Boulou Ferre

“It’s a jazz that seduced the Americans because it admired north American culture, but at the same time the Americas would tell themselves “this is a music that sounds a little different from ours” and what I mean by that is that the notion of “jazz Manouche” is simply French jazz music. But at the same time, with a Tzigane side to it, “Gypsy.” Because “Gypsy” is not Manouche, it’s more than that, it’s thousands of years. The gypsies come from India, from the Ganges. As I’ve been asked, “You are Manouche?” I say, “No!” or “You are Gypsy?” I say, “My brother and I are, like in Prosper’s libretto “Mérimée” (from Bizet’s Opera Carmen) Bohemian children or children of Gypsies. We are the Arlésienne.” (Boulou starts singing Carmen’s Habanera) We are Bohemian children, because of the roulotte (trailer caravan). I have it here, in my head. It’s the “dreams.” Like Jim Morrisson, like Hendrix, like Charlie Chaplin, like Modigliani! So, like yourselves, we are makers of dreams, because our roots are in the lines of the hand, our origins are the very lines of our hands. So we are truly real gypsies. It’s more than Manouche. To say “Me, Tzigane. Me, Manouche. Me, this. Me, that.” That is dreadful. No! Our music is universal, it’s the music of the world.”