A musical fair and fun for all as Kandy Alliance Francaise celebrates Fete de la Musique
Director Mickael Lenglet
Celebrating their 50th Anniversary, the Alliance Francaise de Kandy has planned 50 events this year. Fete de la Musique (Festival of Music) also known as Faites de la Musique (make music), in Kandy on June 24 which saw enthusiastic participation, was one of these events.
Director of the Alliance Francaise de Kandy, Mickael Lenglet explained that this popular music festival started in France and is now celebrated worldwide on June 21. “Alliance Francaise is a worldwide institution recognized by the French Government but we don’t belong to France! We are a Sri Lankan non-profit organization and we have to find our own funds. For this purpose we conduct French language classes, receive membership fees, hold book exhibitions and sales to pay our teachers, staff, rent, all other expenses and funding of our events. We are self-financed. Volunteer teachers from France are invited to teach the French language at the Alliance Francaise. People have a misconception – that the Alliance Francaise is a rich organization! The aim of the Alliance Francaise is to share both Sri Lankan and Francophone cultures and to promote the French language,” said the Director.
The concept of an all-day musical celebration on the day of the summer solstice was originally the idea of a French Minister of Culture, Jack Lang in 1982. He was the founder and producer of the Festival du Monde in Nancy, France. Since 1982, people celebrate the summer solstice on June 21 (the longest day in summer), offering free concerts in the streets, bars and restaurants everywhere in France - in villages, small towns and large cities. The festival takes the form of a concert in carnival spirit with people organizing street parades, enjoying the music and dancing.
See Sharp performing with Ellie Jones
This is all free of charge. There is one condition, said the Director. “Artistes and the restaurants, pubs or any other place where this festival is celebrated should not take money. It is a free event for all to enjoy.”
During the past years the festival was celebrated at the premises of the Alliance Francaise de Kandy with the students and a French Band. This year, keeping with the objective of the Fete de la Musique, the location was changed to the front terrace of the HQ Restaurant in Kandy facing the main road, to enable more people to participate and enjoy the music with the local music group ‘See Sharp’.
There were students, parents, guests numbering about 100 and even passers-by who stepped in to enjoy the music, dancing and the food! “This was the idea,” said the Director.
Ellie Jones, a British teacher teacher at the Colombo International School,(CIS) Kandy, was the first to sing with the band See Sharp. Their songs included Imagine by John Lennon with other English songs, Mal Madahasa Peedena, a Sinhala song and a French song, Je Veux. Next, students sang in groups, duets and solo. The time for the open mic (open stage) was announced, where people were encouraged to sing. It was an opportunity for students or anyone present to show their talents.