Y ears before she released the global hit “Je Veux”, Zaz per- formed, to the accompani- ment of acoustic instruments, in a perfectly free, creative space. In the bohemian quarter of Paris, in its northern part, which was the centre of artistic life in the 19 th century, she left with an impres- sive biography. While Parisians and tourists from all over the world enjoyed her voice, they didn’t know that this street singer had from the ages of five to 11 attended the Conservatoire de Tours, that she’d studied music theory, of the violin, piano, guitar and choral singing, and that she won a re- gional council scholarship to study at CI- AM, the Centre for Musical Activities and Information, in Bordeaux. And why was Montmartre so appeal- ing to Zaz? The hill from which a view over Paris unfolds, the counterpart of Belgrade’s Skadarlija, hence the friendship of these two twinned bohemian quarters that dates back to 1977 and was renewed in 2017. The highest part of the city, reaching an elevation topped only by the Eiffel Tow- er, is adorned by the Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Sacré-Cœur), which was built in the
19 th century as a sign of gratitude to God for saving Paris from destruction during the Franco-Prussian War. Another important detail of the ar- chitectural history of this quarter is the 12 th -century Church of Saint-Pierre de Montmartre, but at its heart are its atel- ier studios, galleries and museums that preserve the secrets of Edgar Degas and Claude Monet. These prominent painters created masterpieces and changed the course of art a century before Zaz stepped foot on the cobblestones of Montmartre. In this place tailored to artists, this singer felt at home from the very start. “The energy that’s provided by the public on the street is wonderful. That pos- itive feeling takes me and then I’m happy as I sing for them,”said Zaz on one occasio n Imagine the kind of energy and inspira- tion offered to this hill in Paris when, during the epoch of prosperity, from 1871 to 1914, the likes of Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gogh, Isidora Duncan and Salvador Dali gathered here! The taverns there aren’t regular es- tablishments either, as they are adorned with paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and if you head to just below Montmarte, you will come across the Moulin Rouge, the
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