| The strength of the Parismusic scene is its diversity – a reputation gained mainly from its absorption of immigrant and exile populations. The city has no rivals in Europe for the variety of world music to be discovered: Algerian, West and Central African, Caribbean and Latin American sounds are represented in force. Hip-hop remains fashionable, both imported and home-grown, though it's scarcely visible in the city's bars and clubs, where house and techno still rule, mixed in with good-time Mediterranean, Latin and African flavours. For a relaxed flavour of the nightlife of the past, head for one of the old suburban eating-and-drinking venues known as guinguettes. Jazz fans are in for a treat, with all styles from New Orleans to current experimental to be heard. Then there's French chanson, a tradition long associated with the city of Paris, particularly during the war years through cabaret artists like Edith Piaf, Maurice Chevalier and Charles Trenet, and in the 1960s with poet-musicians as diverse as Georges Brassens, Jacques Brel and Serge Gainsbourg. Chanson is currently undergoing something of a revival, with nostalgic releases by artists like Patrick Bruel, and excellent chanson evenings in restaurants and bars. Classical music, as you might expect in this Neoclassical city, is alive and well and takes up twice the space of "jazz-pop-folk-rock" in the Listings magazines. The Paris Opéra, with its two homes – the Opéra-Garnier and Opéra-Bastille – puts on a fine selection of opera and ballet. The need for advance reservations (except sometimes for the concerts held in churches) rather than the price is the major inhibiting factor here. If you're interested in the contemporary scene of Systems composition and the like, check out the Cité de la Musique at La Villette or IRCAM near the Pompidou Centre. We have listed all the big performance halls for major events from heavy metal to opera. On June 21 the Fête de la Musique sees live bands and free concerts of every kind of music throughout the city.
Pages in section ‘Music and nightlife’: Music on TV and radio, Tickets and information, Clubbing, Rock and world music, Jazz, blues and chansons, Classical music, Opera, Major concert venues.
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