"Line dancing at the country music festival in Mirande, France. The annual event also attracts faux cowboys and John Wayne fans."
Posted on 08/06/2009 10:35:14 AM PDT by a fool in paradise
Alain Ribaut does not speak English, claims to hate American food and has few personal connections with the United States.
But he thought Mirande, his sleepy hometown in southwestern France, needed a little something, perhaps even a glimpse of the American dream. So in 1992 he set out to organize the “festival de country music de Mirande,” which has grown into an annual event that now attracts more than 160,000 people, 40 times the population of Mirande....
Harley-Davidson motorcycles fill the parking lots, and speakers blare country music. Some people are transformed, too. Mr. Ribaut described how in this year’s festival, a local doctor “didn’t shave for four days so he could look like a real cowboy.”
...The French may sneer at what they call “American culture,” but there is deep affection, even fascination here, for the American West. They still have a special place in their hearts for spaghetti westerns and American television shows.
Mr. Ribaut even invites the stars of classic American television series like “Walker, Texas Ranger” to sponsor the festival, and country singers from America — most of them unknown here — come to perform. One year, the actors who portrayed the Ewing family in “Dallas” came to Mirande for the event.
“It’s just like in a western movie,” said Gina Debinska, a homemaker born in Poland who comes here every year and dreams of owning a ranch in the United States, even though she has never been there...
...Not surprisingly, the annual invasion of cowboys “à la française” is not always welcomed by all the natives. “Mirande needs this event; otherwise it would disappear,” said Carmen Azam, 60, who was born here. “But it doesn’t really fit this land. I’d prefer it if they revived the myth of d’Artagnan, our local hero...”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
"Line dancing at the country music festival in Mirande, France. The annual event also attracts faux cowboys and John Wayne fans."
What I think of when I think of French cowboys.
Not a bad read actually...
I was in Germany when John Wayne died. The headlines in all the papers were enormous.
I wonder is she realizes there is also a huge country festival in Poland every year.
She could move into Texas’ hillcountry (which I’ve been told resembles part of Poland), hear Czech polka bands, drink Texas beers and eat fresh sausage, as well as owning a Texas ranch, and listening to country music.
Life is good.
Vous pouvez dire mes bras de retourner sur le téléphone
Vous pouvez dire mes pieds de frapper le plancher
Ou vous pouvez dire mes lilps d'indiquer mes bouts du doigt
Ils n'atteindront dehors pour vous pas plus
Mais ne dites pas mon coeur, mon coeur breaky achy
Je juste ne pense pas qu'il comprendrait
Et si vous dites mon coeur, mon coeur breaky achy
Il pourrait faire sauter et tuer cet homme
Ooo
Vous pouvez dire votre mA que je me suis déplacé en Arkansas
Ou vous pouvez dire votre chien de mordre ma jambe
Ou dites votre falaise de frère qui est poing peut dire mes lèvres
Il jamais vraiment m'a aimé de toute façon
Oh dites votre tante Louise, vous disent à quelque chose svp
Moi-même sait déjà que je suis bien
Oh vous pouvez dire mes yeux d'observer dehors pour mon esprit
Il pourrait marcher dehors sur moi aujourd'hui
Mais ne dites pas mon coeur, mon coeur breaky achy
Je juste ne pense pas qu'il comprendrait
Et si vous dites mon coeur, mon coeur breaky achy
Il pourrait faire sauter et tuer cet homme
Ooo
Mais ne dites pas mon coeur, mon coeur breaky achy
Je juste ne pense pas qu'il comprendrait
Et si vous dites mon coeur, mon coeur breaky achy
Il pourrait faire sauter et tuer cet homme
Ooo
Ne dites pas mon coeur, mon coeur breaky achy
Il pourrait faire sauter et tuer cet homme
Ooo
Ne dites pas mon coeur, mon coeur breaky achy
Il pourrait faire sauter et tuer cet homme
Ooo
Besides Tejano music is nothing but Polka with a Spanish accent.
Trying to translate, look here!
A stereotypical french curse that is actually never used by real french people. Same as the mustache and the beret - something only non-french people think is typical of the French.
Non-French Guy trying to be French: Sacré bleu! I hev left my béret and stripy chemise in zee Café.
Real French Guy: *rolls eyes*
x: Sacre bleu! The cat has washed the dishes!
y: I knew she would if I asked her enough times.
A niece of mine once visited Nice.
Bravo! I never would have thought to translate that into French.
People actually do line dance to that song.
You might be happier leaving it untranslated and helping the cat with the dishes.
Thanks!
Translation was thanks to Babelfish.
And if you known as my heart, my heart breaky achy It could make jump and kill this man Ooo You can say your my that I moved in Arkansas Or you can say your dog to bite my leg
I’m afraid to click on the link.
You’l live. You’ll just have a nasty earworm for a while.
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There is a part of SW France called La Camargue which really is cowboy country. The wild horses of La Camargue are world famous.
This sounds like a charming French town festival. It highlights the love/hate relationship that the French have always had with America and American culture.
Just as the French stereotypes of the American South are stuck in the past, Alambama ca. 1956, their stereotypes of the West, and cowboy culture,ranches,come right out of Amrerican B movies and TV shows They still worship John Wayne, and almost believe that JR is real.
All in all it sounds like fun Loving line dancing can’t be a bad thing.
You gotta love the French :)
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