France: Fête de la musique adapts to the Covid-19 pandemic

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Marked by the health crisis due to the coronavirus and the death of Steve Maia Caniço last year, the Fête de la Musique, organized everywhere in France, takes on a particular aspect this year.

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This year, the Fête de la musique in France will be like no other. Upset by the Covid-19 crisis, this June 21, 2020, supposed to be a day of assembly and street party, will have a completely different face.

Jack Lang , the creator of the Fête de la musique, dedicated the 2020 edition to Steve Caniço , this 24-year-old extracurricular presenter who died in Nantes during a controversial police operation last year, when the news was marked by mobilizing against police violence. "  The death of this music lover [...]  forever mourns the Fête de la musique. Steve is in my heart,  "said the former Minister of Culture in particular.

In addition to this fatal anniversary, the global pandemic of Covid-19 makes it impossible to gather, therefore concerts, of more than 10 people on the public highway. Mobile concerts, floating stage, digital migration or celebration on the balconies… Artists and French people must therefore show their imagination.

Traveling concerts, for a reduced audience or online

The Philharmonie de Paris, for example, has organized the first recital with audiences since mid-March in the large Pierre Boulez hall, with a capacity of 2,400 people, with pianist Khatia Buniatishvili before an audience reduced to 800 people.

But in most of France, it was the idea of ​​mobile or online concerts that most appealed. Thus, Jean-Michel Jarre announced that he was going to play live Sunday, June 21, "as  an avatar, as in Matrix  ", in a virtual universe where he can be joined "  by the avatars of spectators in total immersion  ", a world first .

For its part, the Les Francofolies festival, canceled like the overwhelming majority of major summer festivals, will put music programming online.

And in other cities such as La Rochelle, Pau, Nancy and even Metz, vehicles have been requisitioned to criss-cross cities with music, allowing residents to celebrate this day from their home.

Consequences of confinement, the live performance world has been hit hard by the pandemic and considers itself to be the “  big loser  ” of the crisis. Unfortunately, it is not with the Fête de la Musique, or in the coming days, that they will be able to return to normal. Despite the reopening of the rooms, authorized from Monday June 22 in Ile-de-France, social distancing measures remain, with in particular the separation of spectators by a seat if they do not belong to the same group.

(With AFP )

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