Years before she released the global hit “Je Veux”, Zaz performed, to the accompaniment of acoustic instruments, in a perfectly free, creative space. In the bohemian quarter of Paris, in its northern part, whichwas the centre of artistic life in the 19th century, she left with an impressive biography. While Parisians and tourists from all over the world enjoyed her voice, they didn’t know that this street singer had from the ages of five to 11 attended the Conservatoire deTours, that she’d studied music theory, of the violin, piano, guitar and choral singing, and that shewon a regional council scholarship to study at CIAM, the Centre for Musical Activities and Information, in Bordeaux. AndwhywasMontmartre so appealing to Zaz?The hill fromwhich a viewover Parisunfolds, thecounterpart of Belgrade’s Skadarlija, hence the friendship of these twotwinnedbohemianquarters thatdates back to 1977 and was renewed in 2017. The highest part of the city, reaching anelevation toppedonlyby the EiffelTower, is adorned by the Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Sacré-Cœur), whichwas built in the 19th century as a sign of gratitude to God for saving Paris from destruction during the Franco-Prussian War. Another important detail of the architectural history of this quarter is the 12th-century Church of Saint-Pierre de Montmartre, but at its heart are its atelier studios, galleries and museums that preserve the secrets of Edgar Degas and Claude Monet. These prominent painters created masterpieces and changed the course of art a century before Zaz stepped foot on the cobblestones of Montmartre. In this place tailored to artists, this singer felt at home from the very start. “The energy that’s provided by the publicon the street iswonderful.That positive feeling takes me and then I’mhappy as I sing for them,”saidZazononeoccasion Imaginethekindofenergyandinspirationoffered to thishill inPariswhen, during theepochof prosperity, from1871 to1914, the likesofPabloPicasso,VincentVanGogh, IsidoraDuncanandSalvadorDali gathered here! The taverns there aren’t regular establishments either, as they are adorned with paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and if you head to just belowMontmarte, youwill comeacross theMoulinRouge, the
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