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Go Home French Connection

THE SPINE SEPTEMBER 21, 2006

French Connection

BY TNR STAFF

The last time I was at New York's Supper Club, off Times Square, was to hear Yo-Yo Ma with the Buenos Aires-New York Connection, and what they were playing in this very chic nightspot was the great tango music of Astor Piazzolla. Last night, I went again to the Supper Club to hear Arielle Dombasle, a remarkable film actress and true French chanteuse. But the fact is that she was born in America and brought up in Mexico.

OK, so she is an international chanteuse. I'm not exactly an expert on the genre. Still, I have memories--live memories, in fact--of Edith Piaf, Nana Mouskouri, Judy Garland, and Maria Callas. (Why do I mention Callas? Because Arielle was trained in opera, and it shows.) Sultry and sparkling all. Arielle is a brilliant low-register songstress, and she roams from country to country for her fare. Tonight is the last night, if you want to catch a glimpse and earshot of her. She will probably sing "Besame Mucho," "Quizas, Quizas, Quizas," "C'est si bon," "C'est Magnifique," "Darling, je vous aime beaucoup," and songs from her big-hit album in France, "Amor, Amor." It's true, of course, that this is not the kind of music I follow closely. The first time I met Arielle, she was Bernard-Henri Lévi's girlfriend. She is now his wife, and we are friends. Having confessed that fact, I make no apologies for writing about her. She is a lithe and gorgeous force of nature.

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12 comments

I loved this post. You're a pretty swingin' guy. Write more posts like this one.

- MrCookie1

September 21, 2006 at 10:20am

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I assume you meant "el vate" (the bard). Also, one would usually use "la espina" rather than la vertebra. If you are going to use la vertebra, don't add the Latin/English "e" at the end. Aparte de estos, obviamente, usted es muy listo. Felicidades, Marc

- drmarcr

September 21, 2006 at 11:41am

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>I loved this post. You're a pretty swingin' guy. Write more posts like this one. Agreed. But what I really want to hear are your memories of Callas. In the operatic wars I am a Tebaldi partisan but there will never be another Tosca like Callas. Or another Rosina, for that matter.

- ipuritani

September 21, 2006 at 11:41am

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lo siento. Just using barrio spanglish. Wouldn't it be El Vato de espina? I think the alliterative quality of El Vato de Vertebrea trumps the grammatical correctness of your suggestion.

- MrCookie1

September 21, 2006 at 12:31pm

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the spanglish is all in drmarcr; cookie, as always, is nothing but drivel.

- olez

September 21, 2006 at 2:20pm

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you fans of El Vato are a touchy, surly bunch. Even when I like his stuff, you're mad. I like drivel. So, apparently does El Vato, every now and then.

- MrCookie1

September 21, 2006 at 3:27pm

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How do you like the Chinese? Have to use pinyin though, Shiren de zhen. How and why did you choose quasi-spanish? Oh, and Dr. Marc is not using Spanglish. El es Correctemente.

- blackton

September 21, 2006 at 6:42pm

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Good question. I read Marty's initial post about his reasons for naming this blog the Spine. I was intrigued by the spine association and in a playful mood, came up with Vato (guy) de (of) Vertebrae (synonym for spine). Marty talked about his belief that he was a man with a spine - which I think is true, given that I have read him for a while - and presto, El Vato de Vertebrae. A little alliteratioin helps too. That is all. If you notice, i don't comment on all his posts, especially the ones that I disagree. Main thing is that the people who criticized me for posting on Marty's blog were essentially right on. If I don't like what he writes, then don't read it. What has been curious is that recently I have posted on the stuff that I do like and Marty's Spineheads still get pissed. Oh well, can't please everyone. The El Vato de Vertebrae is meant to be playful. If Marty were to post and say he was insulted by it, I would stop immediately.

- MrCookie1

September 21, 2006 at 7:08pm

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I wasn't sure what Vato was initially, not in my dictionary anywhere, too stupid to make the connection to poet (thanks to Dr. Marc). I like it, jeez, some people take themselves too seriously. Someone in a different post called me blacko. Like i could possibly be insulted. My great grandfather was called blacky (not possible in these days true). Just keep doing what your doing, always a pleasure to read you even when i disagree.

- blackton

September 21, 2006 at 7:22pm

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Forget Callas. Arielle, ca suffit -- oh la la... btw with a wife like that what the hell was BHL doing in a swing club when he visited San Fran? Hugh Grant syndrome?

- teplukhin

September 21, 2006 at 7:33pm

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count yourself lucky that you did not immediately know what a vato was. This is not something that would add too much value to your CV, if you know what I mean. I am a Latino male who grew up surrounded by and battling with these mean little f----rs and it was no picnic.

- MrCookie1

September 21, 2006 at 10:18pm

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Oviously, because I have way too much time on my hands this week. Why not call him "Hombre de Huevos" (kind of alliterative) or perhaps Senor Espina (a nice rhythm) or maybe "The Kvetch mit Chutzpah" ('nuff said). Marc

- drmarcr

September 26, 2006 at 1:05pm

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