The Cabaret Has Closed: Damia and "La Guingette a Fermé ses Volets"

Today's random tune is by "la tragédienne de la chanson," French singer Marie-Louise Damien who is considered the third greatest singer of French chansons réalistes after Edith Piaf and Barbara. Known by her performing name of Damia, she was born in Paris in 1889 in the 13th arondissement, but was raised in Lorraine amid 8 siblings. She ran away from home and arrived in Paris at age 15 to be a performer where she caught the eye of Robert Hollard, who began an extramarital affair with her but also encouraged her to sing. By 1911 she was performing solo and with stars like Maurice Chevalier, but the murder of one of her early backers, singer Harry Fragson, led her to leave Paris for the United States in 1913, where she performed on Broadway until 1916 when she returned to France and sang on the front. Back in France, she was often a singer of second billing but received help from American dancer Loie Fuller on her stage performance and eventually became a star. She became the first singer to have a single spotlight trained on her face, bare arms and hands. She also began a series of lesbian relationships starting with architect Eileen Gray, and later French art promoter and filmmaker Gab Sorère. She also appeared in films with early silent film stars, and later with Anthony Quinn. Her farewell tour was in 1956, though she lived until 1978. She is buried in the Cimetière Parisien de Pantin. This song, La Guinguette a Fermé ses Volets, can be found on many collections - we got it from The Rough Guide to Paris Café (Second Edition), released in 2010.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie-Louise_Damien