Edith Piaf records showcase the Little Sparrow’s Legacy

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Edith Piaf records showcase the Little Sparrow’s Legacy
by Alexis Andrews - December 14, 2008

The Little Sparrow, Edith Piaf

There was a French film festival in the town cinemas recently and I went to see La Vie En Rose, the biopic on legendary French singer Edith Piaf, directed by Olivier Dahan. The story follows the French singer’s life from early childhood to her death in 1963. Piaf was portrayed by Marion Cotillard, who won the 2008 Academy Award for her stunning performance. Even more stunning was the utter lack of knowledge I had previously had on Edith Piaf, who is “almost universally regarded as France’s greatest popular singer”.

Hers is a rags-to-riches story. Born to a cafe singer (mother) and a street acrobat (father), Edith Piaf was born in 1915 in Belleville, Paris and began singing in public at age 14, in acrobatic street performances all over France. In 1935, the owner of a popular Parisian nightclub named Louis Leplee discovered Edith Piaf and nicknamed her “The Little Sparrow”, in reference to her talent and height. (Edith Piaf stood below five feet.) Singing about romance, sex, death, drug addiction and grimness that alluded to her past experiences in life, her powerful voice and raw emotions never failed to mesmerize the people, and she thus became an immediate hit not only to the audiences on the streets but also to the chic Paris crowds. The fact that her taboo songs were not very friendly to the radio didn’t deter her from achieving success and fame. However, in 1936, tragedy struck when Leplee was murdered and Piaf was called for questioning; she was accused of being an accessory.

She was eventually acquitted, and rose again to become France’s most popular entertainer. During World War II, she won the hearts of Nazis, which then gave her access to the French prisoners of war, many of whom she helped escape. After the war, Edith Piaf began to tour the world, including the United States, where after achieving little success, the people warmed up to her and invited her to appear in Carnegie Hall and the Ed Sullivan Show.

The appeal of Edith Piaf was magnificent and crossed over linguistic and cultural boundaries. She is considered one of the major icons of world music, with a legacy that lives on today and a distinct musical style that can be tied to cabaret and torch songs. She has influenced a host of international stars, not the least of which are Louis Armstrong, Josephine Baker, Johnny Hallyday, and Liza Minnelli. Her contemporaries include French singers Frehel, Berthe Sylva, Damia, Jacqueline Francois, Barbara, Lucienne Boyer, and Francoise Hardy. Moreover, she cultivated several songwriters and helped jumpstart their careers.

Among the most popular “Edith Piaf” records are La Vie en Rose, Milord, Hymne a L’Amour, Les Trois Cloches, and Non Je Ne Regrette Rien. Edith Piaf CDs that can help today’s generation become more familiar with her work include The Voice of the Sparrow and L’Accordeoniste, which is a collection of lesser-known Edith Piaf records.

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