Moustaki was born Yussef Mustacchi on the 3rd May 1934 in Alexandria, Egypt, of Sephardic Jewish parents who had moved there from Corfu, and who ran a bookshop in the city. The family spoke Italian at home, but Georges (then Yussef) spoke Arabic with his friends and attended a French school to which his Francophile parents sent him and his sisters. In 1951 he moved to Paris, where he was inspired by the young Georges Brassens, in honour of whom he changed his name to Georges Moustaki.
Moustaki wrote and sang in French, Italian, Greek, Spanish, English, Yiddish, and Arabic. Early influences included Edith Piaf, with whom Moustaki carried on a year-long romance. His pan-national approach to music made him a star in Europe in the late sixties and early seventies.
He died on the 23rd May 2013 in Nice, France.
Je Suis Une Guitare
Georges Moustaki Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Faite pour les concerts à Pleyel ou à Gaveau
En robe de palissandre
Pour la musique de chambre
Sous les doigts d'Andrés et Narciso
Pourquoi faut-il que le Brésil
Vienne en secret me murmurer
Sur une étrange mélodie
Où tout à coup s'insinue la samba?
Voici Vivaldi qui se déhanche
Jean-Sébastien qui entre en transe oh la la
J'en oublie mes vieilles romances
D'ailleurs ça n'a pas d'importance à Bahia
Oh la la
Da da li da da à Bahia
The lyrics of Georges Moustaki's song "Je Suis Une Guitare" talk about the identity crisis of a guitar. The guitar describes itself as a proper and refined instrument, made for prestigious concert halls like Pleyel or Gaveau, dressed in a rosewood robe, and designed for chamber music played by virtuosos like Andrés and Narciso. However, the guitar questions why it is that Brazil, a country known for its vibrant and rhythmic music, comes secretly to whisper words of fantasy and introduce a strange melody that suddenly infuses the samba into its existence. The guitar finds itself torn between its classical roots and the infectious energy of the samba.
The song explores the notion of musical influences and cross-cultural pollination. The guitar, symbolizing a classical and traditional musical tradition, is confronted with the irresistible allure of the samba, a genre that represents the lively and passionate spirit of Brazil. Through this conflict, the lyrics imply that music has the power to transcend boundaries and break through established norms and expectations. The guitar is forced to embrace its dual identity, acknowledging the beauty of both its refined origins and the exciting infusion of the samba.
Line by Line Meaning
Je suis une guitare très comme il faut
I am a guitar that is very proper and suitable
Faite pour les concerts à Pleyel ou à Gaveau
Made for concerts at Pleyel or Gaveau
En robe de palissandre
In a rosewood dress
Pour la musique de chambre
For chamber music
Sous les doigts d'Andrés et Narciso
Under the fingers of Andrés and Narciso
Pourquoi faut-il que le Brésil
Why is it necessary for Brazil
Vienne en secret me murmurer
To come secretly whisper to me
Des mots pleins de fantaisie
Words full of fantasy
Sur une étrange mélodie
On a strange melody
Où tout à coup s'insinue la samba?
Where suddenly the samba sneaks in?
Voici Vivaldi qui se déhanche
Here is Vivaldi swaying
Jean-Sébastien qui entre en transe oh la la
Jean-Sébastien who enters a trance, oh la la
J'en oublie mes vieilles romances
I forget my old romances
D'ailleurs ça n'a pas d'importance à Bahia
Besides, that doesn't matter in Bahia
Oh la la
Oh la la
Da da li da da à Bahia
Da da li da da in Bahia
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mallasfoch356
Chanson composé para Toquinho, Vinicius de Moraes et G. Moustaki. Ici Moustaki est accompagné a la guitare pár Toquinho. Tres belle chanson sans doute.
@edgarblanc
Il est ici accompagné par Roland Dyens ; Toquinho l'accompagne sur d'autres chansons de l'album, mais pas sur celle-ci.
@mallasfoch356
@@edgarblanc Je ne crois pas monsieur Edgar. La facon dont Toquinho joue la guitarre est unique. Sans avoir la moindre envie de polemiser, sans doute que selon vous Roland Dyens joue bien la guitare. Je vais rechercher un peu pour savoir un peu plus de lui. Alors lá je pourrais vous donner une opinion plus objective. Mais une fois de plus je ne crois pas.
@edgarblanc
@@mallasfoch356 Tenez, j'ai même trouvé un lien. Dyens était un grand guitariste ami de Moustaki. Mais mon commentaire avait vraiment pour seul but de rectifier, non de polémiquer, bien entendu. http://www.moustaki.nl/Verzamelaars.htm