Rock and politics: Carte de Séjour

INA00714

Note

Rock and politics: Carte de Séjour

Collection title

Reportage rock

INA00714

Source

INA (FR)

First broadcast date

01/24/1987

Production year

1986

Abstract

Report dedicated to the group "Carte de Séjour" (Residence Permit), filmed in its intimacy of Lyon. In a cafe, Rachid and his friends "beurs" are talking about their music, their appellation of 'bougnoules'(gooks), they take as new titles of nobility. They sing "Douce France", a free adaptation of Charles Trenet' s song. A mix of interviews and concert excerpts.

Type

video

Production companies

Rapido Média (RAPIM) - Own production

Broadcaster

FTV - F2

Audiovisual form

Interview

Primary theme

Art, Culture and Knowledge

Secondary themes

Art, Culture and Knowledge / Music and songs
Society and way of life / Migrations

Credits / Cast

Carte de Sejour Rock group - Interpreter

Period of events

1986

Map locations

France - South East - Lyon

Original language

French

Media running time

2m57

Additional information

Mandat Rapido Media

Context

Rock and politics: Carte de Séjour – INA00714

Yvan Gastaut

Broadcast on January 24, 1987, this report, part of the program Rock Report presented by Antoine de Caunes on Antenne 2 between 1986 and 1987 (changed to the better known name of Rapido, broadcast on TF1 then Canal + from 1987 till 1992), presents the band Carte de Séjour (which means “Residence Permit”). This French rock band, created in Lyon in 1980 by Rachid Taha, Djamel Dif, Mokhtar Amini, Mohamed Amini and Eric Vaquer (replaced in 1982 by Jérôme Savy), had just achieved a surprising success in 1986 (especially on the FM band) with an Arab-sounding cover version of Charles Trenet’ s Douce France.

A few years after the success of the 1983 March for Equality and against Racism, these youth, mainly of Maghrebi origins, became popular representatives of the “Beur generation”. Despite the parallel rise of the National Front, the French, singing along this “fusion” cover version of one of the most significant songs of their heritage, written under the Vichy regime, demonstrate their willingness to accept and appreciate cultures of immigrant origins.

In this report, made up of interviews and concert excerpts, the band members are filmed as they go about their everyday lives in Lyon. In a coffee shop, Rachid Taha and his friends of North African descent are discussing their music and being ironic about the word “bougnoule” clinging to them and which they consider as a nobility title.

At a time when Raï is a success in France, Carte de Séjour takes on major importance on the French musical scene, constantly played on the FM band, shown on television, and attracting large audiences in various concerts. In the difficult conditions of the 1980’s in terms of immigration, the band advocated the concepts of integration and tolerance. Carte de Séjour broke up in 1990. Its leader, Rachid Taha began a solo career with unfailing success ever since.

Bibliography

Bouzaine Daoudi and Hadj Miliani, Beurs’ melodies, a hundred years of immigrant songs in France, Paris, Séguier, 2003.