LA MANIC : a perfect offering to Montreal and the World.

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VELOVERMONT
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LA MANIC : a perfect offering to Montreal and the World.

Post by VELOVERMONT »

On nov 29 in Montreal, Leonard sang,in french, québécois singer/songwriter Georges Dor's song LA MANIC.

This received wide attention and positive comments in the topic: "Concert reports : Montreal, Québec nov 28/29.

So much so that I think a new topic devoted to that specific event should be created.

To that effect I have chosen some pertinent lines and links from other members' posts summerizing this rare event of a Leonard's rendition of someone else's music.

1) Leonard's performance : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYXP7n3j ... ata_player

2) reference to George Dor and the song : http://onboogiestreet.blogspot.ca/2012/ ... rench.html

3) Optimized translation of the song :

If only you knew how long the time is at Manic
You'd write way more often, to the Manicouagan
Sometimes I think so hard about you
That I recreate your soul and your body
I look at you and I am filled with wonder
I throw myself into you
Just like the river into the sea
And the flower into the bee

My beautiful lover, what do your silken forehead
And your velvet eyes become, when I am not there
Do you turn towards the Côte-Nord 1
To see a little, to see some more
My hand signalling you to wait
At twilight and at dawn, I reach out
I meet you wherever you may be
And I keep you

Tell me what's going on in Trois-Rivières and in Quebec City
Where there's so much to do, and eveything we do with it
Tell me what's going on in Montreal
In the dirty side streets
Where you're always the more beautiful
Because ugliness can't get to you
You, who I'll love until I pass away
My eternal

We boast around all day long
But we're all good guys faithful to their loves
Some play guitar
Others play accordion
To pass time, when the time is long
But me, I play of my love
And I dance, saying your name
Because I love you so much

If only you knew how long the time is at Manic
You'd write way more often, to the Manicouagan
If you don't have much to tell me
Write the words 'I love you' a hundred times
It will be the most beautiful of poems
I'll read it a hundred times
A hundred times, a hundred times are not a lot
For those who are in love

If only you knew how long the time is
At Manic
You'd write way more often
To the Manicouagan

4) Details about the song's background by cohenite Beatriz Salles :

"La manic" must be more than just a "love song" for Quebec people, it describes the solitude of the dam builders on the river Manicouagan during the 60-70es.

Manic-5, the Manic-5-PA and Daniel Johnson Dam hydroelectric form a Hydro-Québec located on the North Shore of Quebec, the Manicouagan RCM.
The dam is the largest multiple arch dam in the world and foothills. Launched in 1968 and commissioned in 1970 as part of the project Manic-Outardes, it has a drop height of 141.8 m and the total installed capacity of the two plants is 2660 MW.

Construction of the Manic-5 and Daniel Johnson Dam is in the context of Quebec's Quiet Revolution, a time when "Hydro-Québec is quickly becoming a symbol of the new Quebec nationalism and the new economic strategy of State, "said historian Paul-André Linteau in his History of Quebec contemporain9. In this context, the progress is closely monitored by the public is invited in the popular culture of the time.
Thus, the singer Georges Dor wrote his great success The Manic in 1966. The song tells the letters of a worker exiled to the site. It describes how he feels alone so far from home. The "If you knew how we get bored with the Manic ... "has captured the imagination of Quebecers this period. This song was covered in 1998 by Bruno Pelletier (where it is found on his 2001 live among others).2008 Paris.

2009 Barcelona. 2010 Marseille. 2012 Ghent. Verona. Barcelona. Lisbon :

5) Georges Dor's optimized original interpretation of the song :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNPJaKMIufI

6) Pauline Julien's rendition of LA MANIC : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe_SbU0NXwA

7) Montreal's music critic Alain de Repentigny interesting comments :

" Il y a plusieurs années que Leonard Cohen essaie de traduire ou adapter La Manic en anglais. Il n’y est pas encore arrivé "

translation : For many years, Leonard Cohen has been trying to translate or adapt La Manic in english. He did not succeed yet.


8) My final word :I hope the warm reception the song had in Montreal will make Leonard persist in this project.
Last edited by VELOVERMONT on Sat Feb 02, 2013 6:10 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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MaryB
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Re: LA MANIC : Leonard's perfect offering to Montrealers

Post by MaryB »

VELOVERMONT wrote:
7) Montreal's music critic Alain de Repentigny interesting comments :

" Il y a plusieurs années que Leonard Cohen essaie de traduire ou adapter La Manic en anglais. Il n’y est pas encore arrivé "

translation : For many years, Leonard Cohen has been trying to translate or adapt La Manic in english. He did not succeed yet.
VELOVERMONT,

Thank you for putting all the info in one place!

I hope LC stops trying to translate this song. Even though I speak very little French, I prefer that he continues singing this in the original language.

Kindest Regards,
Mary
1993 Detroit 2008 Kitchener June 2-Hamilton June 3 & 4-Vienna Sept 24 & 25-London RAH Nov 17 2009 NYC Feb 19-Grand Prairie Apr 3-Phoenix Apr 5-Columbia May 11-Red Rocks Jun 4-Barcelona Sept 21-Columbus Oct 27-Las Vegas Nov 12-San Jose Nov 13 2010 Sligo Jul 31 & Aug 1-LV Dec 10 & 11 2012 Paris Sept 30-London Dec 11-Boston Dec 16 2013 Louisville Mar 30-Amsterdam Sept 20
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bridger15
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Re: LA MANIC : Leonard's perfect offering to Montrealers

Post by bridger15 »

VELOVERMONT wrote: ...Details about the song's background by cohenite Beatriz Salles :
This song was covered in 1998 by Bruno Pelletier (where it is found on his 2001 live among others)
In 2010 and 2011 Bruno Pelletier performed La Manic at concerts including Moscow and Kiev. From the audience response on the videos, it was well received. The audience joined in at the end.

Bruno Pelletier - La Manic / Moscow, 2 October 2010
http://youtu.be/NE3QBJW4Feg

Bruno Pelletier - La Manic Live in Kiev 20.05.11
http://youtu.be/EjvF4PIdvbE

---Arlene
2009-San Diego|Los Ang|Nashville|St Louis|Kansas City|LVegas|San Jose
2010-Gothenburg|Berlin|Ghentx2|Oaklandx2|Portland|LVegasx2
2012-Austinx2|Denver|Los Ang|Seattle|Portland

Arlene's Leonard Cohen Scrapbook http://onboogiestreet.blogspot.com
VELOVERMONT
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Re: LA MANIC : Leonard's perfect offering to Montrealers

Post by VELOVERMONT »

MaryB wrote:
VELOVERMONT wrote:
7) Montreal's music critic Alain de Repentigny interesting comments :

" Il y a plusieurs années que Leonard Cohen essaie de traduire ou adapter La Manic en anglais. Il n’y est pas encore arrivé "

translation : For many years, Leonard Cohen has been trying to translate or adapt La Manic in english. He did not succeed yet.
VELOVERMONT,
Thank you for putting all the info in one place!

I hope LC stops trying to translate this song. Even though I speak very little French, I prefer that he continues singing this in the original language.

Kindest Regards,
Mary
It is doubtful Leonard would include in his permanent repertoire and perform show after show a song that both is not of his writing and not lyrically understandable by the immense majority of his fans ( that is,not in the english language).

BUT, DID HE NOT DO IT IN 1979 IN THE ALBUM RECENT SONGS, WITH : THE LOST CANADIAN ( SUNG IN FRENCH AS : UN CANADIEN ERRANT)

http://www.mp3va.com/leonard-cohen-recent-songs-r166555
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Tchocolatl
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Re: LA MANIC : Leonard's perfect offering to Montrealers

Post by Tchocolatl »

Quickly and at first sight, just like that, I would say it is hard to translate dans les rues sales et tranversales and tous de bons larrons cloués à leurs amours and keeping the music in the sound, for the first, and the soul of the second.

He did this music in the sound in another place also. So one could translate the lyrics but not the music in the words in the meantime.

"Bon larron" is the equivalent of Good Thief (or the Penitent Thief) nailed to the cross beside Jesus, who was in the middle with the bad thief (or the Cross Rejected) on the other side.

And "un bon larron" means also a good guy.

Clouémeans nailed (or crucified).

It is a very cohenite image. Could be secular or religious. Full of soul. Very similiar to "You hold me like if I was a crucifix" to me.

Nous autres ont fait les fanfarons à coeur de jour, mais on est tous de bons larrons cloués à leurs amoursWe boast around all day long but we are all penitents nailed to their love. Hum.... You see? The secular meaning seams lost.

Arg... Traduttore, traditore...

The whole song is a dance me to the end of love thing, anyway. An intense longing for a love that can not be reach in the moment, and it could also be a prayer in the manner of the ancient arabic poetyr, that adresses the Eternal like if it is a lover.

Also the song is written in the tradition of the protest song (a story from the street, I mean a bolero of a working class man) but instead of choosing the path of the Warrior, Georges Dor marched in the path of the Lover. No wonder if this song was chosen among so many. Well. Maybe. I guess. I don't know.

It would be great if he can perform something like he did with Take this Waltz from the poetry of Federico Garcia Lorca, but it was "easier" (such a great adaptation) as the poem was not a song yet.

For me also, he could sing it in French like he did for Un Canadien Errant whenever he wants.
***
"He can love the shape of human beings, the fine and twisted shapes of the heart. It is good to have among us such men, such balancing monsters of love."

Leonard Cohen
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BEATRIZ SALLES
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Re: LA MANIC : Leonard's perfect offering to Montrealers

Post by BEATRIZ SALLES »

Those are Leonard's words to introduce the song from MrYvesma video:


".... une chanson que je n'ai pas écrite.
Une chanson que j'ai aimée dès que je l'ai entendue il y a très longtemps.
Je travaille aussi à une traduction mais ce n'est pas encore terminée.
Voici l'original par le grand écrivain et chanteur, defenseur de la langue, Georges Dor"

"...a song that I have not written. A song that I've loved when I first heard it a long time ago. I am also working on a translation but it is not over yet.. Here is the original by the great writer and singer, defender of the language, Georges Dor"
2008 Paris. 2009 Barcelona. 2010 Marseille. 2012 Ghent. Verona. Barcelona. Lisbon. 2013 Antwerpen, Berlin, Pula.
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Goldin
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Re: LA MANIC : Leonard's perfect offering to Montrealers

Post by Goldin »

Roger, thanks for your post!
Tchocolatl wrote:For me also, he could sing it in French like he did for Un Canadien Errant whenever he wants.
To be objective: "Un Canadien errant" is one of two Recent Songs (the other one is "Humbled in Love") that was never performed in concert, neither in the Francophonie nor outside it.
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Re: LA MANIC : Leonard's perfect offering to Montrealers

Post by Tchocolatl »

VeloVermont 8)

You do so good. :D

Beatrix, thanks. :D This add to comfort my deduction that he was inspired from the mouth of the horse himself : Georges Dor. I also can deduced this because I was there, sharing the spatio-temporal place when this beautiful new born song entered in the heart of so many.

"A long time ago" it was covered by Pauline Julien, who was also the first to cover Leonard Cohen's Suzanne in French. Goldin? Is it objective, this?

The great Salvatore Adamo, composer and signer, now retired, also covered La Manic.

The cover by Bruno Pelletier came far after the big wave this song made in the world. Bruno Pelletier is a superstar in Russia, much more than in Québec, Canada where he comes from, but, nevertheless, this song shall have success everytime it is performed and anywhere, as it feels universal, which is the quality of a good song.

Goldin, I like this song Humbled in Love. :)

"Forced to kneel in the mud next to me."

The male voices going deep down, doooooooooown, dooooooooooooooooooooooooooown....

Are you sure, though, that reality is totally objective? But this is another topic! :D
***
"He can love the shape of human beings, the fine and twisted shapes of the heart. It is good to have among us such men, such balancing monsters of love."

Leonard Cohen
Beautiful Losers
VELOVERMONT
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Re: LA MANIC : Leonard's perfect offering to Montrealers

Post by VELOVERMONT »

BEATRIZ SALLES wrote:Those are Leonard's words to introduce the song from MrYvesma video:


".... une chanson que je n'ai pas écrite.
Une chanson que j'ai aimée dès que je l'ai entendue il y a très longtemps.
Je travaille aussi à une traduction mais ce n'est pas encore terminée.
Voici l'original par le grand écrivain et chanteur, defenseur de la langue, Georges Dor"

"...a song that I have not written. A song that I've loved when I first heard it a long time ago. I am also working on a translation but it is not over yet.. Here is the original by the great writer and singer, defender of the language, Georges Dor"

I myself could not catch precisely Leonard's words when he introduced LA MANIC, probably because of some reverberation.

How precious Beatriz that you can contribute this information.

As I mentionned in my first post, let us hope the warm reception Leonard's rendering of LA MANIC received stimulates him to continue " working on a translation".

Probably we will be granted with another rendering of the song tonight in Quebec.
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Goldin
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Re: LA MANIC : Leonard's perfect offering to Montrealers

Post by Goldin »

Tchocolatl wrote:Goldin, (...)

Are you sure, though, that reality is totally objective? But this is another topic! :D
Oh. That's a wonderful topic indeed! Sometimes I want to wake up in the reality where LC sings Leaving Green Sleeves in small mindful university auditories...
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Re: LA MANIC : Leonard's perfect offering to Montrealers

Post by Tchocolatl »

Watch out not to get cut by the Jazz Police, being off topic like that.

But he did it, in his time, isn't it? On a shabby little chair cracking like a fire, with only his guitar and his golden voice, and his huge talent who is reaching for the sky just to surrender?
***
"He can love the shape of human beings, the fine and twisted shapes of the heart. It is good to have among us such men, such balancing monsters of love."

Leonard Cohen
Beautiful Losers
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Re: LA MANIC : Leonard's perfect offering to Montrealers

Post by cocolocomanon »

Having Mr Cohen sing a song I as a French Canadian girl grew up listening to truly reflects who I am , which is a French Canadian Quebecoise who chooses to live in English. The original became a hit here in 1966 , (which was amazing and rare for a Quebecois folk song) hence MR Cohen`s comment " I fell in love with this song the first time I heard it a long time ago." ( 46yrs)This is why we Love Cohen in a city why there are so many barriers between The French and the English, Mr Cohen recognizes beauty & importance in both cultures, languages and his Peers. HE IS Simply An AMAZING BEING.I am sure the standing ovation was from the French speaking, or Quebecois attending, because Georges D`Or was a huge advocate of our French language, which Mr Cohen has much respect for. I can only imagine the huge reception he must have received if he sang this song in Quebec city. As a Montrealer and une Quebecoise who recognizes Beauty & Art created by both French and English Quebecers it was truly a Treasured moment to hear a Great song written by a gifted artist sung by a Gifted Human Being.
So yes it was the Perfect offering and he was correct he did not home to fool us ...but united us... G-d bless Leonard Cohen.
VELOVERMONT
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Re: LA MANIC : Leonard's perfect offering to Montrealers

Post by VELOVERMONT »

cocolocomanon wrote:Having Mr Cohen sing a song I as a French Canadian girl grew up listening to truly reflects who I am , which is a French Canadian Quebecoise who chooses to live in English. The original became a hit here in 1966 , (which was amazing and rare for a Quebecois folk song) hence MR Cohen`s comment " I fell in love with this song the first time I heard it a long time ago." ( 46yrs)This is why we Love Cohen in a city why there are so many barriers between The French and the English, Mr Cohen recognizes beauty & importance in both cultures, languages and his Peers. HE IS Simply An AMAZING BEING.I am sure the standing ovation was from the French speaking, or Quebecois attending, because Georges D`Or was a huge advocate of our French language, which Mr Cohen has much respect for. I can only imagine the huge reception he must have received if he sang this song in Quebec city. As a Montrealer and une Quebecoise who recognizes Beauty & Art created by both French and English Quebecers it was truly a Treasured moment to hear a Great song written by a gifted artist sung by a Gifted Human Being.
So yes it was the Perfect offering and he was correct he did not home to fool us ...but united us... G-d bless Leonard Cohen.

For a first post by a new cohenite, this is a great testimony, shedding light on Montreal cultural and linguistic duality

Welcome and thanks Cocolocmanon.
montreal 2008; montreal 2012x2
BEATRIZ SALLES
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Re: LA MANIC : Leonard's perfect offering to Montrealers

Post by BEATRIZ SALLES »

Thank you Cocolocomanon for this perfect first hand testimony to let us understand what Leonard's La Manic rendition ment to you, Quebequois.
2008 Paris. 2009 Barcelona. 2010 Marseille. 2012 Ghent. Verona. Barcelona. Lisbon. 2013 Antwerpen, Berlin, Pula.
BEATRIZ SALLES
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Re: LA MANIC : Leonard's perfect offering to Montrealers

Post by BEATRIZ SALLES »

To complete Velovermont list, we should add a number 8:
Maarten wrote:Hi,
Great to hear "La Manic" by mr Cohen. He must have loved this song for years, check his acceptance speech for the Canadian Songwriters Hall Of Fame back in 2006:
http://youtu.be/AS2qxBvEP10

The reference to La Manic starts around 2.45, if you manage to get to that point without letting a tear roll down your cheeck...

Si tu savais comme on s'ennuie
A la Manic
Tu m'écrirais bien plus souvent
A la Manicouagan

Thanks, mr Cohen
There's a reference on this speech on Arlene's blog aswell
2008 Paris. 2009 Barcelona. 2010 Marseille. 2012 Ghent. Verona. Barcelona. Lisbon. 2013 Antwerpen, Berlin, Pula.
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