History of 'Mon Amie La Rose':

‘Mon Amie La Rose’ is a beautiful poem about mortality and the journey from purity and innocence to death; it was written by Cecile Caulier, a French author, composer and singer, and Jacques Lacombe, a French singer.

The poem was first performed as a song by Françoise Hardy in 1964, and became one of Hardy’s most popular songs. In 1999, a modernized version of the song was recorded by Natacha Atlas for her third album entitled ‘Gedida’; Natacha Atlas' version of the song was produced by Transglobal Underground, the band Ms. Atlas sang and performed with in the early 90s before releasing her first solo album ‘Diaspora’ in 1995.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mon_Amie_La_Rose

Françoise Hardy:

Françoise Hardy was born on January 17, 1944 in Paris, France. She has made a career out of singing and acting and has had quite an influence on French pop culture, especially in fashion and music. Her first album was released in 1962 following the signing of her first contract with the record label Vogue. She recorded her version of ‘Mon Amie La Rose’ in 1964 and to this day it remains one of her most popular songs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francoise_Hardy

Natacha Atlas - Biography & Professional Background:

Natacha Atlas, born on March 20, 1964 in Brussels, Belgium. She comes from a complex cultural background, and claims Egyptian, English and Sephardic Jewish ancestry. During her childhood, Ms. Atlas lived in a Moroccan neighborhood just outside of Brussels where she was greatly influenced by the Arabic culture. When she was a teenager, she moved to Northampton, England but made an effort to return to Brussels frequently. Her involvement in a number of short-lived musical projects helped her get her start in the music business. In the early 1990’s she was invited to be the lead singer and dancer in the band ‘Transglobal Underground.’
Over the past several years, Ms. Atlas has spent much of her time in Cairo and surrounding herself with her Egyptian heritage, exploring Shaabi, a blues-inspired Egyptian pop music, and working on her career as a solo artist. She has released four solo albums including: 'Diaspora' (1995), 'Halim' (1997), 'Gedida' (1999) and 'Ayeshteni' (2001).

http://www.mantrarecordings.com/natachaatlas/

http://music.yahoo.com/ar-253519-bio--Natacha-Atlas

Ms. Atlas' Influence on 'Mon Amie La Rose'

The most striking similarity between the two versions of the song is the long instrumental introduction. It isn’t until around 45 seconds in that vocals begin; and it’s obvious just by listening to the two versions of ‘Mon Amie La Rose’ that both Natacha Atlas and Françoise Hardy connect on a deep emotional level with the song. However, what makes this somewhat-melancholy song so dynamic is the personal touch that each artist provides.

Ms. Hardy’s Western hippie-style version of ‘Mon Amie La Rose’ is quiet and somewhat instrumentally-barren with only a guitar and a few percussion instruments accompanying her voice.

Ms. Atlas’s version begins very similarly to Françoise Hardy’s, quiet and slow; but after about 45 seconds, Arab instrumentals flood in, creating an entirely modernized mood and completely separate culture of the song. She boldly challenges the boundaries of ‘Mon Amie La Rose;’ while remaining true to its powerful spirit, Ms. Atlas breaks through the cultural barrier of the song and embellishes it with a personal touch.

Dissipation of Cultural Divides

Ms. Atlas captures the original influence of 'Mon Amie La Rose' while creating in it a fusion of cultures, mirroring the complexity of her heritage. Ms. Atlas’ sings the majority of the song in French, as in the original version; however, she sings the final stanza in Arabic. Ms. Atlas once explained that singing in Arabic or adding Arabic verses to songs sung mostly in another language allows her to truly connect with her listeners, both Arab and Western.

“I love the profundity of Arabic singing and the formality of it, and the way it seems to touch on the religious. I believe the Muslim call to prayer is the sound of God, that's what ignites me and ignites Westerners who hear it and are moved by it."

-Natacha Atlas, ("Diaspora Finally Available" 1997)

http://comp.uark.edu/~tsweden/IAM.html

Links:

Natacha Atlas' myspace page:

www.myspace.com/natachaatlasofficial

Natacha Atlas' performance of 'Mon Amie La Rose' on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeP-bJFg1bQ


Françoise Hardy's performance of 'Mon Amie La Rose' on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQGNpRnFNgM&feature=related