The summer storm from Québec - Céline Dion

Originally I had thought about writing a rather lengthy introduction full of biographical details, to introduce Céline Dion’s French language material, but then again, I just thought that people have already been exposed to every imaginable detail of her life as to have reached the point of saturation a long time ago. From her humble beginnings as the languid, shy little girl from a poor rural Québecois family to local star to a gradually more admired (and successful) pop diva, Céline’s joys and tribulations are more than well-known by all – even those who would rather listen to a snoring, grunting bear than to one of her songs.

In spite of her eventual massive success and the admittedly clinical nature of her English language albums (which should be credited as marvels of technology, since the only human-produced sound in them is her impeccable soprano voice – the rest seem to be mostly remnants of a distant galactic battle), Céline has kept an earthiness and vivaciousness that only appear to emerge when she sings in her native tongue, and is given something more than affected, deliberately melodramatic ballads. Which is perfectly fine, but at 70-minute lengths it does become grating, especially since most of them are just plain awful.

La Dion's voice reminds me of a Summer storm: you know, one of those sudden explosions of deafening rain, fresh air and roaring thunder that seem to be a celebration of life and are there to remind us that there's always something magical and unexpected lurking underneath the boredom of daily life.

Anyway, it would seem that Céline is only given the material she deserves with the frequency she should have it when she prepares a French language album :-(. In these albums, which explore every imaginable musical style from the perspective of a mellow, yet somewhat dressed up pop/rock folksiness that would scare the average every girl, but suits a sophisticated, mundane diva like Céline marvellously, she blossoms into a passionate, carefree chanteuse whose immense sensitivity vibrates in every note, giving meaning and life to every single word, giving a purpose to every loud cheer or hopeless cry (ugh, not again! It looks like a have one of my cheesy days ;-P).



Anyway, I just wanted to share with you some of Céline’s amazing French language songs, but first got to buy her albums, well, anywhere! :-D Or else go to Amazon, that’s always a safe bet ;-).

Destin/Destiny

This wondrous acoustic rock song is, like most of Céline's French output, strongly influenced by folk. It also happens to be my second favourite song from hers. The lyrics are extremely beautiful and poetic, but what truly makes them shine are first, the otherworldly melody (which is simply magical), and second, Céline's extremely passionate delivery. Released as part of her legendary 1994 album D’Eux/The French Album -a record breaker in every sense-, this song ought to have been a single, but remains as one of her brightest undiscovered gems. It is, needless to say, beyond beautiful. No words are worthy of describing it.

Dans Un Autre Monde/In Another World

This is a notoriously old-fashioned song that vaguely reminds me of Van Halen’s only tolerable moment, ‘Jump!’ Only, it is rather poppy and wasn’t written to suit Céline’s voice – its creator, Jean Jacques Goldman, decided that the 1998 album S’Il Suffisait D’Aimer/If Loving Each Other Was Enough would be made as if it were to be sung by himself. The contrast between the rough, almost aggressive melodies, the percussion rich instrumentation and Céline’s silvery soprano is amazing, and makes this album one of her brightest moments.

Tout L'Or Des Hommes/All The Gold Of Men

This gorgeous rock song is one of the many highlights of Céline’s somewhat laughable attempt at going ‘edgy’, 1 Fille Et 4 Types/A Girl and 4 Blokes. However, I would like to note that this isn’t laughable because it’s bad in any way. Quite the contrary, the songs are some of the best she’s ever sung. It’s just that watching a performer of Céline’s stature mirroring petty Britney wannabes in Joan Jett disguise (Avril Lavigne anyone?) in the album’s booklet is a bit strange, to say the least.

Quand On N'a Que L'Amour/When We Only Have Love

This live performance of the Jacques Brel classic is one of La Dion’s most impressive feats, because she manages to sum up a storm without resorting to belting the explosive high notes for which she’s famous. I know that this may sound a bit embarrassing, but the first time I heard this I was moved to tears – it is simply superb, and the lyrics are just wonderful. This is one of the few songs that manage to be inspirational without being laughably trite, as it truly awakens feelings of brotherhood and solidarity within one. Gorgeous.

Sous Le Vent/Under the Wind - duet with Garou

To close the selection, I've chosen this MASSIVE hit from 2000. It is a very melancholic ballad that’s basically pushed by both Garou’s raspy vocals and Céline’s majestic presence, which lifts it to the level of an epic love song. Even though it isn’t the most complex of songs in terms of melody and arrangement, it nevertheless preserves a certain ‘earthiness’ that makes it irresistible, giving an emotional depth to it that few other songs could have. Beautiful!