The evacuation of the town of Grindavik, in Iceland, reminds us of a singular mythology of disasters and love metaphors.
It is undoubtedly the most famous volcano in French song, with this terribly strong – even threatening – image of the volcano waking up. You heard it on France Info this week, the town of Grindavik, Iceland, was evacuated due to threats of a nearby volcano erupting, and this brings back to the oldest among us a spectacular memory of the summer of 1976.
In the second episode of These songs that make the news broadcast this weekend, you hear excerpts from:
Jacques Brel, Do not leave me, 1959
Prefect Aurousseau in Inter News at 12 o’clock, August 15, 1976
André Marceline, La Soufrière, 1976
André Rédo and Super-Tropical, Please Soufriere, 1976 (2016 re-recording)
Frank Nicholas, Mom Soufriere, 2005
Djeuhdjoah and Lieutenant Nicholson, Augustus Cyparis, 2019
Haroun Tazieff in Inter News at 12 o’clock, December 4, 1976
Michel Sardou, File D, 1980
Maissiat, Pompeii, 2023
Julien Clerc, The Volcano Heart, 1971
Georges Chelon, Pompeii, 2005
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And you can also find the podcast on this link Behind our voices, with the writing and composition secrets of eight major artists of the French scene, Laurent Voulzy, Julien Clerc, Bénabar, Dominique A, Carla Bruni, Emily Loizeau, Juliette and Gaëtan Roussel.