French
360 Pick: Rotary Downs Plays On
Hurricanes and oil spills won’t stopthis New Orleans band. They embrace city’s gumbo-like spirit layering each tune with a jillion textures and the odd horn riff. Through it all, they never lose their rock n’roll cred. Take ‘Montrez-Vous:’ it’s got a seriously danceable hard-driving percussion but also includes xylophone, cowbell, maracas, bongos, organ, and a […]
Purists don’t like this mix of Acadian French and English, but it may be helping the French language in Canada
If you want to upset French language purists, learn to speak Chiac. It’s a dialect of Acadian French spoken in New Brunswick that borrows liberally from English. Even as other North American dialects and languages are vanishing, Chiac seems to be sticking around.
In Maine, a little French goes a long way
Fifty years ago, kids caught speaking French in Maine schools might be punished. Today, schools are teaching it to help young people regain their heritage, in a state where 20 percent have a Franco-American background.Fifty years ago, kids caught speaking French in Maine schools might be punished. Today, schools are teaching it to help young people regain their heritage, in a state where 20 percent have a Franco-American background.
What the French president’s affair and separation say about love, politics and French culture
This weekend, French President François Hollande confirmed that he is separating from his partner Valérie Trierweiler. The French seemed to shrug at the news of Hollande’s affair with actress Julie Gayet, seeing love and politics as separate. But France’s neighbors and its former colonies don’t necessarily agree.