1.
Avignon
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Avignon is a commune in south-eastern France in the department of Vaucluse on the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 90,194 inhabitants of the city, about 12,000 live in the ancient town centre enclosed by its medieval ramparts. Between 1309 and 1377, during the Avignon Papacy, seven popes resided in Avignon. Papal control persisted until 1791 when, during the French Revolution, the town is now the capital of the Vaucluse department and one of the few French cities to have preserved its ramparts. The historic centre, which includes the Palais des Papes, the cathedral, the medieval monuments and the annual Festival dAvignon have helped to make the town a major centre for tourism. The commune has been awarded one flower by the National Council of Towns, the earliest forms of the name were reported by the Greeks, Аὐενιὼν = Auenion Άουεννίων = Aouennion. The Roman name Avennĭo Cavarum, i. e. Avignon of Cavares accurately shows that Avignon was one of the three cities of the Celtic-Ligurian tribe of Cavares, along with Cavaillon and Orange. The current name dates to a pre-Indo-European or pre-Latin theme ab-ên with the suffix -i-ōn This theme would be a hydronym - i. e. a name linked to the river, but perhaps also an oronym of terrain. The site of Avignon has been occupied since the Neolithic period as shown by excavations at Rocher des Doms and the Balance district. In 1960 and 1961 excavations in the part of the Rocher des Doms directed by Sylvain Gagnière uncovered a small anthropomorphic stele. Carved in Burdigalian sandstone, it has the shape of a tombstone with its face engraved with a stylized human figure with no mouth. On the bottom, shifted slightly to the right is an indentation with eight radiating lines forming a solar representation - a unique discovery for this type of stele. There were also some Chalcolithic objects for adornment and an abundance of Hallstatt pottery shards which could have been native or imported, the name of the city dates back to around the 6th century BC. The first citation of Avignon was made by Artemidorus of Ephesus, although his book, The Journey, is lost it is known from the abstract by Marcian of Heraclea and The Ethnics, a dictionary of names of cities by Stephanus of Byzantium based on that book. He said, The City of Massalia, near the Rhone and this name has two interpretations, city of violent wind or, more likely, lord of the river. Other sources trace its origin to the Gallic mignon and the Celtic definitive article, Avignon was a simple Greek Emporium founded by Phocaeans from Marseille around 539 BC. It was in the 4th century BC that the Massaliotes began to sign treaties of alliance with some cities in the Rhone valley including Avignon and Cavaillon, a century later Avignon was part of the region of Massaliotes or country of Massalia. Fortified on its rock, the city later became and long remained the capital of the Cavares, with the arrival of the Roman legions in 120 BC. the Cavares, allies with the Massaliotes, became Roman
2.
Chanson
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A chanson is in general any lyric-driven French song, usually polyphonic and secular. A singer specializing in chansons is known as a chanteur or chanteuse, the earliest chansons were the epic poems performed to simple monophonic melodies by a professional class of jongleurs or ménestrels. These usually recounted the deeds of past heroes, legendary. The Song of Roland is the most famous of these, the chanson courtoise or grand chant was an early form of monophonic chanson, the chief lyric poetic genre of the trouvères. It was an adaptation to Old French of the Occitan canso and it was practised in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Thematically, as its name implies, it was a song of courtly love, some later chansons were polyphonic and some had refrains and were called chansons avec des refrains. A Crusade song was known as a chanson de croisade, in its typical specialized usage, the word chanson refers to a polyphonic French song of the late Middle Ages and Renaissance. Early chansons tended to be in one of the formes fixes—ballade, the earliest chansons were for two, three or four voices, with first three becoming the norm, expanding to four voices by the sixteenth century. Sometimes, the singers were accompanied by instruments, the first important composer of chansons was Guillaume de Machaut, who composed three-voice works in the formes fixes during the 14th century. Guillaume Dufay and Gilles Binchois, who wrote so-called Burgundian chansons, were the most important chanson composers of the next generation and their chansons, while somewhat simple in style, are also generally in three voices with a structural tenor. Musicologist David Fallows includes the Burgundian repertoire in A Catalogue of Polyphonic Songs 1415-1480 and these works are typically still 3 voices, with an active upper voice pitched above two lower voices usually sharing the same range. The first book of music printed from movable type was Harmonice Musices Odhecaton and this genre sometimes featured music that was meant to be evocative of certain imagery such as birds or the marketplace. Many of these Parisian works were published by Pierre Attaingnant, composers of their generation, as well as later composers, such as Orlando de Lassus, were influenced by the Italian madrigal. Many early instrumental works were ornamented variations on chansons, with this becoming the canzone. French solo song developed in the late 16th century, probably from the aforementioned Parisian works, louis Niedermeyer, under the particular spell of Schubert, was a pivotal figure in this movement, followed by Édouard Lalo, Felicien David and many others. Another offshoot of chanson, called chanson réaliste, was a musical genre in France. Among the better-known performers of the genre are Damia, Fréhel, chanson can be distinguished from the rest of French pop music by following the rhythms of French language, rather than those of English, and a higher standard for lyrics. Canzone Russian chanson French historical chanson panorama Brown, Howard Mayer, in The Oxford Companion to Music, edited by Alison Latham
3.
Polydor Records
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Polydor is a British record label and company, that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a relationship with Universals Interscope Geffen A&M label. In turn, Polydor distributes Interscope releases in the United Kingdom, Polydor Records Ltd. was established in London in 1954 as a British subsidiary of German company Deutsche Grammophon GmbH. The Polydor label was founded on 2 April 1913 by German Polyphon-Musikwerke AG in Leipzig, during World War I on 24 April 1917, Polyphon-Musikwerke AG acquired the German Deutsche Grammophon-Aktiengesellschaft record plant and company from the German government. The German state was taken over Grammophon and the British holdings as enemies property during World War I, Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Polyphon-Grammophon-Konzern group. It was used as a label since 1924. The British and German branches of the Gramophone Company were so departed during World War I, in turn, Deutsche Grammophon records exported from Germany were released on the Polyphon Musik and Polydor labels. The new foreign branches were founded for example into Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Polydor became a popular music label in 1946, while the new Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft label was to become a classical music label in 1949. The previously used label, Grammophon, was disbanded, DGG gave, with an agreement dated 5 July 1949, an exclusive license from 1 July 1951 to use the Nipper-dog with gramophone to the original owners company Electrola, the German branch of EMI. In 1970, Polydor acquired the Hong Kong-based Diamond Records, which had owned and founded by the local Portuguese merchant Ren da Silva in the late 1950s. In 1972, The Grammophon-Philips Group reorganized to create PolyGram, the Polydor label continued to run as a subsidiary label under the new company. The name PolyGram is a portmanteau of Polydor and PhonoGram, into the 1980s, Polydor continued to do respectable business, in spite of becoming increasingly overshadowed by its PolyGram sister label Mercury Records. Polydor took over management of British Deccas pop catalog, A&R manager Frank Neilson was able to score a major top ten hit in March 1981 for the label with Do The Hucklebuck by Coast to Coast as well as signing Ian Dury and Billy Fury to the company. In 1984, the name was parodied in the rockumentary film This Is Spinal Tap. By the early 1990s, Polydor had begun to underperform, in 1994, as Island Records recovered from its sales slump, PolyGram dissolved most of PLG into it. Meanwhile, Polydor Records and Atlas Records merged, briefly called Polydor/Atlas, in 1995, Polydor/Atlas became simply Polydor Records again. Over the next few years, Polydor tried to keep itself afloat with new artist signings, new releases, in 1998, PolyGram was purchased by Seagram and absorbed into its Universal Music Group. Today, in America, the Polydor Records name and logo is used on reissues of older material from its 1960s and 1970s heyday
4.
Atlantic Records
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Atlantic Recording Corporation is an American major record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegün and Herb Abramson. In 2004, Atlantic Records and its sister label Elektra Records merged into Atlantic Records Group, craig Kallman is currently the chairman of Atlantic Records. Ahmet Ertegün served as founding chairman until his death on December 14,2006, the brothers had become ardent fans of jazz and rhythm & blues music, amassing a collection of over 15,00078 RPM records. He convinced the family dentist, Dr Vahdi Sabit, to invest $10,000 and recruited Herb Abramson, Abramson had worked as a part-time A&R manager/producer for the jazz label National Records, signing Big Joe Turner and Billy Eckstine. He founded Jubilee Records in 1946, but had no interest in its most successful artists, so, in September 1947, he sold his share in Jubilee to his partner, Jerry Blaine, and invested $2500 in the new Atlantic label. When interviewed in 2009 she attributed her reputation to the companys chronic cash-flow shortage, most of the problems we had with artists were that they wanted advances, and that was very difficult for us. We were undercapitalized for a long time, the labels original office in the Ritz Hotel, Manhattan proved too expensive so they relocated to an $85 per month room in the Hotel Jefferson. In its early years Atlantic focused principally on modern jazz although it released some country and western and spoken word recordings. The union action forced Atlantic to use almost all its capital to cut and stockpile enough recordings to last through the ban, Ertegun and Abramson spent much of the late 1940s and early 1950s scouring nightclubs in search of talent. Ertegun composed many songs under the alias A, in early 1949 a New Orleans distributor phoned Ertegun trying to obtain Stick McGhees Drinking Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee, which was unavailable due to the closure of McGhees previous label. Ertegun knew Sticks younger brother Brownie McGhee, with whom Stick happened to be staying, so he contacted the McGhee brothers, Ertegun asked about artists royalties, which he paid, which surprised Columbia executives, who did not, which scuttled the deal. On the recommendation of broadcaster Willis Conover, Ertegun and Abramson went to see Ruth Brown at the Crystal Caverns club in Washington and she was badly injured in a car accident en route to New York but Atlantic supported her for nine months and then signed her. Her first release for the label So Long, cut at her second Atlantic session on May 25,1949 with the Eddie Condon band, was a major hit, reaching #6 on the R&B chart. Brown went on to more than eighty songs for the label, becoming the most prolific. So significant was Browns success to Atlantics fortunes that the label became known colloquially as The House That Ruth Built. The Clovers Dont You Know I Love You became the labels first R&B #1 in September 1951 and she hit #1 again in March–April 1952 with 5-10-15 Hours. After she left the label in 1961 Browns fortunes declined rapidly - within a few years was reduced to working as a cleaner and bus-driver to support her children. Brown eventually received a payment of $20,000 and founded a charity
5.
Capitol Records
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Capitol Records, LLC is an American record label which operates as a division of the Capitol Music Group. The label was founded as the first West Coast-based record label in the United States in 1942 by three industry insiders named Johnny Mercer, Buddy DeSylva and Glenn Wallichs, in 1955, the label was acquired by the British music conglomerate EMI as its North American subsidiary. EMI was later acquired by Universal Music Group in 2012 and was merged with the company in 2013, making Capitol Records, Capitol Records circular headquarter building located in Los Angeles is a recognized landmark of California. Mercer first raised the idea of starting a company while golfing with Harold Arlen. By 1941, Mercer was a songwriter and a singer with multiple successful releases. Mercer next suggested the idea to Wallichs while visiting his record store, Wallichs expressed interest in the idea and the pair negotiated an agreement whereby Mercer would run the company and identify their artists, while Wallichs managed the business side. On February 2,1942, Mercer and Wallichs met with DeSylva at a Hollywood restaurant to inquire about the possibility of investment of the company from Paramount Pictures, while DeSylva declined the proposal, he handed the pair a check worth $15,000. On March 27,1942, the three men incorporated as Liberty Records, in May 1942, the application was amended to change the companys name to Capitol Records. On April 6,1942, Mercer supervised Capitols first recording session where Martha Tilton recorded the song Moon Dreams, on May 5, Bobby Sherwood and his orchestra recorded two tracks in the studio. On May 21, Freddie Slack and his orchestra recorded three tracks in the studio, one with the orchestra, one with Ella Mae Morse called Cow-Cow Boogie, on June 4,1942, Capitol opened its first office in a second-floor room south of Sunset Boulevard. On that same day, Wallichs presented the companys first free record to Los Angeles disc jockey Peter Potter, on June 5,1942, Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra recorded four songs at the studio. On June 12, the recorded five more songs in the studio. On June 11, Tex Ritter recorded Jingle Jangle Jingle and Goodbye My Little Cherokee for his first Capitol recording session, and the songs formed Capitols 110th produced record. 133 - Get On Board Little Chillun - July 31,1942 - is a Freddie Slack/Ella Mae Morse/Mellowaires recording that might be the first rock n roll record and she has sometimes been called the first rock n roll singer. A good example is her 1942 recording of song which, with strong gospel, blues, boogie. Bone Walker recorded Mean Old World a pioneering example of the use of electric guitar. The earliest recording artists included co-owner Mercer, Whiteman, Tilton, Morse, Margaret Whiting, Jo Stafford, the Pied Pipers, Johnnie Johnston, Tex Ritter, Capitols first gold single was Morses Cow Cow Boogie in 1942. Capitols first album was Capitol Presents Songs By Johnny Mercer, a three 78-rpm disc set with recordings by Mercer, Stafford and the Pied Pipers, all with Westons Orchestra
6.
Warner Music Group
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Warner Music Group is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. With a multibillion-dollar annual turnover, WMG employs in excess of 3,500 people and has operations in more than 50 countries throughout the world, the company owns and operates some of the largest and most successful record labels in the world, including its flagship labels Warner Bros. WMG also owns Warner/Chappell Music, one of the worlds largest music publishers, the film company had no record label division at the time and one of its contracted actors, Tab Hunter, scored a hit song for Dot Records, which was a division of rival Paramount Pictures. In order to prevent any repetition of its actors recording for rival companies, in 1963, Warner purchased Reprise Records, which had been founded by Frank Sinatra three years earlier so that he could have more creative control over his recordings. With the Reprise acquisition, Warner gained the services of Mo Ostin, the Canadian unit was opened in 1967 as Warner Reprise Canada Ltd, now called Warner Music Canada Co. After Warner Bros. was sold to Seven Arts Productions in 1967, it purchased Atlantic Records, founded in 1947 and WMGs oldest label and this acquisition brought Neil Young into the company fold, initially as a member of Buffalo Springfield. The Geffen catalogue, now owned by Universal Music Group, represents Youngs only major recordings not under WMG ownership, in 1969, two years after being purchased by Seven Arts, the Warner Bros. -Seven Arts company was sold to the Kinney National Company. Kinney combined the operations of all of its labels. An earlier attempt by Warner Bros. Records to create a distribution arm in 1958 didnt materialize. So in 1969, Elektra Records boss Jac Holzman approached Atlantics Jerry Wexler with the idea of setting up a joint distribution network for Warner, Elektra, an experimental branch was established in Southern California as a possible prototype for an expanded operation. Atlantic, its subsidiary Atco Records, and its affiliate Stax Records paved the way for Warners rise to industry prominence, the purchase brought in Atlantics lucrative back-catalogue, which included classic recordings by Ray Charles, the Drifters, the Coasters, and many more. But the sale led to Stax leaving the Atlantic fold because the new Warner owners insisted on keeping the rights to Stax recordings and it was soon apparent in 1969 that Atlantic/Atco president Ahmet Ertegün viewed Warner/Reprise president Mike Maitland as godlike. Maitland believed that, as vice-president in charge of the Warner Bros, in retrospect Ertegün clearly feared that Maitland would ultimately have more power than him and so he moved rapidly to secure his own position and remove Maitland. Following the takeover, Warners music group briefly adopted the umbrella name Kinney Music, erteguns campaign against Maitland began in earnest that summer. Atlantic had agreed to help Warner Bros. in its efforts to establish its labels overseas, Mike Maitland complained bitterly to Kinney executive Ted Ashley, but to no avail – by this time Ertegun was poised to make his move against Maitland. As he had with Hyman, Ertegun urged Steve Ross to extend Mo Ostin and Joe Smiths contracts, in response, Ertegun broadly hinted that Maitlands days were numbered and that he, Ertegun, was about to take over the recording division. Unlike the Warner/Reprise executives, Atlantics execs the Ertegun brothers and Wexler owned stock in Kinney, on Sunday January 25, Ted Ashley went to Maitlands house to tell him he had been dismissed, and Maitland declined the offer of a job at the movie studio. One week later, Mo Ostin was named as the new President of Warner Bros, Records, with Joe Smith as his Executive Vice-President
7.
Columbia Records
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Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, Inc. the United States division of Sony Corporation. It was founded in 1887, evolving from an enterprise named the American Graphophone Company. Columbia is the oldest surviving brand name in the sound business. Columbia Records went on to release records by an array of singers, instrumentalists. It is one of Sony Musics three flagship record labels alongside RCA Records and Epic Records, rather, as above, it was connected to CBS, a broadcasting media company which had purchased the company in 1938, and had been co-founded in 1927 by Columbia Records itself. Though Arista Records was sold to Bertelsmann Music Group, it would become a sister label of Columbia Records through its mutual connection to Sony Music. The Columbia Phonograph Company was founded in 1887 by stenographer, lawyer and New Jersey native Edward Easton and it derived its name from the District of Columbia, where it was headquartered. At first it had a monopoly on sales and service of Edison phonographs and phonograph cylinders in Washington. As was the custom of some of the regional companies, Columbia produced many commercial cylinder recordings of its own. Columbias ties to Edison and the North American Phonograph Company were severed in 1894 with the North American Phonograph Companys breakup, thereafter it sold only records and phonographs of its own manufacture. In 1902, Columbia introduced the XP record, a brown wax record. According to Gracyk, the molded brown waxes may have sold to Sears for distribution. Columbia began selling records and phonographs in addition to the cylinder system in 1901, preceded only by their Toy Graphophone of 1899. For a decade, Columbia competed with both the Edison Phonograph Company cylinders and the Victor Talking Machine Company disc records as one of the top three names in American recorded sound. In order to add prestige to its catalog of artists. The firm also introduced the internal-horn Grafonola to compete with the extremely popular Victrola sold by the rival Victor Talking Machine Company, during this era, Columbia used the famous Magic Notes logo—a pair of sixteenth notes in a circle—both in the United States and overseas. Columbia was split into two companies, one to make records and one to make players, Columbia Phonograph was moved to Connecticut, and Ed Easton went with it. Eventually it was renamed the Dictaphone Corporation, in late 1923, Columbia went into receivership
8.
Philips Records
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Not to be confused with Phillips International Records. Philips Records is a label that was founded by the Dutch electronics company Philips. In 1946 Philips acquired the company which pressed records for British Deccas Dutch outlet in Amsterdam, the record label was started by Philips Phonographische Industrie in June 1950 when it began issuing classical recordings. Recordings were also made with artists of various nationalities and with classical artists from Germany, France. Launched under the slogan Records of the Century, the first releases in Britain appeared at the beginning of January 1953 on 1078 rpm discs, Philips also distributed recordings made by the Columbia Records in the UK and on the European continent. After the separation of the English Columbia label and American Columbia, the first single on the label to chart was Frankie Laines I Believe, which reached the No.1 chart position in the UK that April. Many of the first British recordings on the label were produced by Norman Newell until John Franz was appointed artists, in 1958 Philips created a subsidiary label, Fontana Records, which meant that American-Columbia recordings were being issued on both the Philips and Fontana labels. This arrangement lasted until April 1962 when, under pressure from Columbia in America, Philips then created a label for them. In late 1964, under the stewardship of U. S. President of Columbia Records Goddard Lieberson, CBS Records formed its own international operations, CBS Records set up their UK operation in Theobalds Road in Holborn. Singles and albums on the Philips and Fontana labels by Columbia-owned product were subsequently withdrawn, in 1962, Philips Records and Deutsche Grammophon formed the Grammophon-Philips Group joint venture, which later became PolyGram in 1972. UK pressings were manufactured at the large factory based at Walthamstow in N. E. In 1961, after Philips lost its North American distribution deal with Columbia Records, a year later, Philips US affiliate Consolidated Electronics Industries Corp. bought Mercury and its subsidiary labels, such as Smash. Philips classical, jazz and pop records were marketed by Mercury in the US under the Philips label, the Mercury Living Presence team also made classical recordings for Philips, in July 1961. 69 for cello and piano by Richter and Rostropovich, classical groups that Philips heavily recorded included the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Beaux Arts Trio, and the Quartetto Italiano. Violinist Arthur Grumiaux and the pianist Claudio Arrau were under contract to Philips, symphony orchestras under contract, including the LSO, were under the command of prestigious young conductors such as Colin Davis and Bernard Haitink. From 1961 until the late 1980s, Philips Records issued many classical titles in US-specific packaging, the records were pressed at Mercurys plant in Richmond, Indiana, and mastered in New York by George Piros at Fine Recording, using 2-track and mono master tapes provided by Philips. These releases were the PHS900 xxx series for stereo and the 500 xxx series for mono, clair Van Ausdal in Mercurys New York office oversaw the Philips classical US releases through the mid-1960s. These records were made through Mercurys existing jazz operations and produced by Jack Tracy, in addition to jazz and classical music, Philips also became a major player in the world of rock and pop music in the late 1950s till late 1970s
9.
Barclay Records
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Barclay Records is a French record company and label founded by Eddie Barclay in 1953. Barclay was a bandleader, pianist, producer, and nightclub owner, with his wife, Nicole, who was the vocalist in his band, he started Barclay. The catalogue included the work of Stéphane Grappelli, Lionel Hampton, in 1978 the label was sold to Polygram Records. Barclay also had operations outside France, most notably in the U. S. Barclay Records is currently owned and distributed by Universal Music Group
10.
Dunkirk
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Dunkirk is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It lies 10 kilometres from the Belgian border, the population of the city at the 2012 census was 90,995 inhabitants. The name of Dunkirk derives from West Flemish dun and kerke, nowadays, Dunkirk is the worlds northernmost Francophone city. About 960AD Count Baldwin III had a wall erected, in order to protect the settlement against Viking raids. The surrounding wetlands were drained and cultivated by the monks of nearby Bergues Abbey, the name Dunkirk was first mentioned in a tithe privilege of 27 May 1067, issued by Count Baldwin V of Flanders. Count Philip I brought further large tracts of marshland under cultivation, laid out first plans to build a Canal from Dunkirk to Bergues and vested the Dunkirkers with market rights. However, in the course of the Western Schism from 1378, English supporters of Pope Urban VI disembarked at Dunkirk, captured the city and they were ejected by King Charles VI of France, but left great devastations in and around the town. Upon the extinction of the Counts of Flanders with the death of Louis II in 1384, Flanders was acquired by the Burgundian, the fortifications were again enlarged, including the construction of a belfry daymark. As Maximilian was the son of Emperor Frederick III, all Flanders was immediately seized by King Louis XI of France. However, the defeated the French troops at the 1479 Battle of Guinegate. The area remained disputed between Spain, the United Netherlands, England and France. At the beginning of the Eighty Years War, Dunkirk was briefly in the hands of the Dutch rebels, Spanish forces under Duke Alexander Farnese of Parma re-established Spanish rule in 1583 and it became a base for the notorious Dunkirkers. The Dunkirkers briefly lost their home port when the city was conquered by the French in 1646, in 1658, as a result of the long war between France and Spain, it was captured after a siege by Franco-English forces following the battle of the Dunes. The city along with Fort-Mardyck was awarded to England in the peace the following year as agreed in the Franco-English alliance against Spain and it came under French rule when Charles II of England sold it to France for £320,000 on 17 October 1662. The French government developed the town as a fortified port, the towns existing defences were adapted to create ten bastions. The port was expanded in the 1670s by the construction of a basin that could hold up to thirty warships with a lock system to maintain water levels at low tide. The basin was linked to the sea by a channel dug through coastal sandbanks secured by two jetties and this work was completed by 1678. The jetties were defended a few years later by the construction of five forts, Château dEspérance, Château Vert, Grand Risban, Château Gaillard, an additional fort was built in 1701 called Fort Blanc
11.
World War II
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World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although related conflicts began earlier. It involved the vast majority of the worlds countries—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing alliances, the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, and directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. Marked by mass deaths of civilians, including the Holocaust and the bombing of industrial and population centres. These made World War II the deadliest conflict in human history, from late 1939 to early 1941, in a series of campaigns and treaties, Germany conquered or controlled much of continental Europe, and formed the Axis alliance with Italy and Japan. Under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of August 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union partitioned and annexed territories of their European neighbours, Poland, Finland, Romania and the Baltic states. In December 1941, Japan attacked the United States and European colonies in the Pacific Ocean, and quickly conquered much of the Western Pacific. The Axis advance halted in 1942 when Japan lost the critical Battle of Midway, near Hawaii, in 1944, the Western Allies invaded German-occupied France, while the Soviet Union regained all of its territorial losses and invaded Germany and its allies. During 1944 and 1945 the Japanese suffered major reverses in mainland Asia in South Central China and Burma, while the Allies crippled the Japanese Navy, thus ended the war in Asia, cementing the total victory of the Allies. World War II altered the political alignment and social structure of the world, the United Nations was established to foster international co-operation and prevent future conflicts. The victorious great powers—the United States, the Soviet Union, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and the United States emerged as rival superpowers, setting the stage for the Cold War, which lasted for the next 46 years. Meanwhile, the influence of European great powers waned, while the decolonisation of Asia, most countries whose industries had been damaged moved towards economic recovery. Political integration, especially in Europe, emerged as an effort to end pre-war enmities, the start of the war in Europe is generally held to be 1 September 1939, beginning with the German invasion of Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany two days later. The dates for the beginning of war in the Pacific include the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War on 7 July 1937, or even the Japanese invasion of Manchuria on 19 September 1931. Others follow the British historian A. J. P. Taylor, who held that the Sino-Japanese War and war in Europe and its colonies occurred simultaneously and this article uses the conventional dating. Other starting dates sometimes used for World War II include the Italian invasion of Abyssinia on 3 October 1935. The British historian Antony Beevor views the beginning of World War II as the Battles of Khalkhin Gol fought between Japan and the forces of Mongolia and the Soviet Union from May to September 1939, the exact date of the wars end is also not universally agreed upon. It was generally accepted at the time that the war ended with the armistice of 14 August 1945, rather than the formal surrender of Japan
12.
Midnight Mass
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The tradition of a midnight Vigil on the eve of Christmas began in the East, and was observed in the late fourth century in Jerusalem by a Christian woman named Egeria on the night of January 5. The tradition reached the Western world in the year 430 under Pope Sixtus III in the Basilica of St Mary Major, the practice of celebrating Midnight Mass is traditional in the Roman Catholic Church, although many churches now hold their midnight Mass at an earlier hour. Since 2009, the Pope has celebrated this Mass at 10,00 pm, however, when the Mass does occur at midnight, it is still commonly called Midnight Mass. Churches of the Anglican Communion also traditionally celebrate Midnight Mass for Christmas, the Church of Scotland also observes a service just before midnight which involves the singing of carols, although it does not include Mass. Lutheran traditions often observe midnight Mass as a part of a wider Christmas Eve Vigil, methodist observations vary as many hold services at 11 pm which involve the ringing of church bells when the stroke of midnight is reached. While Midnight Mass is not observed in Eastern traditions, All-Night Vigil is common on Christmas Eve and involves the celebration of Matins, the hour which is traditionally observed at midnight
13.
Montfavet
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Montfavet is a village of southern France, part of the commune of Avignon, in the Vaucluse département. In southern France, the village is known for the psychiatric hospital. Camille Claudel was a patient in this hospital, georges-Ernest Roux, a postman who lived in Montfavet, founded the Universal Christian Church, claimed to be Jesus, and was famous under the name Christ of Montfavet. Avignon Avignon - Caumont Airport History of the hospital of Montfavet
14.
Mistral (wind)
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It is most common in the winter and spring, and strongest in the transition between the two seasons. Periods of the wind exceeding 30 km/h for more than sixty-five hours have been reported and it affects the northeast of the plain of Languedoc and Provence to the east of Toulon, where it is felt as a strong west wind. It has a major influence all along the Mediterranean coast of France, the name mistral comes from the Languedoc dialect of the Occitan and means masterly. The same wind is called mistrau in the Provençal variant of Occitan, mestral in Catalan, maestrale in Italian and Corsican, maistràle or bentu maestru in Sardinian, and majjistral in Maltese. The mistral is usually accompanied by clear, fresh weather, and it can reach speeds of more than 90 km/h, particularly in the Rhone Valley. Its average speed during the day can reach about 50 km/h, the mistral usually blows in winter or spring, though it occurs in all seasons. It sometimes lasts only one or two days, frequently lasts several days, and sometimes more than a week. The mistral takes place each time there is an anticyclone, or area of pressure, in the Bay of Biscay. The conditions for a mistral are even more favorable when a cold rainy front has crossed France from the northwest to the southeast as far as the Mediterranean. This cold, dry wind usually causes a period of cloudless skies and luminous sunshine, there is also, however, the mistral noir, which brings clouds and rain. The mistral noir occurs when the Azores High is extended and draws in unusually moist air from the northwest, the mistral reaches its maximum speed not at the narrowest part of the Rhone Valley, south of Valence, but much farther south, where the Valley has widened. Also, the wind occurs not just in the Valley, but high above in the atmosphere, the mistral is very strong at the summit of Mont Ventoux,1900 meters in elevation, though the plain below is very wide. Other contributing factors to the strength of the mistral are the accumulation of masses of air, whose volume is greater, pouring down the mountains. This is similar to a wind, but unlike a foehn wind the descent in altitude does not significantly warm the mistral. The causes and characteristics of the mistral are very similar to those of the Tramontane, in France, the mistral particularly affects Provence, Languedoc east of Montpellier, as well as all of the Rhone Valley from Lyon to Marseille, and as far southeast as Corsica and Sardinia. The mistral usually blows from the north or northwest, but in certain pre-alpine valleys and along the Côte dAzur, sometimes it also blows from the north-north-east toward the east of Languedoc as far as Cap Béar. Frequently, the mistral will affect only one part of the region, when the mistral blows from the west, the mass of air is not so cold and the wind only affects the plain of the Rhone delta and the Côte dAzur. The good weather is confined to the coast of the Mediterranean, the Côte dAzur generally has a clear sky and warmer temperatures
15.
Tarot cards
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The tarot is a pack of playing cards, used from the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play games such as Italian tarocchini and French tarot. In the late 18th century, it began to be used for divination in the form of tarotology/cartomancy, like common playing cards, the tarot has four suits. Each suit has 14 cards, ten cards numbering from one to ten, in addition, the tarot has a separate 21-card trump suit and a single card known as the Fool. Depending on the game, the Fool may act as the top trump or may be played to avoid following suit, françois Rabelais mentions tarau as one of the games played by Gargantua in his Gargantua and Pantagruel. Tarot cards are used much of Europe to play card games. In English-speaking countries, where games are not played, tarot cards are used primarily for divinatory purposes. The trump cards and the Fool are sometimes called the major arcana while the ten pip and four court cards in each suit are called minor arcana. The cards are traced by some writers to ancient Egypt or the Kabbalah. The word tarot and German Tarock derive from the Italian tarocchi, the singular term is tarocco, which means a type of blood orange in modern Italian. One theory relates to the Taro River in northern Italy, the game may have originated in Milan or Bologna, other writers believe it comes from the Arabic word طرق turuq, which means ways. Alternatively, it may be from the Arabic ترك taraka, to leave, abandon, omit, playing cards first entered Europe in the late 14th century, most likely from Mamluk Egypt, with suits of Batons or Polo sticks, Coins, Swords, and Cups. These suits were similar to modern tarot divination decks and are still used in traditional Italian, Spanish. The first documented tarot packs were recorded between 1430 and 1450 in Milan, Ferrara and Bologna when additional trump cards with allegorical illustrations were added to the common four-suit pack. These new decks were called carte da trionfi, triumph cards, and the additional cards known simply as trionfi and these cards are documented in a written statement in the court records in Florence, in 1440. The oldest surviving tarot cards are from fifteen decks painted in the mid 15th century for the Visconti-Sforza family, during the 16th-century, a new game played with a standard deck but sharing the same name was quickly becoming popular. This coincided with the game being renamed tarocchi. He describes a deck with 16 cards with images of the Greek gods, however the 16 cards were obviously regarded as trumps as, about 25 years later, Jacopo Antonio Marcello called them a ludus triumphorum, or game of trumps. Fragments of two playing card decks from Milan, made around 1440, survive, Three documents dating from 1 January 1441 to July 1442, use the term trionfi
16.
Romani people
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The Romani are widely known among English-speaking people by the exonym Gypsies, which some people consider pejorative due to its connotations of illegality and irregularity. Romani are dispersed, with their populations in Europe – especially Central, Eastern and Southern Europe including Turkey, Spain. Since the 19th century, some Romani have also migrated to the Americas, there are an estimated one million Roma in the United States, and 800,000 in Brazil, most of whose ancestors emigrated in the nineteenth century from eastern Europe. Brazil also includes some Romani descended from people deported by the government of Portugal during the Inquisition in the colonial era, in migrations since the late nineteenth century, Romani have also moved to other countries in South America and to Canada. In February 2016, during the International Roma Conference, the Indian Minister of External Affairs stated that the people of the Roma community were children of India. The conference ended with a recommendation to the Government of India to recognize the Roma community spread across 30 countries as a part of the Indian diaspora, the Romani language is divided into several dialects, which add up to an estimated number of speakers larger than two million. The total number of Romani people is at least twice as large, many Romani are native speakers of the language current in their country of residence, or of mixed languages combining the two, those varieties are sometimes called Para-Romani. French bohème, bohémien, from the Kingdom of Bohemia, whence they came, Rom means man or husband in the Romani, it has the variants dom and lom, related with the Sanskrit words dam-pati, dama, lom, lomaka loman, roman. Another possible origin is from Sanskrit डोम doma, Sanskrit सिनधु is a river or stream of water in general. In particular, it denotes the river Indus and the country around it, in the Romani language, Rom is a masculine noun, meaning man of the Roma ethnic group or man, husband, with the plural Roma. The feminine of Rom in the Romani language is Romni, however, in most cases, in other languages Rom is now used for people of all genders. Romani is the adjective, while Romano is the masculine adjective. Some Romanies use Rom or Roma as a name, while others do not use this term as a self-ascription for the entire ethnic group. Sometimes, rom and romani are spelled with a r, i. e. rrom. In this case rr is used to represent the phoneme /ʀ/, the rr spelling is common in certain institutions, or used in certain countries, e. g. Romania, to distinguish from the endonym/homonym for Romanians. In the English language, Rom is a noun and an adjective, while Romani is also a noun, both Rom and Romani have been in use in English since the 19th century as an alternative for Gypsy. Romani was initially spelled Rommany, then Romany, while today the Romani spelling is the most popular spelling, occasionally, the double r spelling mentioned above is also encountered in English texts. The term Roma is increasingly encountered during recent decades, as a term for the Romani people
17.
Patron saint
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Catholics believe that patron saints, having already transcended to the metaphysical, are able to intercede effectively for the needs of their special charges. Historically, a practice has also occurred in many Islamic lands. With regard to the omnipresence of this belief, the late Martin Lings wrote. Traditionally, it has been understood that the saint of a particular place prays for that places wellbeing and for the health. Saints often become the patrons of places where they were born or had been active, professions sometimes have a patron saint owing to that individual being involved somewhat with it, although some of the connections were tenuous. Lacking such a saint, an occupation would have a patron whose acts or miracles in some way recall the profession and it is, however, generally discouraged in some Protestant branches such as Calvinism, where the practice is considered a form of idolatry. In Islam, the veneration or commemoration and recognition of saints is found in many branches of traditional Sunnism
18.
Rita of Cascia
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Margherita Lotti Saint Rita of Cascia was an Italian widow and Augustinian nun venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. Rita was married at an early age, the marriage lasted for eighteen years, during which she is remembered for her Christian values as a model wife and mother who made efforts to convert her husband from his abusive behavior. Upon the murder of her husband by another feuding family, she sought to dissuade her sons from revenge and she subsequently joined an Augustinian community of religious sisters, where she was known both for practicing mortification of the flesh and for the efficacy of her prayers. Various miracles are attributed to her intercession, and she is portrayed with a bleeding wound on her forehead. Pope Leo XIII canonized Rita on 24 May 1900 and her feast day is celebrated on May 22. Saint Rita was born in 1371 in the city of Roccaporena where various sites connected with her are the focus of pilgrimages and her parents, Antonio and Amata Ferri Lotti, were known to be noble, charitable persons, who gained the epithet Conciliatore di Cristo. According to pious accounts, Rita was originally pursued by a notary named Gubbio and she was married at age twelve to a nobleman named Paolo Mancini. Her parents arranged her marriage, a practice at the time. Her husband, Paolo Mancini, was known to be a rich, quick-tempered, immoral man, Rita had her first child at the age of twelve. Rita endured his insults, physical abuse, and infidelities for many years, Rita eventually bore two sons, Giangiacomo Antonio, and Paulo Maria, and brought them up in the Christian faith. Rita gave a public pardon at Paolos funeral to her husbands murderers, Paolo Mancinis brother, Bernardo, was said to have continued the blood family feud and hoped to convince Ritas sons to seek revenge. Bernardo convinced Ritas sons to leave their manor and live at the Mancini villa ancestral home, as her sons grew, their characters began to change as Bernardo became their tutor. Ritas sons wished to revenge their fathers murder, Rita, fearing that her sons would lose their souls, tried to persuade them from retaliating, but to no avail. Accordingly, she petitioned God to take her sons rather than submit them to mortal sin. After the deaths of her husband and sons, Rita desired to enter the monastery of Saint Mary Magdalene in Cascia but was turned away. Although the convent acknowledged Ritas good character and piety, the nuns were afraid of being associated with her due to the scandal of her husbands violent death. However, she persisted in her cause and was given a condition before the convent could accept her and she implored her three patron saints to assist her, and she set about the task of establishing peace between the hostile parties of Cascia. Popular religious tales recall that the plague, which ravaged Italy at the time, infected Bernardo Mancini
19.
Paternal grandmother
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Grandparents are the parents of a persons father or mother – paternal or maternal. Although the numbers will be lower in cases of pedigree collapse, in the history of modern humanity, around 30,000 years ago, the number of modern humans who lived to be grandparents increased exponentially. In cases where parents are unwilling or unable to provide care for their children. Even when this is not the case, and particularly in cultures, grandparents often have a direct and clear role in relation to the raising. Grandparents are second-degree relatives and share 25% genetic overlap, a step-grandparent can be the step-parent of the parent or the step-parents parent or the step-parents step-parent. The youngest grandmother in the world is Rifca Stănescu, a Romani girl from Romania, who at the age of 12 gave birth to her first child, a girl called Maria. Maria, in her turn, gave birth to a child at the age of 11, when used as a noun, grandfather and grandmother are usually used, although forms such as grandma/grandpa, granny/granddaddy or even nan/pop are sometimes used. When preceded by my. all forms are common, all forms can be used in plural, but Gramps is rare. In writing, Grandfather and Grandmother are most common, but very rare when referring to a grandparent in person, in speech, Grandpa and Grandma are commonly used in the United States, Canada and Australia. In many parts of Pakistan and India, maternal grandparents are called Nana, similarly, paternal grandparents are called Dada and Dadi. Gogo can be used for either, etc, another common solution is to call grandparents by their first names or by their family names. In North America, many call one set of grandparents by their ethnic names. Mandarin-speaking Chinese Americans refer to maternal grandparents as pó pó and gōng gōng and paternal grandparents as nǎi nǎi, in the Philippines, grandparents are called lolo and lola, respectively. Languages and cultures with more specific kinship terminology than English may distinguish between paternal grandparents and maternal grandparents, for example, in the Swedish language there is no single word for grandmother, the mothers mother is termed mormor and the fathers mother is termed farmor. However, the other Scandinavian languages, Danish and Norwegian, use words which specifies the kinship like in Swedish, the parents of a grandparent, or the grandparents of a parent are called all the same names with the prefix great- added, one for each additional generation. Ones great-grandparents parents would be great-great-grandparents and this system is used by some genealogical websites such as Geni. One may also use numbers for numbering greats, for example. Individuals who share the same great-grandparents but are not siblings or first cousins are called second cousins to each other, the use of the prefix grand- dates from the early 13th century, from the Anglo-French graund
20.
Sign of the cross
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The sign of the cross, or blessing oneself or crossing oneself, is a ritual blessing made by members of some branches of Christianity. The movement is the tracing of the shape of a cross in the air or on ones own body, the ritual is rare within other Christian traditions. The Cross is a symbol representing Christ’s victory over sin and death, the sign of the cross was originally made in some parts of the Christian world with the right-hand thumb across the forehead only. In other parts of the early Christian world it was done with the hand or with two fingers. Around the year 200 in Carthage, Tertullian wrote, We Christians wear out our foreheads with the sign of the cross, by the 4th century, the sign of the cross involved other parts of the body beyond the forehead. The open right hand is used in Western Christianity, the five open fingers are often said to represent the Five Wounds of Christ. This symbolism was adopted after the ancient gesture of two or three fingers was simplified. Though this is the most common method of crossing by Western Christians, the West also employs the Small Sign of the Cross. The primary use for this is immediately before the reading of The Gospel during the Mass, the Small Sign is also used during the majority of the Sacraments. In the Roman or Latin Rite Church it is customary to make the full Sign of the Cross using holy water when entering a church. The first three fingers of the hand are dipped into the font containing the holy water and the Sign of the Cross is made on oneself. In the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, the tips of the first three fingers are together, and the last two are pressed against the palm. The first three fingers express our faith in the Trinity, while the two fingers represent the two natures of Jesus, divine and human. In Russia, until the reforms of Patriarch Nikon in the 17th century, the enforcement of the three-finger sign was one of the reasons for the schism with the Old Believers whose congregations continue to use the two-finger sign of the cross. The Oriental Orthodox generally use the Western direction as well, though often with the Byzantine finger formation, there are several interpretations, according to Church Fathers, the forehead symbolizes Heaven, the solar plexus, the earth, the shoulders, the place and sign of power. It also recalls both the Trinity and the Incarnation, pope Innocent III explained, The sign of the cross is made with three fingers, because the signing is done together with the invocation of the Trinity. This is how it is done, from above to below, there are some variations, for example a person may first place the right hand in holy water. After moving the hand from one shoulder to the other, it may be returned to the top of the stomach and it may also be accompanied by the recitation of a prayer
21.
La Vie en rose
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La Vie en rose was the signature song of popular French singer Édith Piaf, written in 1945, popularized in 1946, and released as a single in 1947. The song became popular in the USA in 1950 with no fewer than seven different versions reaching the Billboard charts. A cover version in 1977 by Jamaican singer Grace Jones was also an international hit. La Vie en rose has been covered by several artists over the years, including a 1950 version by Louis Armstrong, harry James recorded a version in 1950 on Columbia 38768. The songs title can be translated as Life in Rosy Hues or Life Through Rose-Tinted Glasses, Piaf offered the song to Marianne Michel, who slightly modified the lyrics, changing les choses for la vie. In 1943, Piaf had performed at a nightclub/bordello called La Vie en Rose, initially, Piafs peers and songwriting team did not think the song would be successful, finding it weaker than the rest of her repertoire. Heeding their advice, the singer put the song aside, only to change her mind the next year, the song was performed live in concert for the first time in 1946. It became a favorite with audiences, La Vie en rose was the song that made Piaf internationally famous, with its lyrics telling about the joy of finding true love and appealing to those who had survived the difficult wartime. La Vie en rose was released on a 10 single in 1947 by Columbia Records and it met with a warm reception and sold a million copies in the USA. It was the single of 1948 in Italy, and the ninth biggest-selling single in Brazil in 1949. Piaf performed the song in the 1948 French movie Neuf garçons, the first of her albums to include La Vie en rose was the 10 Chansons parisiennes, released in 1950. The song appeared on most of Piafs subsequent albums, and on numerous greatest hits compilations and it went on to become her signature song and her trademark hit, sitting with Milord and Non, je ne regrette rien among her best-known and most recognizable tunes. Encouraged by its success, Piaf wrote 80 more songs in her career, english lyrics were written by Mack David and numerous versions were recorded in the USA in 1950. Those that charted were by Tony Martin, Paul Weston, Bing Crosby, Edith Piaf, Ralph Flanagan and Victor Young. Louis Armstrong recorded Cest si bon and La Vie en rose in New York City with Sy Oliver and his Orchestra on June 26,1950, Bing Crosby also recorded the song in French in 1953 for his album Le Bing, Song Hits of Paris. The song received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1998, Un refrain courait dans la rue Two films about Piaf named after the songs title have been produced. The first one, a 1998 documentary, used archive footage and interviews with Raquel Bitton, the 2007 biographical feature film La Vie en rose won Marion Cotillard an Academy Award for Best Actress for portraying Piaf in the film from childhood until her death at 47. In the 2006 Egyptian film The Yacoubian Building, chanteuse Christine includes La Vie en rose in her repertoire, in the 1954 movie Sabrina this song is mentioned and played many times throughout the movie, including a partial rendition by Audrey Hepburn
22.
Audition
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An audition is a sample performance by an actor, singer, musician, dancer or other performer. In some cases, such as with a model or acrobat, Actors may be asked to present a monologue. Singers will perform a song in a popular music context or an aria in a Classical context, a dancer will present a routine in a specific style, such as ballet, tap dance or hip-hop, or show his or her ability to quickly learn a choreographed dance piece. The audition is a process in which industry professionals select performers. In an audition, the employer is testing the ability of the applicant to meet the needs of the job and assess how well the individual will take directions, auditions are required for many reasons in the performing arts world. Often, employing companies or groups use auditions to select performers for upcoming shows or productions, an audition for a performing opportunity may be for a single performance, for a series or season of performances, or for permanent employment with the performing organization. Auditions for performing opportunities may be for amateur, school, or community organizations, for actors in theater, film, and TV, the audition is a systematic process in which industry professionals make final casting decisions. Industry professionals may consist of casting directors, producers, directors or agency representatives, in film and television, the audition is called a screen test, and it is filmed so that the casting director or director can see how the actor appears on screen. Auditions are advertised in media outlets, industry magazines and newsletters, audition websites. Some performers hire an agent, to be able to draw on the connections with casting directors. However, the agent will take a cut of the performers earnings, although an actors talents comprise crucial criteria in the casting process, an almost equal amount of attention is given to an actors type, as required for a particular production. Actors who are selecting a piece may select a monologue by a character who is close to their own age. They may wear clothing that allows freedom of movement. Auditionees may avoid going over the time limit. By convention, some choose to not direct their speech to the audition panel if they are doing an on-stage audition. In some cases, the panel may request that the auditionee interacts with them. An actor who is doing an audition may warm up before the audition, like an athlete would, although with an actor, just as with any interview outside of the performing arts world, an auditionee may dress well. Even if the auditionee does not have expensive clothing, simple clothing may be if it is clean
23.
Enrico Macias
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Gaston Ghrenassia, known by his stage name Enrico Macias French pronunciation, , is a French Pied-noir singer, songwriter and musician. He is popular throughout the world and has travelled extensively for fifty years and he was born to an Algerian Jewish family in Constantine, Algeria, and played the guitar from childhood. His father, Sylvain Ghrenassia, was a violinist in an orchestra that played primarily maalouf, gaston started playing with the Cheikh Raymond Leyris Orchestra at age 15. He pursued a career as a teacher, but continued practicing the guitar. In 1961, the Algerian War of Independence was raging, gaston left Algeria with his wife, Suzy, on 29 July 1961, eleven months before the end of the Algerian War of Independence, and went into exile in mainland France. He has not been permitted to return to Algeria ever since, first living in Argenteuil, he eventually moved to Paris, where he decided to pursue a career in music. At first he tried translating into French the maalouf numbers which he already knew, later on, he developed a new French repertoire that he performed in cafés and cabarets. He remained, though, an interpreter of Arab-Andalusian music. He adopted the stage name Enrico Macias and made his first recording in 1962 after a meeting with Raymond Bernard of Pathé, the result was the recording of Adieu mon pays which he had composed for his beloved Algeria on the boat on his way to France. He appeared on French television and became an overnight sensation and this led to a first tour in 1963 as a second act with Paola and Billy Bridge. His daughter, Jocya, was born that year. In Turkey, many of his songs were translated and interpreted by Turkish artists. In 1965, he was awarded the Prix Vincent Scotto, and he also toured Japan and recorded titles in Spanish and Italian and was popular in both countries. His American debut, at a sold-out Carnegie Hall concert, took place on 17 February 1968 and he continued to tour the United States, singing in Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles. In Quebec, Canada he was welcomed as a francophone artist. In 1971, he returned to the Paris Olympia, then went to the Royal Albert Hall in London, a second US tour culminated in a concert at Carnegie Hall in 1972. In 1974, he gave ten shows at the Uris Theater on Broadway and he toured France and went twice to Israel in 1976 and 1978. He was invited to Egypt by the Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat to sing for peace and this came after Macias had been banned from Arab countries for many years, despite keeping his popularity with Arab and ethnic audiences in the Middle East and North Africa
24.
Johnny Stark (talent manager)
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Johnny Stark was one of the most dynamic imprésarios and producers in French show business. He is perhaps best known for working with Édith Piaf and representing Mireille Mathieu from the 1960s until his death in 1989, Stark was born in Huningue, the son of Colonel Stark, a prominent Alsatian military figure, and a Corsican mother, born Julie Chappuit. His mother died in Nice at the age of 33 years and he lived in Corsica until the age of 11, then the French Riviera, between Cagnes-sur-Mer and Antibes. He attended school in La Bocca, Cannes and his father became a horticulturist and had property in Cagnes. In 1941, he enlisted as a volunteer in North Africa, after the Second World War, he went to Hong Kong and returned to Cannes in May 1946. On August 15 of that year, he organized a The Night of Famous Stars at the stage of the Hespérides, in Cannes. It featured names such as Édith Piaf, Yves Montand, Lily Fayol, Reda Caire, Marie Bizet, Johnny Hess, Marcel Cerdan, Laurent Dauthuille, and Robert Charron. Johnny Stark then organized tours with Tino Rossi, Luis Mariano, Roger Pierre and Jean-Marc Thibault and he established the Théâtre de Verdure, where in 1947 he hired Édith Piaf. Loulou Gasté asked Stark to manage Line Renaud in 1949, Line Renaud and Gasté were married December 19,1950, attended by Stark. In the early 1960s, Johnny Hallyday, was at the forefront of the Yé-yé movement while under the guidance of Stark. In the 1960s, he worked with such as Michèle Torr, Martine Baujoud, and Mireille Mathieu. From 1967 to 1970, Johnny Stark was also responsible for the career of singer Michel Delpech and he suffered his first heart attack in 1972 while in Canada. In 1976, he organized François Valérys tour with Johnny Mathis at more than 60 venues across France, Stark was married twice, first to Nanou Taddéi, second to Nicole Bertho, with whom he had a daughter, Vincence. Nanou Taddéi worked for French Television Studio 102, and found out that Mireille Mathieu was in Paris on November 20,1965 and was going to sing the day on a competing program Song Parade. Régis Durcourt was the talent manager who invited Mireille to Paris to sing on the Guy Lux television program, Mathieus parents in Avignon received a telegram instructing them to locate Mireille and have her go to Studio 102 immediately for rehearsal, which she did. Roger Lanzac then forced her to choose between the two programs, and Mathieu chose his Game of Luck program, Johnny Stark saw that while she was raw, she was very photogenic on television. Together, Stark and Lazareff would often try some of the London tabloid techniques on the Parisians, Stark devoted the next two years to Mathieus apprenticeship by their constant touring. Starting in 1967 Johnny became a producer, with the name Les Editions Banco
25.
Yves Montand
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Ivo Livi, better known as Yves Montand, was an Italian-French actor and singer. Montand was born Ivo Livi in Monsummano Terme, Italy, to Giuseppina and Giovanni Livi, Giuseppina was a devout Catholic, while Giovanni held strong Communist beliefs. Montands family left for France in 1923 because of Italys Fascist regime and he grew up in Marseille, where, as a young man, he worked in his sisters beauty salon, and later on the docks. He began a career in business as a music-hall singer. In 1944, he was discovered by Édith Piaf in Paris, Montand went on to international recognition as a singer and actor, starring in numerous films. His recognizably crooner songs, especially those about Paris, became instant classics and he was one of the most famous performers at Bruno Coquatrixs famous Paris Olympia music hall, and toured with musicians including Didi Duprat. In October 1947, he sang Mais quest-ce que jai. at the Théâtre de lÉtoile, the composer of this song had him offer also sing Cest si bon he had written but Yves Montand refused. Following the success of the recording of song by the Sœurs Étienne in 1948. During his career, Montand acted in a number of American motion pictures as well as on Broadway and he was nominated for a César Award for Best Actor in 1980 for I comme Icare and again in 1984 for Garçon. The film was a critical hit and raised Montands profile in the US. In 1951, he married Simone Signoret, and they co-starred in several films throughout their careers, Montands only child, Valentin, his son by his second wife, Carole Amiel, was born in 1988. In a paternity suit that rocked France, another woman accused Montand of being the father of her daughter, Montand refused, but the woman persisted after his death. In a court ruling that made headlines, the woman won the right to have Montand exhumed. The results indicated that he was not the girls biological father. In an interview, Jean-Jacques Beineix said, e died on the set, on the very last day, after his very last shot. It was the very last night and we were doing retakes and he finished what he was doing and then he just died. And the film tells the story of an old man who dies from a heart attack, Montand is interred next to his first wife, Simone Signoret, in Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. International Jose Guillermo Carrillo Foundation Yves Montand at the Internet Movie Database Yves Montand at the Internet Broadway Database Yves Montand at Find a Grave
26.
Colonel Tom Parker
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Thomas Andrew Colonel Tom Parker was a Dutch-born American talent manager, best known as the manager of Elvis Presley. His management of Presley defined the role of masterminding talent management, Parkers healthy compensation has led some to question whether it came at the detriment of his client. While other managers took compensation in the range of 10–15 percent of earnings, Presley said of Parker, I dont think Id have ever been very big if it wasnt for him. For many years, Parker falsely claimed to have born in the United States. Parker was born in Breda, Netherlands, the seventh of 11 children in a Catholic family, as a boy, he worked as a barker at carnivals in his hometown, learning many of the skills that he would require in later life while working in the entertainment industry. At age 15, Parker moved to Rotterdam, gaining employment on the boats in the port town, at age 17, he first displayed signs of wanting to run away to America to make his fortune. A year later, with money to sustain him for a short period. During his first visit there, he traveled with a Chautauqua educative tent show, before returning briefly to the Netherlands. Alanna Nash would later write in The Colonel, her biography of him, Parker returned to America at age 20, finding work with carnivals due to his previous experience in the Netherlands. He enlisted in the United States Army, taking the name Tom Parker from the officer who interviewed him and he served two years in the 64th Coast Artillery, at Fort Shafter in Hawaii, and shortly afterwards re-enlisted at Fort Barrancas, Florida. Although Parker had served honorably before, he went AWOL this time and was charged with desertion. He was punished with solitary confinement, from which he emerged with a psychosis that led to two months in a hospital, and he was discharged from the Army due to his mental condition. Following his discharge, Parker worked at a number of jobs, including food concessions and he began to build up a list of contacts that would prove valuable in later years. In 1935, Parker married 27-year-old Marie Francis Mott and they struggled to survive through the Great Depression, working short cons and traveling the country seeking work. Parker would later claim that at times they had had to live on as little as $1 a week, Parker first became involved in the music industry as a music promoter in 1938, working with popular singer Gene Austin. Despite having sold over 86 million records since 1924 and earning over $17 million and he had wasted much of his fortune on partying, cars, mansions, and women, and his popularity had been eclipsed by new singers such as Bing Crosby. Parker, charged with the task of promoting the star, found the transition to be a smooth one, using much of his carny experience to sell tickets. He was a good promoter, but he had his sights set on management
27.
Elvis Presley
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Elvis Aaron Presley was an American singer and actor. Regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century, he is referred to as the King of Rock and Roll. Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, and relocated to Memphis and his music career began there in 1954, when he recorded a song with producer Sam Phillips at Sun Records. Accompanied by guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, Presley was a popularizer of rockabilly. RCA Victor acquired his contract in a deal arranged by Colonel Tom Parker, Presleys first RCA single, Heartbreak Hotel, was released in January 1956 and became a number-one hit in the United States. He was regarded as the figure of rock and roll after a series of successful network television appearances. In November 1956, Presley made his debut in Love Me Tender. In 1958, he was drafted into military service, in 1973, Presley featured in the first globally broadcast concert via satellite, Aloha from Hawaii. Several years of drug abuse severely damaged his health. Presley is one of the most celebrated and influential musicians of the 20th century and he won three Grammys, also receiving the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at age 36, and has been inducted into multiple music halls of fame. Presley was born on January 8,1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi, to Gladys Love and Vernon Elvis Presley, Jesse Garon Presley, his identical twin brother, was delivered stillborn 35 minutes before his own birth. Thus, as a child, Presley became close to both parents and formed an especially close bond with his mother. The family attended an Assembly of God, where he found his musical inspiration. Although he was in conflict with the Pentecostal church in his later years, rev. Rex Humbard officiated at his funeral, as Presley had been an admirer of Humbards ministry. Presleys ancestry was primarily a Western European mix, including Scots-Irish, Scottish, German, gladyss great-great-grandmother, Morning Dove White, was possibly a Cherokee Native American. Gladys was regarded by relatives and friends as the dominant member of the small family, Vernon moved from one odd job to the next, evincing little ambition. The family often relied on help from neighbors and government food assistance, the Presleys survived the F5 tornado in the 1936 Tupelo–Gainesville tornado outbreak. In 1938, they lost their home after Vernon was found guilty of kiting a check written by the landowner, Orville S. Bean and he was jailed for eight months, and Gladys and Elvis moved in with relatives
28.
Reginald Gray (artist)
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Reginald Gray was an Irish portrait artist. He studied at The National College of Art and then moved to London, becoming part of the School of London led by Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud and Frank Auerbach. In 1960, he painted a portrait of Bacon which now hangs in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London. In 1993 Gray had an exhibition at UNESCO Paris and in 2006, his portrait The White Blouse won the Sandro Botticelli Prize in Florence. Born in Dublin, Gray grew up on Grove Avenue in Blackrock and his father worked for the Guinness company. Gray studied at All Saints, Blackrock, the Blackrock Technical Institute, after a short period he left to study under Cecil ffrench Salkeld ARHA. At the age of nineteen Gray joined The Dublin Atelier, a group of painters who exhibited at The Dublin Painters Gallery. During this period Gray was inspired by the works of the French painter Bernard Buffet who had won the Prix de la critique. Gray had a studio on Leeson Street in the early 1950s, there he made a wash drawing of the artist Patrick Swift which he used as a base for a large canvas homage to the painter some years later. Grays first paid work was a commission by University College Dublin to design the setting, the lead in the play was given to the young actor-poet John Jordan. During the preparations and rehearsals Gray painted a portrait of Jordan which now hangs in the collection of The Dublin Writers Museum. At this point the artist Cecil ffrench Salkeld ARHA took an interest in Gray, Salkeld was visited by writers, painters and musicians, such as Brian ONolan, Arland Ussher, Francis Stuart, Marten Cumberland and John Beckett, cousin of Samuel. Gray painted John Beckett during this period and the portrait now hangs in St. Columbas College, Dublin, Gray became a close friend of Brendan Behan and was asked to be best man at Behans wedding. Gray designed many settings for The Pike Theatre including the production of The Rose Tattoo by Tennessee Williams. After the success in Dublin, the play was transferred to The Grand Opera House, Belfast and Gray travelled there to redesign, look Back in Anger by John Osborne was at the same time running at the Opera House and Gray befriended and sketched the leading actress Jocelyn Britton. Later he designed the sets for Nekrassov by Jean-Paul Sartre which was mounted at The Gate Theatre, Gray later went on a tour of Ireland with The Dublin Repertory Theatre Company designing their productions, including The Wood of the Whispering by M. J. Molloy. Gray moved to London in 1957 and lived near the Portobello market, needing more solitude to paint, Gray moved to Bayswater. He got a job in the department at Whiteleys department store designing and dressing their windows
29.
Olympia (Paris)
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Olympia is a music hall located in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France. 28, Boulevard des Capucines, its closest métro/RER stations are Madeleine, Opéra, Havre – Caumartin, co-Founded in 1888, by Joseph Oller and Charles Zidler, the co-creators of the Moulin Rouge, today easily recognizable by its giant red glowing letters announcing its name. It opened in 1889 as the Montagnes Russes but was renamed the Olympia in 1893, besides musicians, the Olympia played host to a variety of entertainment including circuses, ballets, and operettas. However, following a decline in appearances by the great stars. It may have opened as a music hall under the German occupation of France during World War II, but certainly in 1945 after the Liberation, it was a music hall free to Allied troops in uniform. Attendees had to listen to the playing of four national anthems before the programs that always ended with a spirited can-can performed by dancers. Thereafter, at times it may have reverted to movies again until Bruno Coquatrix revived it as a hall with a grand re-opening in February 1954. Édith Piaf achieved great acclaim at the Olympia giving several series of recitals from January 1955 until October 1962, before coming to America, the Beatles performed eighteen days of concerts at the Olympia Theatre, playing two and sometimes three shows a day. They were staying at the Hotel George V and after returning at the end of their first day, they were told that I Want To Hold Your Hand had reached number one in America. Jeff Buckley, long an admirer of Piaf, gave what he considered the finest performance of his there in 1995. Jacques Brels 1961 and 1964 concerts at LOlympia are legendary and preserved to this day on new CD releases, marlene Dietrichs 1962 Olympia concert was broadcast. On May 3–4,1972, The Grateful Dead played two concerts here as part of their first major European tour, both shows were recorded and songs from each were released on their 1972 live album Europe 72. Dave Gahan played concert here and it was released on the 2004 DVD, Live Monsters
30.
Bruno Coquatrix
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Bruno Coquatrix was mainly known as the owner and manager of the music hall Paris Olympia. He was instrumental in recognizing and exposing the talent of up-and-coming performers, Coquatrix was born in Ronchin, Nord. Bruno Coquatrix firstly made himself known as songs and music writer and he wrote over 300 songs, e. g. Mon ange, Clopin-clopant, Cheveux dans le vent ), as well as some operettas. He was the impresario of some French singers, e. g. Jacques Pills and he managed the variety theatre Bobino before he took over the Olympia, Europe’s biggest music hall in 1954. He also co-founded a records company, the Disques Versailles, an astute and successful businessman, he was very influential within the French musical world. He was also the mayor of Cabourg from 1971 until his death in Paris eight years later and he was the best man of Henri Betti in 1949 and André Hornez in 1963 who were the authors of Cest si bon. Coquatrix was buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery, les coulisses de ma mémoire Grasset & Fasquelle ISBN 2-246-31071-7 Jean-Michel Boris
31.
Paul Mauriat
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Paul Mauriat was a French orchestra leader, conductor of Le Grand Orchestre de Paul Mauriat, who specialized in the easy listening genre. He is best known in the United States for his remake of André Popps Love is Blue. Other recordings for which he is known include El Bimbo, Toccata, Love in Every Room/Même si tu revenais, Mauriat was born and grew up in Marseille, France. His father was an inspector who loved to play classical piano. Mauriat began playing music at the age of four and enrolled in the Conservatoire in Marseille at the age of 10, during World War II, Mauriat started his own dance band and toured concert halls throughout Europe. In the 1950s, he became director to at least two well-known French singers, Charles Aznavour and Maurice Chevalier, touring with them respectively. In 1957, Mauriat released his first EP Paul Mauriat, a four track RGM release, Mauriat composed the music for several French movie soundtracks, including Un Taxi Pour Tobrouk, Horace 62 and Faites Sauter La Banque. He wrote his first song with André Pascal, in 1958, they were prizewinners in the le Coq dor de la Chanson Française with Rendez-vous au Lavandou. Using the pseudonym of Del Roma, Mauriat was to have his first international hit with Chariot, in the United States the song was recorded as I Will Follow Him by Little Peggy March and became #1 on the Billboard charts in all categories for three weeks in 1963. In 1992, the song was featured prominently in the film Sister Act starring Whoopi Goldberg, more recently, Eminem included an extract in his song, Guilty Conscience. In 1965, Mauriat established Le Grand Orchestre de Paul Mauriat, in 1994, he signed with Japanese record company Pony Canyon, where he re-recorded some of his greatest hits and wrote new compositions. Mauriat recorded many of albums in both Paris and London, utilising several English classical musicians in these recordings. In 1968, his late 1967 cover of the André Popp/Pierre Cour tune “L’amour est bleu” became a number 1 hit in the US, the song spent five weeks at the top of the charts. Two other Mauriat singles also made the charts in the US —“Love in Every Room/Même si tu revenais” and the title theme from the movie Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang. “Love Is Blue” was the first instrumental to hit number 1 on the Billboard charts since the Tornados hit with “Telstar” in 1962, the success of the song and the album on which it appeared, Blooming Hits, established Mauriat as an international recording star. In 1969, Mauriat started his first world tour with his Grand Orchestra, visiting countries like the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, in 1970s and 1980s Mauriat released the entire albums that paid homage to his musical roots. Paul Mauriat joue Chopin, Classics in the Air features classical music, like Chopins Grande valse brillante, Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor”, Paul Mauriats phenomenon in Japan started in beginning of 1970s. He is only international artist who played two shows in one day at the famous arena Nippon Budokan in Tokyo
32.
En Direct de L'Olympia
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The arrangements and musical direction for this album were provided by the orchestra leader and composer Paul Mauriat. Together with songwriter André Pascal, they contributed Mon credo, Pourquoi mon amour, singles, and EPs from this album appeared in gatefold format. These records made Mireille a huge star in France, and Europe, the beautiful Mireille Mathieu sings about a man named Jai OStevens, and the grey area between the notion of love the idea of fixation. All of the songs were in French, and thus limited its success in English speaking countries
33.
Extended play
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An extended play is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single, but is usually unqualified as an album or LP. EPs generally do not contain as many tracks as albums, and are considered less expensive, an EP originally referred to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play and LP, but it is now applied to mid-length CDs and downloads as well. Ricardo Baca of The Denver Post said, EPs—originally extended-play single releases that are shorter than traditional albums—have long been popular with punk, in the United Kingdom, the Official Chart Company defines a boundary between EP and album classification at 25 minutes of length or four tracks. EPs were released in various sizes in different eras, the earliest multi-track records, issued around 1919 by Grey Gull Records, were vertically cut 78 rpm discs known as 2-in-1 records. These had finer than usual grooves, like Edison Disc Records, by 1949, when the 45 rpm single and 33 1⁄3 rpm LP were competing formats, seven-inch 45 rpm singles had a maximum playing time of only about four minutes per side. Partly as an attempt to compete with the LP introduced in 1948 by rival Columbia, RCA Victor introduced Extended Play 45s during 1952. Their narrower grooves, achieved by lowering the levels and sound compression optionally. These were usually 10-inch LPs split onto two seven-inch EPs or 12-inch LPs split onto three seven-inch EPs, either separately or together in gatefold covers. This practice became less common with the advent of triple-speed-available phonographs. Some classical music albums released at the beginning of the LP era were distributed as EP albums—notably the seven operas that Arturo Toscanini conducted on radio between 1944 and 1954. These opera EPs, originally broadcast on the NBC Radio network and manufactured by RCA, in the 1990s, they began appearing on compact discs. During the 1950s, RCA published several EP albums of Walt Disney movies and these usually featured the original casts of actors and actresses. Each album contained two seven-inch records, plus an illustrated booklet containing the text of the recording, so that children could follow along by reading. Some of the titles included Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, and what was then a recent release, because of the popularity of 7 and other formats, SP records became less popular and the production of SPs in Japan was suspended in 1963. In the 1950s and 1960s, EPs were usually compilations of singles or album samplers and were played at 45 rpm on seven-inch discs. Record Retailer printed the first EP chart in 1960, the New Musical Express, Melody Maker, Disc and Music Echo and the Record Mirror continued to list EPs on their respective singles charts. The Beatles Twist and Shout outsold most singles for some weeks in 1963, when the BBC and Record Retailer commissioned the British Market Research Bureau to compile a chart it was restricted to singles and EPs disappeared from the listings. In the Philippines, seven-inch EPs marketed as mini-LPs were introduced in 1970, with tracks selected from an album and this mini-LP format also became popular in America in the early 1970s for promotional releases, and also for use in jukeboxes
34.
Accordion
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Accordions are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type, colloquially referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist, the concertina and bandoneón are related, the harmonium and American reed organ are in the same family. The instrument is played by compressing or expanding the bellows while pressing buttons or keys, causing pallets to open and these vibrate to produce sound inside the body. Valves on opposing reeds of each note are used to make the instruments reeds sound louder without air leaking from each reed block. The performer normally plays the melody on buttons or keys on the manual. The accordion is widely spread across the world, nevertheless, in Europe and North America, some popular music acts also make use of the instrument. Additionally, the accordion is used in cajun, zydeco, jazz music. The piano accordion is the official city instrument of San Francisco, the oldest name for this group of instruments is harmonika, from the Greek harmonikos, meaning harmonic, musical. Today, native versions of the accordion are more common. These names refer to the type of accordion patented by Cyrill Demian, accordions have many configurations and types. Similar to a bow, the production of sound in an accordion is in direct proportion to the motion of the player. The bellows is located between the right- and left-hand manuals, and is made from pleated layers of cloth and cardboard, with added leather and metal. It is used to pressure and vacuum, driving air across the internal reeds and producing sound by their vibration. These boxes house reed chambers for the right- and left-hand manuals, each side has grilles in order to facilitate the transmission of air in and out of the instrument, and to allow the sound to better project. The grille for the manual is usually larger and is often shaped for decorative purposes. The right-hand manual is used for playing the melody and the left-hand manual for playing the accompaniment. The manual mechanism of the instrument either enables the air flow, or disables it, the different types have varying components. All instruments have reed ranks of some format, the most typical accordion is the piano accordion, which is used for many musical genres
35.
Neuilly sur Seine
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Neuilly-sur-Seine is a French commune just west of Paris, in the department of Hauts-de-Seine. A suburb of Paris, Neuilly is immediately adjacent to the city, the area is composed of mostly wealthy, select residential neighbourhoods, and many corporate headquarters are located there. Originally, Neuilly was a hamlet under the jurisdiction of Villiers. In 1224 another charter of Saint-Denis recorded the name as Lugniacum, in a sales contract dated 1266 the name was also recorded as Luingni. In 1316, however, in a ruling of the parlement of Paris, the name was recorded as Nully, in a document dated 1376 the name was again recorded as Nulliacum. Then in the centuries the name recorded alternated between Luny and Nully, and it is only after 1648 that the name was definitely set as Nully. The name spelt Neuilly after the French Academy standard of pronunciation of the ill as a y, various explanations and etymologies have been proposed to explain these discrepancies in the names of Neuilly recorded over the centuries. The original name of Neuilly may have been Lulliacum or Lugniacum, some interpret Lulliacum or Lugniacum as meaning estate of Lullius, probably a Gallo-Roman landowner. This interpretation is based on the many placenames of France made up of the names of Gallo-Roman landowners and these researchers contend that it is only after the fall of the Roman Empire and the Germanic invasions that the area of Neuilly was deforested and settled. Thus, they think that the name Lulliacum or Lugniacum comes from the ancient Germanic word lund meaning forest, akin to Old Norse lundr meaning grove, however, this interesting theory fails to explain why the d of lund is missing in Lulliacum or Lugniacum. Or perhaps the consonants were simply inverted under the influence of the settlements of France called Neuilly. On 1 January 1860, the city of Paris was enlarged by annexing neighbouring communes, on that occasion, a part of the territory of Neuilly-sur-Seine was annexed by the city of Paris, and forms now the neighbourhood of Ternes, in the 17th arrondissement of Paris. On 11 January 1867, part of the territory of Neuilly-sur-Seine was detached and merged with a part of the territory of Clichy to create the commune of Levallois-Perret. On 2 May 1897, the name officially became Neuilly-sur-Seine. However, most people continue to refer to Neuilly-sur-Seine as simply Neuilly, during the 1900 Summer Olympics, it hosted the basque pelota events. The American Hospital of Paris was founded in 1906, in 1919, the Treaty of Neuilly was signed with Bulgaria in Neuilly-sur-Seine to conclude its role in World War I. In 1929, the Bois de Boulogne, which was divided between the communes of Neuilly-sur-Seine and Boulogne-Billancourt, was annexed in its entirety by the city of Paris. It was the site of the Château de Neuilly, an important royal residence during the July Monarchy, Neuilly-sur-Seine is served by three stations on Paris Métro Line 1, Porte Maillot, Les Sablons and Pont de Neuilly
36.
London Palladium
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The London Palladium is a 2, 286-seat Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London, the theatre has also hosted the Royal Variety Performance a record 40 times, most recently in 2014. Walter Gibbons, an early manager, built the Palladium in 1910 to compete with Sir Edward Mosss London Hippodrome. The facade, dates back to the 19th century, formerly it was a temporary wooden building called Corinthian Bazaar, which featured an aviary and aimed to attract customers from the recently closed Pantheon Bazaar on Oxford Street. It then became the National Skating Palace – a skating rink with real ice, however the rink failed and the Palladium was redesigned by Frank Matcham, a famous theatrical architect who also designed the Coliseum, on the site that had previously housed Hengler’s Circus. The building now carries Heritage Foundation commemorative plaques honouring Lew Grade, the theatre retains many of its original features and was Grade II* listed in September 1960. The Palladium had its own telephone system so the occupants of boxes could call one another and it also had a revolving stage. The theatre started out as The Palladium, a venue for variety performances. In 1926, the pantomime starred Lennie Dean as Cinderella, footage of remains to this day. The theatre is especially linked to the Royal Variety Performances, where many were, in 1928, for three months the Palladium also ran as a cinema. Following this Cine-Variety episode the theatre fell dark for a period in the autumn of 1928. From 3 September 1928, the Palladium reopened under the directorship of the impresario/producer George Black as part of the General Theatre Corporation, when Black took control the theatre was close to bankruptcy. Before too long, under Blacks management the Palladium was soon gaining praise again as The Worlds Leading Variety Theatre, in 1935, Black initiated the Crazy Gang revues at the Palladium with Life Begins at Oxford Circus. The revues continued at the Palladium as an event until they transferred to the Victoria Palace theatre in 1940. Black managed the Palladium until his death in 1945, the climax of the 1935 Alfred Hitchcock spy thriller The 39 Steps was filmed at the Palladium. The theatre was hit by an unexploded German parachute mine on 11 May 1941, the device had fallen through the roof, becoming lodged over the stage. A Royal Navy bomb disposal team was sent to deal with it, after the mine was located, the fuze locking ring had to be turned to allow access to the fuze itself. Rather disconcertingly, the fuze began ticking as soon as it was touched and this caused a rapid evacuation of the immediate area, but the mine did not detonate
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Media related to Mireille Mathieu at Wikimedia Commons