Finding Vietnamese 78rpm records is not that easy, even though a lot of them were pressed here in France during the colonial period, when Vietnam was still part of French Indochina. This one comes from a lot I bought from another collector in Paris. Thanks to Haji Maji and Excavated Shellac blogs, I was already familiar with … Continue reading Ngọc Bảo – Cô Tú, a Vietnamese 78rpm
Oea-Oea, an Exotica track by Dick Elgg and his Tahitians on 78 rpm record
This blog has been inactive for a few months... Well, I have often lacked time to post something, or was sometimes just too lazy and prefered listening to my records rather than writing about them. I'm back now and will try to be more dilligent ! As the weather is getting cold here in Paris, … Continue reading Oea-Oea, an Exotica track by Dick Elgg and his Tahitians on 78 rpm record
Sadan Adanali – Aman Adanali, a Turkish folk song on 78 rpm record
Here is a record found in a box of 78s I bought in a flea market near my place a few months ago. "Aman Adanali" (Aman Adanalı in Turkish) is a well known anonymous folk song in Turkey, as evidenced by the numerous old and modern versions that can be found on Youtube. This one was performed by the singer … Continue reading Sadan Adanali – Aman Adanali, a Turkish folk song on 78 rpm record
Cosmos Elegy (コスモスの悲歌) A mysterious Japanese waltz on 78 rpm record
I did my best but hardly found any information about this melancholic waltz from a Victor Japan record... With patience (and a very useful online dictionary), I managed to decipher the Japanese characters on the label. Here is what I discovered : The song is called "Cosmos Elegy" (コスモスの悲歌, Cosmos referring in that case to a … Continue reading Cosmos Elegy (コスモスの悲歌) A mysterious Japanese waltz on 78 rpm record
Orquesta Típica Bianco-Bachicha – Angustia (Tango) on 78 rpm record
Even though Buenos-Aires is the birthplace of Tango, Paris played a major role in the history of this dance and musical style. To be more precise, Paris was one the place where Tango evolved from a controversial subculture to a popular and "respectable" artistic movement. Since its appearance in the second half of the 19th … Continue reading Orquesta Típica Bianco-Bachicha – Angustia (Tango) on 78 rpm record
Zé e Zilda – Olha o côco Sinhá (Samba) on 78 rpm record
I bought this record a few days ago in a very nice place called "La Phonogalerie", a huge shop devoted to phonographs and 78 rpm records located in the north of Paris, near Montmartre. I found a few Brazilian records there, mostly samba songs of the early 50's. My favourite one, "Olha o côco Sinhá" … Continue reading Zé e Zilda – Olha o côco Sinhá (Samba) on 78 rpm record
Watanabe Hamako – Shina No Yoru (China night / She Ain’t Got No Yoyo) on 78 rpm record
I listen to this record quite often, but I only discovered recently that this song called Shina No Yoru (支那の夜, which means "China night") had a special and controversial story. It was actually not so easy to find out who was its original performer, so that I had to make several researches to make this … Continue reading Watanabe Hamako – Shina No Yoru (China night / She Ain’t Got No Yoyo) on 78 rpm record
Alphonso et son orchestre typique antillais – Oye, mes z’amis… on 78 rpm record
This track called "Oye, mes z'amis..." is a samba performed by Louis-Jean Alphonse, aka Aljean and Alphonso, and his orchestra. I didn't find a lot of information about this musician, who was born in 1905 in Martinique, a French island in the Caribbean Sea. According to this short biography, Alphonso started playing the piano in … Continue reading Alphonso et son orchestre typique antillais – Oye, mes z’amis… on 78 rpm record
A Russian version of La Cucaracha (Кукарачча) on 78 rpm record
In the summer of 2007, I spent a few weeks travelling in Armenia. Finding some records there was not so easy... At the end of my journey in the capital city Yerevan, I went to the antiques market and spent two hours searching everywhere and asking and asking again if there was anyone selling records. … Continue reading A Russian version of La Cucaracha (Кукарачча) on 78 rpm record
Zhou Xuan (周璇) – The flower on my chest (襟上一朵花) on 78 rpm record
I bought this 78 rpm record in 2008 in the antique market of Chengdu, in China. This sweet jazzy stuff was performed in the early 40's by famous Chinese actress and singer Zhou Xuan (more information here), who was one of the most popular artist in the last years of the pre-communist era in China. … Continue reading Zhou Xuan (周璇) – The flower on my chest (襟上一朵花) on 78 rpm record
Ceints de bakélite 