Here is a very short text by Coquelin cadet I found among the new documents published on the digital library Gallica today morning. It is signed under the pseudonym "Pirouette" and is taken from "Le Livre des convalescents" published in 1885. Coquelin writes about talking mannequins featuring a phonograph that could be placed inside the trains. … Continue reading Talking robots in a French short story from 1885
How about collecting records?
How about collecting records? A visionary article published in 1926 in French newspaper Comoedia. Source: Gallica.
From Alger to Antananarivo – A selection of 78rpm records from Africa
This selection of 26 songs taken from my 78rpm record collection was created for the Paris Music Library. It is a subjective and modest journey through Africa’s sound heritage. It doesn’t aim at offering an exhaustive overview of the various forms of music that have been recorded on the African continent before the vinyl era. … Continue reading From Alger to Antananarivo – A selection of 78rpm records from Africa
A video interview given to the French National Library (BnF)
Here is a video made by the French National Library (BnF) where I talk about Gallica's sound collections, Malagasy 78rpm records and my mapping project Disquaires de Paris... Check also this interview published on Gallica's blog.
Sound heritage and Azeri folk music: a guest contribution in the French Huffington Post
As part of the 2015 European Heritage Days, the French Huffington Post invited the team of the BnF's digital library Gallica to become a one-day community manager. For this occasion, several "Gallicanautes" (these intensive users of Gallica sharing their finds online) were invited to publish an article about a document of their choice. I chose to write … Continue reading Sound heritage and Azeri folk music: a guest contribution in the French Huffington Post
Dites 78 !
Luc Frelon, radio host of a show called "Dites 33 !" on French radio FIP, invited me to talk about my collection and play a few records for a special "Dites 78 !". You can listen to the show here => https://www.fip.fr/emissions/dites-33-sur-fip/2015/special-dites-78-jalal-aro-thomas-henry-04-24-2015-21-00
Discovering the lost record stores of Paris
As a collector of 78rpm records, I often come across visual evidences of the activity of now disappeared record stores: illustrated sleeves, stickers, stamps, advertisements, postcards. That’s how I discovered that there used to be a lot of record stores all around Paris and had the idea of Disquaires de Paris. I wanted to provide … Continue reading Discovering the lost record stores of Paris
New Year’s 78 rpm records selection
I wish I could have posted more on Ceints de bakélite in 2014... Before this year ends, here is a new selection of 78 rpm records from my collection. Enjoy! Timothee Tibo Essombe - Moni Ma Man I didn't find any information about Timothee Tibo Essombe, the performer of this catchy song from Cameroon in … Continue reading New Year’s 78 rpm records selection
March selection
It's been long time since I haven't posted anything on the blog, even though I have bought some great 78s in the past months. Instead of writing a long article as usual, I decided this time to share with you a selection of recordings from my collection. I only wrote a very short description for … Continue reading March selection
Sonar Senghor et ses Siccos – Samsee
Senghor might sound as a familiar name to you: Maurice Sonar Senghor was indeed the nephew of Léopold Sédar Senghor, the first President of Senegal after the country's independance. Maurice Sonar Senghor was born in 1926 in Dakar into an aristocratic family. In the mid 40's he moved to Paris, where he quickly dropped out … Continue reading Sonar Senghor et ses Siccos – Samsee
Ceints de bakélite 