Sunday morning dancing on the rue Mouffetard in Paris
© Meredith Mullins

A Reminder of Old Paris: Singing and Dancing on the Rue Mouffetard

I want to make people cry, even when they don’t understand my words.   —Edith Piaf

It’s Sunday morning in the Square St Médard in Paris. I am singing in the warm sun . . . belting out the words “Tant que l’amour inondera mes matins” from Edith Piaf’s “L’Hymne à l’Amour” (The Hymn to Love).

With my limited French, I don’t quite understand what the words mean; but the song swells up inside and puts a little lump of emotion in my throat. I feel an unexplainable nostalgia.

There are people all around me singing the same words, with the same nostalgia. There are dancers swirling to the accordion accompaniment. Everyone is involved in the song. We are connected by a powerful force. The universal language of music.

A waltz of pure joy at Le Petit Bal Musette
© Meredith Mullins

Oh, I See: The Power of the Musical Bond

Every Sunday morning (except in extreme weather), a community of music lovers comes to the spontaneous musical stage set amidst the bustling market on the rue Mouffetard.

They come to “leave their troubles behind” and lose themselves in the music. They come to step back in time into the unaffected charm of French village life. They come, quite simply, to smile and feel the warmth of a neighborhood.

Singers from near and far join together as one chorus.
© Meredith Mullins

Le Petit Bal Musette

The leader, accordionist and singer Christian Bassoul, is dedicated to the revival of the “forgotten tradition” of the bal musette, a gathering of families and neighbors to sing and dance to accordion music in the streets.

Every Sunday for more than 30 years, Christian has organized the music. The rest of the story just falls into place with those who happen to stumble on the festivities.

Christian Bassoul, the organizer of le Bal Musette, with singer Viviane Hatry
© Virginia Kelser Jones

“Regularity and continuity are important,” he says. “Some people come from outside of Paris or from far-away countries, so we try not to disappoint them.”

One American friend of the bal musette plans her schedule around the Sunday morning event. She flies in on Saturday and leaves on Monday. The perfect neighborhood weekend vacation.

The group meets the challenge of Paris weather, which can (and does) change every few minutes. “Sometimes we must sing between the raindrops (passer entre les gouttes),” Christian says. The show must go on.

The waltz knows no age limits.
© Meredith Mullins

A Group that Welcomes Everyone

The crowd is diverse—locals and strangers, young and old, worn tennis shoes and sparkling high heels, blue jeans and ruffles. The passionate dancers, singers, and musicians take center stage, aided by the supporting cast of the moment.

Michel Cygan, a regular for more than 15 years
© Meredith Mullins

Many of the dancers are regulars. They have the impeccable style and graceful moves of the best of “Dancing with the Stars” but they’re not searching for fame or fortune. They are here for the sheer joy of dancing.

If you’re shy about dancing but have that “I want to dance” look in your eye or tap in your toe, one of the regulars will waltz you onto the dance floor (albeit asphalt). Or, don’t wait. Join in by yourself or grab hands with the welcoming circle of dancers.

The smiles come naturally.
© Meredith Mullins

If you don’t know the words to the songs—so much a part of French tradition—a helpful regular will bring you a song sheet. Edith Piaf, Charles Trenet, Georges Brassens, Félix LeClerc, Aristide Bruant, Charles Aznavour, Josephine Baker, and Jacques Brel will come alive before your eyes.

If you need a song sheet, don’t be afraid to ask.
© Meredith Mullins

A Chorus of Friendship

The Mouffetard group bonds through the music and has such community spirit that after the dancing in the square, they reconvene up the street for lunch together.

Then they clear the bistro floor and dance and sing some more. Sometimes on sunny summer days, they continue the party on the banks of the Seine.

The dancing sometimes reconvenes on the banks of the Seine.
© Meredith Mullins

As a teacher of Christian’s said, “Music is like an immense house. You visit a room and there are two or three doors going to other rooms. You can never see all of it.” The possibilities are endless.

No Regrets

There is power in music that transcends the challenges of daily life. The universal language leaps over words and goes straight for the heart. And, on Sundays on the rue Mouffetard, the rhythms of old Paris bring people together in a communal smile.

When everyone sings Piaf’s “Non, je ne regret rien,” there is truth in the music. There are no regrets.

Dipping into life
© Meredith Mullins

More information on Christian Bassoul and Le Petit Bal Musette.

Paris celebrates the 100th anniversary of Edith Piaf’s birth with an exhibit at the Bibliothèque Nationale.

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