(photo: John Londono)
Love is a language that needs no translation. French is another matter all together. Still, while listening to the crystalline voice of Béatrice Martin on her debut album under the name Cœur de Pirate, I don’t get wrapped up in the fact that my rudimentary understanding of French can’t keep up with her; instead I just get wrapped up in her voice.
I can pick out phrases here and there, and deftly handle my way through some songs titles (“Comme des Enfants” = “Like Children”, “Intermission” = “Intermission”), but what comes across strongest is the emotional connection Martin makes with the listener. She is practically whispering in our ears, singing to no one but us. At only 19, she shouldn’t be this savvy and sexy, but, inspired by her teenage years, Martin has laid her soul bare and done so in striking style. She’s a refreshing change of pace from other heavy-handed pianist-singer-songwriters, preferring a breezy, whimsical nature to tell her tales of love, longing and learning.
Speaking to the Montreal Mirror late last year, Martin explained her choice to sing in French: “I’m doing my part to keep the language alive for a little bit longer. Even in Quebec and France, not a lot of people sing in French anymore, even if their English sucks. I didn’t even listen to French music when I was a teenager, because at 14, you’re rebelling and you think it’s lame.” Her explanation on why she records under a pseudonym (which loosely translates to, “Heart of Pirate”; merci Monsieur Benchina pur les instructiones de français) is a little more vague: “A pirate is someone who doesn’t care about anything, and I think that’s similar to musicians in general. They write about what they feel and don’t expect anything in return.” That doesn’t mean we can’t repay the favour nonetheless.
Did I mention Cœur de Pirate, her self-titled album, is on the Polaris Long list this year?
MP3: Cœur de Pirate “Corbeau”
Myspace: Cœur de Pirate
Buy: Cœur de Pirate Cœur de Pirate
1 Comment so far
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giving props to Mr Benchina eh?
I did a search on Coeur de Pirate and guess who’s page came up??
Keep up the good work!
Comment by Teresa Lenahan 07.13.09 @ 10:32 pmLeave a comment
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