Are you traveling to Paris in 2011?  Take advantage of Discover Paris' Entrée to Black Paris™ SPECIAL OFFER for a discounted tour!  Click here to read more...

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What could be more exciting than a weekend jaunt in Paris? Here is a walking itinerary that will give you a taste of the charm and beauty of the city as well as a glimpse of the African-American history that has unfolded there.

Day 1 – Plan on an inspiring combination of sightseeing and shopping with a visit to the Louvre, the neighboring Tuileries Garden and the Champs Elysées. The Louvre Museum and its glass pyramids juxtapose the beauty of Renaissance and modern architecture, while the commercial center under the pyramids will satisfy many of your shopping impulses. While browsing here, reflect upon the fact that African-American David Harmon was charged with completing a major part of the renovations done on the Louvre during the early 1990s.

Inverted pyramid in commercial center at the Louvre
© Discover Paris!

Emerge from the commercial center to view the splendid Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel and visit the Tuileries Garden, then head for place de la Concorde.

Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel

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Jardin des Tuileries

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Once at the place, take a moment to look at the Palais Bourbon across the river – home to the French equivalent of the U.S. House of Representatives, where distinguished politicians such as Martinique’s Aimé Césaire served and French Guiana’s Christiane Taubira continues to serve. Gaze upon the Luxor obelisk, where diva Jessye Norman sang France’s national anthem in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution in 1989. Then look to the northwest corner of the square to see the Hôtel de Crillon, where Reginald Lewis launched his takeover of TLC Beatrice to become the first black billionaire in the history of the United States.

Obelisk of Luxor

© Discover Paris!

Proceed up the avenue des Champs Elysées for a look at its gardens dotted with pavilions that now serve as theaters and exclusive restaurants. Beyond the Rond Point (roundabout), the gardens give way to clubs, movie theaters and more restaurants and shopping as you approach the Arc de Triomphe.

Champs Elysées Gardens

© Discover Paris!

A detour onto avenue Montaigne will take you into the world of haute couture, where the greatest names in fashion await you. At the far end of this street is the Théâtre des Champs Elysées, where Josephine Baker and Sidney Bechet took Paris by storm in the wildly successful show La Revue Nègre in 1925.

Dior - avenue Montaigne and rue François I

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Théâtre des Champs Elysées

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Day 2 – Spend the day exploring areas frequented by famous African Americans in Paris. The 5th arrondissement (district) is home to the Sorbonne, where several conferences on African-American culture were held in the 1990s. Venues such as the Salle de la Mutualité where Malcolm X spoke and place de la Contrascarpe where Chester Himes frequented a favorite café are among many that are significant to African Americans. Plan to have lunch at an Ethiopian restaurant near the Sorbonne before taking a stroll past the bouquinistes (the book vendors along the Seine), where you might find a surprise gift for an art or literature aficionado back home. From the quay, you will have an excellent view of Notre-Dame, which so inspired Richard Wright upon his arrival in Paris in 1946.

Sorbonne

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Bouquiniste

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Notre Dame Cathedral

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A brief walk to the adjoining 6th arrondissement reveals sites such as the Odéon Theater where Ira Aldridge played Othello, the Café de Flore where James Baldwin socialized and rewrote Go Tell It on the Mountain, and the La Louisiane hotel that was home to numerous African-American jazzmen.

Théâtre de l'Odéon
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Café de Flore

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Consider complementing your promenade with a visit to the cafés and gourmet food shops on the rue de Buci to round out your brief but exhilarating stay in the City of Light.

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Entrée to Black Paris!™ is a Discover Paris! blog.

Paris Parties Jamaican Style!

Yesterday, Paris celebrated speed, style, and song - Jamaica style!

Ad for the Jamaica Party in the Paris Metro

© Discover Paris!

 
Sprinter Usain Bolt, holder of the world's fastest times in the 100 m and 200 m dash, was the star of the day.  An event held at the place de l'Hôtel de Ville encouraged young and old to try their luck at outrunning a motorized, mounted cut-out of Bolt, and to clock their best time at the 100 meter dash.  These activities were a delight for lots of budding child athletes.

"Who Faster?"

Photo by Discover Paris!

Even the loss of a shoe did not dissuade this youngster from trying to catch up with the lightning-fast Bolt surrogate!

One-shoed runner

Photo by Discover Paris!

Participants received a set of inflatable "Bolt Arms," designed to mimic the pose that Bolt strikes during track and field events.

"Bolt Arms"
Photos by Discover Paris

Bolt held a press conference at the sportswear store Courir on the Champs Elysées at 3:00 PM, before joining friends and fans at the Hôtel de Ville to introduce the free concert held there in the late afternoon and evening.  Reggae greats such as Winston McAnuff and Alpha Bondy performed on a huge stage against the backdrop of the silhouette of a puma, symbol of the sponsor of the affair. 

Winston McAnuff and his band

Photos by Discover Paris!

Tonight, Bolt will run the 100 meters against Asafa Powell, compatriot and the man from whom he took the record in 2008.  Bolt, Powell, and several other contenders in this race have run the 100 meters in less than ten seconds, so it will be a closely observed contest. The competition is part of the Meeting AREVA, a track meet to be held at the Stade de France in the northern suburb of Saint-Denis.  It is scheduled for 9:46 PM.

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  Entrée to Black Paris™ is a Discover Paris! blog.