Passereau: Il est bel et bon by - Vidita Kanniks, voice. 4K video; sargam & French. Voices of Music.

"Il est bel et bon" is a highlight from the Voices of Music 2020-2021 online series.
Notes from Vidita:
Here is Passereau's 'Il est bel et bon' (a song about spouses and chickens) sung in sargam (Indian solfege) followed by the fun original French.
Every choir kid has sung this piece, but it's still one of my all-time favorites. Part of the reason why this piece is so popular (my theory) is because it's written in one of the most attractive scalar modes of all time, 'Dorian' (in the western tradition), 'Kharaharapriya' as classified in the Carnatic system of 72 mela ragas or 'Kaafi' in the Hindustani thaat system: essentially a natural minor mode with raised scale degree 6. This creates a timeless soundscape and is heard in 9th/10thc Gregorian chant, all the way through the medieval periods and prominently in various folk music traditions of the world (notably English/Celtic). Indian classical ragas derived from this mode include Bhimpalasi, Reeti Gaulai, Miyan ki Malhar, only to name a few. Dorian chords are used in jazz theory and this mode is still heard in some of the 20/21st century's most iconic tunes like Thriller (MJ), Telephone (Lady Gaga), Mad World (Gary Jules), These are just examples off the top of my head, the list goes on and on!For the most part we simplify music into generic 'major' or 'minor' modes but the Indian theory system recognizes an almost infinite number of ragas/modes. It's fun to dig a little deeper and appreciate these patterns that make pieces that much more unique from one another. --VK
Il est bel est bon, commère, mon mari.
Il était deux femmes toutes d'un pays,
Disant l'une à l'autre: avez bon mari
«Il ne me courrouce ne me bat aussi,
Il fait le ménage,Il donne aux poulailles,
Et je prends mes plaisirs.
Commère c'est pour rire
Quand les poulailles crient.
Co co co co de,
petite coquette,
qu'est ceci
Il est bel est bon, commère, mon mari
#classicfm #frenchchanson #sargam