Warning: call_user_func_array() expects parameter 1 to be a valid callback, function 'mikestyle_load_scripts' not found or invalid function name in /home/v71cgosmk075/public_html/wp-includes/class-wp-hook.php on line 308
Menu

Music Cape Breton's Diversity in Unity

Acadian De Paris À Rochelle

1. C’est de Paris, de Paris à Rochelle,
C’est de Paris, de Paris à Rochelle,
J’ai rencontré trois jolies demoiselles.

Refrain:
Me la-la-la, me la voila,
Je la vois la jolie.

2. J’ai rencontré trois jolies damoiselles,
J’ai rencontré trois jolies damoiselles;
J’ai point choisi, mais j’ai pris la plus belle. (Refrain)

3. J’ai point choisi, mais j’ai pris la plus belle,
J’ai point choisi, mais j’ai pris la plus belle;
J’l’ai fait monter derrièr’ moi, sur ma selle. (Refrain)

4. J’l’ai fait monter derrièr’ moi, sur ma selle,
J’l’ai fait monter derrièr’ moi, sur ma selle,
Arrive la elle en buvais un plein verre. (Refrain)

5. Arrive la elle en buvais un plein verre,
Arrive la elle en buvais un plein verre
A la santé de son père et sa mère. (Refrain)

6. A la santé de son père et sa mère,
A la santé de son père et sa mère,
Et à la santé de tous ces grands buveurs. (Refrain)

A young man, on his way from Paris to La Rochelle, meets three girls, and takes the prettiest one on his horse with him. Eventually they end up at her father’s house, by which time she is warming up to him.

Songs like this tell a story that has been transplanted from medieval France.

The melody of De Paris À Rochelle appears to be related to a popular Canadian folk song entitled C’est L’Aviron.

It is presented here in a video recording by the well-known Acadian singer, Leo à Pat Aucoin. The performance was a part of the book launch for AJB Johnston’s Storied Shores: St. Peter’s, Isle Madame, and Chapel Island in the 17th and 18th Centuries and Conference on History Based Tourism (Saint-Joseph-Du-Moine: les vielles chansons acadiennes, une foulerie et des danses carrées). This 2004 recording was a co-production of The Tompkins Institute (Cape Breton University) and Telile Community Television.

De Paris À Rochelle, 2004. Saint-Joseph-Du-Moine: les vielles chansons acadiennes, une foulerie et des danses carrées. Léo à Pat Aucoin. Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University.

Artist
Leo à Pat Aucoin

Léo Aucoin was born May 27, 1923 in Saint-Joseph-du-Moine, the fourth of twelve children born to Pat (à Jos à Dosithe à Michouque à Grannoume) Aucoin and Minnie (à Minou à Janvier à Frédérick à Augustin) Deveau.

When he was still quite young, Léo started singing old traditional songs without accompaniment. Over the years he became well known in the art of singing to the rhythms of his foot tapping. He collected and memorized many old Acadian songs. During his life, he learned hundreds of traditional songs and transcribed them in notebooks.

Léo Aucoin sang traditional Acadian songs at Expo ’86 in Vancouver, British Columbia. He also performed at a special concert “Symphonie au Coeur de l’Acadie” in 1993, marking the centenary of Église Saint-Pierre in Chéticamp. Léo Aucoin also sang in the Helen Creighton Folk Festival in Dartmouth in 1992.

In 2001, Léo recorded more than 150 Acadian songs at Studio Marcel Doucet in Chéticamp. This special project was funded by Heritage Canada, l’Université Sainte-Anne and Nova Scotia Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage.

Léo Aucoin recorded his own compilation CD of 21 traditional Acadian songs in 2002.

Lyrics
De Paris À Rochelle

Translation:
From Paris To Rochelle
1. Going from Paris, from Paris to Rochelle,
Going from Paris, from Paris to Rochelle,
I met three lovely girls. (Refrain)

2. I met three lovely girls,
I met three lovely girls;
I did not choose but just took the prettiest one. (Refrain)

3. I did not choose but just took the prettiest one,
I did not choose but just took the prettiest one;
I put her behind me, on my saddle. (Refrain)

Materials
Materials

Links
Links