Popster joins France's grand academy

King Louis XIII and Napoleon Bonaparte must be turning in their graves. The Académie Française, France's oldest and grandest cultural institution, has just elected to its midst a writer of pop lyrics.

Jean-Loup Dabadie, 69, a wordsmith who has penned hits for two generations of singers and written successful screenplays, is the first humble saltimbanque (entertainer) to join the hallowed institution that guards the French language and soul. For four centuries, only literary worthies and distinguished elders of the establishment have been elevated to the status of "immortal", as the 40 members are known.

In the last try, decades ago, the academy rejected Charles Trenet, the top crooner of the World War Two era. Four years ago, die-hards made a vain attempt to block the election of Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, the former President, on the grounds that he had produced only one second-rate novel.

  [Academicians at work]

In a sign of changing times, there has been little protest over the arrival of the man who turned out hits for Michel Polnareff and Julien Clerc, 1960s popsters who are still singing, and the balladeer Serge Reggiani. Dabadie was responsible for Polnareff's smash "On ira tous au paradis" (We'll all go to heaven) and his "L'Italien" was the late Reggiani's signature song.

The illustrious Académie, founded in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu, Louis XIII's chief minister, is living through rough times. Seven members have died in about the past two years and the surviving immortals, whose average age is 79, have recently voted down several would-be replacements.

In February, the immortals, who wear green and gold ceremonial uniforms with swords, refused Michael Edwards, 69, a university professor and poet. He would have become the first Briton and second native English-speaker to join (The first was the late novelist Julien Green, born in Paris in 1900 to American parents. He wrote only in French)

Six of the numbered chairs remain empty and there are not enough volunteers to attend the Thursday meetings to edit the dictionary, which is the Academy's main task. Work on the current, fourth, edition began in 1935 and they have reached the letter R. World War Two is blamed for the slow pace.

Hélène Carrère d'Encausse, 79, an historian who is the Perpetual Secretary (head) of the academy, welcomed Dabadie as worthy of membership. He hails, she said, from France's great boulevard tradition, she said. "His election shows a desire to move with the times."

However Carrère d'Encausse regrets the that feuding among writers has thinned their ranks in recent years. More academics, politicians, doctors and scientists than novelists now sit under the Academy's 17th century gold dome on the Left Bank's Quai Conti.

The writers, none of whom are really in the top rank, keep rejecting candidates from their trade, as their predecessors did in the past with some greats such as Emile Zola. Sniffing at the academy is especially fashionable among the auteurs who made their names in the turbulent 1960s. "Membership is now reserved only for the mediocre; those who will leave no trace behind," said Philippe Sollers, one of the stars of that generation who has declined membership.

Carrère d'Encausse, who is one of only five women ever to have been anointed, wants to rejuvenate and feminise the august body. They were not always so old. Victor Hugo joined aged 40 and young men were appointed in the days when Napoleon relaunched the royal institution and created its uniform, complete with bicorn hat. The trouble is that people live too long nowadays. Claude Levi-Strauss, the anthropologist-philosopher, the oldest Academician, turns 100 this year.  "If we elect someone in their forties, they risk spending 60-70 years at the Academy. Is that healthy ?" Carrère d'Encausse asked in l'Express magazine.

The need to rub shoulders for decades in such a small club means that candidates must be companionable. "We look for people who are good company," said the Perpetual Secretary. Jean-Marie Rouart, another novelist immortal, recalls that the Academy had always been a club of France's greatest and best from all professions rather than a literary body.

Dabadie, a debonair one-time journalist, fits the bill as excellent company. His ésprit is well known to France from his screenplay for Un Eléphant Ca Trompe Enormément, one of the most popular film comedies of the 1970s (The title is a pun meaning an elephant is very deceiving with a play on trompe also meaning its trunk). He is also admired for the screenplay for three Claude Sautet films: Les Choses de la vie, Cesar et Rosalie and Vincent, Francois, Paul et les Autres. No-one until lately remembered that he also published a novel when he was 19.

[Scene from Un Elephant... With Jean Rochefort and Claude Brasseur]

Comments

Among the dozens of songs written by Dabadie, the following:

- Le petit garçon (the little boy) by Serge Regiani: a father explaining to his young son that his mother (his wife for him) will never return to the familial house.

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=tLn8u0bjb2c

- that one also: "Ma préférence" by Julien Clerc, a beautiful love song with the text under):

http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/search/pr%25C3%25A9f%25C3%25A9rence%2Bjulien%2Bclerc/video/x3lpar_julien-clerc-ma-preference-musique_music

- and that last, "Aimer" by Sylvie Vartan, for english speaking people trying to get à good prononciation with the french "r", so difficult for you. The song is made only by isolates verbs (at the infinitif) and every one has an 'r'. Finally, those 'r' help to structure the melody.

http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/search/dabadie%2Bchanson/video/x1419v_aimer_music

[Joan Arles]

I didn't know that Dabadie was behind so many great songs. I learned French from Reggiani's poignant ballads which I still love. Good for the old fogeys on the Académie.

[Patrick McA]

I like the idea of a group of ancient men laying down the law on the language after a good lunch in an ancient palace. I am amazed they have an internet site (though not a very good one). I would have thought they would have waited at least 100 years before adopting such a barbarian new instrument.

[dot king]

One of the Académie's most recent additions was Max Gallo, writer and historian.
He is a tall, imposing figure (I tell this for anyone outside France who doesn't know him), deep-voiced, calm, rational, highly respected (or at least I get that impression - no doubt he'll have "enemies" on this blog:)).
In his 70's now, he looks 10 years younger and has recently adopted the shaven-head look instead of the going-bald look.
A couple of weeks ago, Didier Porte, on "Le Fou de Roi", said "Max Gallo, Académicien ET Skinhead - faut le faire!"

[Gallo is an impressive man. Very learned in the good sense. Son (now 75) of a poor Italian immigrant. Deeply nationalist about France, he is a big fan of Bonaparte and de Gaulle, though his background was communist then Socialist before he gave up politics to write full time. He even managed a stint as President Mitterrand's spokesman. CB]

[Daniel Strohl]

Dot,

"no doubt he'll have "enemies" on this blog:))".

LOL - no, since he has changed his mind after Mitterrand. Il vaut mieux tard que jamais ... :))

[dot king]

Daniel, I think he's remaining a free agent though isn't he?

If QWERTY's reading in, Max Gallo also has a very nice mind. Distinguished . . .

[Infâme Cancrelat]

"The writers, none of whom are really in the top rank"

Hector Bianciotti, "not really in the top rank"?