Paris is a cradle of a multitude of cultural trends. It seems that it was designated so that it sheltered the best painters, renowned writers, brilliant thinkers.
From the Enlightenment, Paris has been chosen as that inspiring place to live, going through the long 19th century until the nouvelle vague. And until today, whose light and magic make it continue to be the scene of films, an eyewitness to great adventures and passions.
Paris has something in the air. It will be its streets, its history or simply, it is a delight to sit on one of its terraces to see and be seen. Its museums are well worth it, but there is also a bohemian halo of creativity.
And I say this because not only have I traveled it half a million times, but also, I lived over there recently. An opportunity passed in front of me and I did not hesitate for a moment to settle, for a few months, in the city of lights. Paris had always been an evocative and sensual place that had to be lived and so I did. I was not disappointed.
And it is not only a city connected to art, but music plays a fundamental role. Who cannot inspire Paris to? Through some stories, linked to music, I will teach you a somewhat more unknown but charming facet.
Jim Morrison, an American in Paris
There is a concept that is historically clear to us: Americans have absolute fascination for this side of the world. Old Lutetia, what we know today as Paris, is a town mythicized by Impressionism or the events of 1789, to give a few examples.
So Jim Morrison, leader of The Doors, decided to spend his last days in the big city. Possibly, it was not his intention to die here but there are things that cannot be chosen. An overdose made him appear lifeless in an apartment in Le Marais, one of the most charming neighborhoods in Paris, known for hosting the LGTBI community. This is how it went to swell the coveted and apocalyptic list of the 27 club.
Mysteriously, and according to gossip, he had informed his loved ones of the intention of being buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery, in the 20th district. And we would say that he is the main star there and following his will, despite the fact that authorities such as Oscar Wilde, Honoré de Balzac or Molière share the holy field with him.
Without a doubt, necrotourism in this city is especially widespread. Do not lose sight of it because you will be able to admire, even if posthumously, the tombs of famous people at all levels.
Hôtel Costes: The Mecca of Lounge Music
An unparalleled phenomenon was the one that happened on the four walls of the Hôtel Costes. Stephane Pompougnac gave a twist to the bar of this luxurious hotel, which is located in one of so many golden miles of the French capital: Rue Saint-Honoré, side by side with Chanel, Chopard and other haute-couture brands.
After having trained as a DJ, in what was Café Costes and with strong roots inspired by the music of renowned and devotional venues such as Café del Mar in Ibiza, he put the ball room upside down, creating the most magical nights in Paris, where everything the world wanted to be.
The hotel itself is spectacle: a charming Haussmanian building where the charm of those elegant buildings is enclosed, with its carriage steps and its lintelled and neatly decorated doors. Classic reference point in luxury and design hotel guides, which you dream of going to but don’t know yet.
Until 2011, the famous DJ played there countless nights, creating one of the most precious record materials for lovers of lounge and chill out music.
As the music market changed with the incursion of digital, they decided to drop the curtain on production issues, but the hotel continues to offer unforgettable evenings of the best music of the moment. It remains the place of beautiful Parisian people and will continue forever. The Hôtel Costes brand sells itself.
The Silent Club: David Lynch for just a few
Paris’ exoticism does not cause indifference in anyone, least of all Lynch’s genius. Not only has he taken the opportunity to record a shot of Twin Peaks, one of his most media works, but there are a couple of places directly linked to him.
As a man of the Renaissance that he is, other artistic disciplines could not escape him so easily. In this case, lithography is one of the areas where he stands out, being able to see (and acquire) his work in the Idem gallery, in the heart of the Montparnasse neighborhood.
But through the development of other activities besides audiovisual production, he made the decision to open a meeting point at 142 Rue Montmatre, called Club Silencio.
It is not easy to enter, in fact, the opening to the public is from midnight but it is possible to have an annual membership, as long as you also have a creative vocation. The look is really fiercely reminiscent of Mulholland Drive but far from being a cocktail bar, and s a space for cultural synergy.
Of course, the musical and film elite always drop as well as they host very, very exclusive concerts.
Only David Lynch could generate something so special in a city like Paris.
Serge Gainsbourg: je t’aime, moi non plus
The French singer represents one of the standards of the French country. Possibly, the recent history of France is not understood without its figure. You need a man made to your character: cursed, iconic singer, pro Parisian. Womanizer, conflictive, addicted to everything possible. Tormented, sensitive, rascal.
It was not uncommon to see him next to Dalí dining at the appreciated Aux Anysetiers restaurant, located on the Ile de Saint-Louis, the most expensive square meter in all of Paris. It was also not uncommon at any party, public or private, until the end of its days.
But, if there is a living and tangible memory it is the one that was his house from 1969 to 1991, the year of his death. On rue de Verneuil, we can see murals that extol, if possible, the figure of Serge. Many of us would pay to go through the door and observe for a moment what life was like in the heart of the Saint Germain-des-Près neighborhood, one of the most beautiful in Paris, in my view.
The spontaneous exaltation of art on these walls should be well protected and it would be wonderful if this precious place was ever museumized. Not far away, we would find the Bistrot de Paris, where he regularly spent time at table 46. It was his neighborhood, the Rive Gauche, where the Seine divides the city between intellectuality and glamor.
His remains, like those of many other artists, reside in the Montparnasse Cemetery.
Paris, scene of video clips
We cannot go through something the presence of Paris or surroundings in certain audiovisual material: video clips.
One of the most notable Gallic groups is Phoenix. Originally from Versailles, they have never denied their roots. In one of their live shows, we could see how they played in the middle of the imperial gardens, possibly one of the jewels of the palatial enclosure.
But here is not this. The fascination for the classic among Americans is somewhat well known and Lana Del Rey herself recorded at the Fontainebleau, another of the region’s best-known palaces, the video clip for Born to Die. Brilliant promotion, no doubt.
But as always, what we like the most are the songs that talk about it, the city par excellence. Many artists, local and foreign, have found inspiration in it. Whether they are neighborhoods, streets or just its name: Paris.
We leave you the compilation specially created to enjoy reading this article:
Au revoir …
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