“Jazz in France under the Occupation”: a podcast on the golden age of Parisian swing
"We have never been as free as under the German occupation," argued Jean-Paul Sartre in 1944, placing citizens face to face with the responsibility of choosing their side. In the series of four podcasts "Jazz in France under the Occupation," the first two episodes of which are already available on France Musique , we can discover that a few years earlier, French jazz musicians would have willingly subscribed to the philosopher's provocative formula.
For one simple reason: at the beginning of the Occupation, the Germans wanted entertainment to continue. This would be the occasion for a prosperous period for jazz despite its values contradicting those of National Socialism.
Through the voice of journalist Florian Royer, the captivating tale of this golden age of jazz takes the listener to occupied Paris , beginning in the first one-hour section entitled Des jazzmen bien gardés (The Busy Jazzmen), with a historical and musical context. This is accompanied by an overview of the first prominent figures of jazz, from the United States, such as Django Reinhardt, a gypsy guitarist who remained free thanks to his virtuosity, or Charles Delaunay, creator of the Swing label and general secretary of the Hot Club de France, a very popular association at the time.
Captivating musical interludes punctuate these exciting sequences, packed with a considerable amount of information. For several minutes, we discover the intoxication of swing in the heart of Parisian dance halls, through the melody of the most famous pieces of the era. In a second episode, Une musique tolérée , the entry into resistance of some of the great jazz figures is addressed. The four episodes of this summer series are broadcast on Saturdays at 6 p.m. on France Musique in July, and posted online the same day on the public station's digital devices.
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