Seek French songs mentioning VietNam

Subject: Seek French songs mentioning VietNam
From: Mrrzy
Date: 24 Jun 09 - 03:06 PM

I'm going to be teaching a French immersion kids' camp this summer, and we're going to be doing a theme of traveling through the francophone world - I know lots of songs about France and a few about Cote d'Ivoire, but does anybody know any that are about, or at least mention, VietNam or Indochina? Even in English the only one I can think of is Still in Saigon, obviously not appropriate. Thanks!

Subject: RE: Seek French songs mentioning VietNam
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 24 Jun 09 - 03:31 PM

No, can't help..but you could certainly include parts of US..obviously Louisiana, but also Maine and a few other northern states..they like being called Franco-Americans rather than French Canadians. I was told in Maine that Maine and one other state..New Hampshire? were officially the only bilingual states in US..but that was a while ago.

Also Iran has lots of ties with France, especially since many escaped or ended up there in recent times. Also Haiti of course. mg

Subject: RE: Seek French songs mentioning VietNam
From: Monique
Date: 24 Jun 09 - 08:03 PM

I don't know about English but I don't think they are lots of them in French. One I can think about is Josephine Baker (YouTube)'s La petite Tonkinoise (lyrics) though it's no kids' song.

It's hard to put a request "Song Indochine" into Google because Indochine is the name of a French rock group.
There are army songs (lyrics only) from the colonial period but you wouldn't want to teach them any of them I suppose. Nobody would!

When I was a kid, we used to recite...

"Connaissez-vous Nénette Rintintin
Qui habite au Tonkin?
Son bateau a chaviré,
Nénette Rintintin s'est noyée
Dans une barque en papier"

... as a counting-out rhyme

Subject: RE: Seek French songs mentioning VietNam
From: Mrrzy
Date: 24 Jun 09 - 08:17 PM

Yeah, I'm trying to avoid war songs, it isn't easy!

Subject: RE: Seek French songs mentioning VietNam
From: Peace
Date: 24 Jun 09 - 08:42 PM

Have you considered contacting the French Ambassador to Vietnam? His name is Herve Bolot. You would likely get some help from him.

Subject: RE: Seek French songs mentioning VietNam
From: Mrrzy
Date: 24 Jun 09 - 10:42 PM

Well, I found something from Indochina, about rice falling and the boy with no hair, that seems to be OK...