La musique

La musique traditionnelle Francophone

• La chanson française : The French-language tradition of lyric-driven French song with diverse influences - chansoniers like Jacques Brel, Georges Brassens, and Edith Piaf are famous worldwide.
• Musique bretonne : Breton music from Brittany, a Celtic nation in France, with its unique instruments like biniou and bombard.
• Le zydeco : A music genre evolved in southwest Louisiana by French Creole speakers which blends blues, rhythm and blues, and music indigenous to the Louisiana Creoles and the Native people of Louisiana.
• La musique cajun : Music of the ethnic Cajuns of Louisiana, it also has roots in the French-speaking Acadian region of Canada.

Contemporary Francophone Music

• Le hip-hop français : French hip-hop has its own distinctive style and language, artists like Maître Gims and Stromae gained success domestically and internationally.
• La pop française : Led by Françoise Hardy in the 1960s, French pop music has become a major genre in the French music industry.
• La chanson réaliste : A style of music and song which depicts the gritty reality of urban life, often represented by artists such as Édith Piaf and Jacques Brel.
• La musique électronique française : Electronic music emerged in France with pioneers like Jean-Michel Jarre and was globally recognised with later artists such as Daft Punk and David Guetta.

Music and Francophone Identity

• La loi Toubon : This 1994 law promotes the use of French language in broadcast media and helped protect and promote French music in the face of anglophone cultural domination.
• La Fête de la Musique : Established in 1982 in France, this annual music celebration takes place on 21 June and is now celebrated in over 120 countries worldwide.
• Les Francofolies de La Rochelle : An annual music festival in France dedicated to the French language music, attracting thousands of spectators each year.
• La musique comme outil de résistance : Music, such as rap, has often been used as a form of protest and expression of discontent in Francophone communities.

Influence of Francophone Music Globally

• The Eurovision Song Contest : Francophone entries have had success in the past, notably France Gall in 1965 and Céline Dion, the Francophone Canadian, winning for Switzerland in 1988
• International recognition of Francophone artists : Artists like Céline Dion, Daft Punk, and Stromae have had global success, helping to spread Francophone music and culture worldwide.
• Festival d’été de Québec : The largest outdoor music event in Canada, with Francophone music at the center, drawing international attention and artists.
• Music consumption and digital platforms : Services like Spotify and YouTube have allowed Francophone musicians to reach global audiences, spreading Francophone culture more widely.