JOELLE RABU: "JOËLLE RABU IN CONCERT' marked her debut as an authentic  singer and songwriter. This is a very powerful, talented and original concert and French cabaret singer. From her official biography:” Joëlle was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, shortly after her parents emigrated from Brittany, France. She grew up in Courtenay, BC, and, at the age of 16, ran away from home to see for herself the faraway lands of which her parents often spoke. After traveling for three years through more than 30 countries, she returned home to Vancouver Island where she now resides. Joëlle's fervent love of life, language and travel comes to life in her stage performances, making her a unique Canadian singer with a cornucopia of emotions and styles upon which to draw when performing a song.” Rabu's success in her concert 'PIAF' established her as a real Piaf’s singer. After a year at Vancouver's City Stage, personifying Piaf, she pursued her acting career in cabaret acts and large French and American musicals such as CABARET; GOODNIGHT DISGRACE; IRMA LA DOUCE; DON MESSER'S JUBILEE; and most recently LIES AND LEGENDS, THE MUSICAL STORIES OF HARRY CHAPIN.

 DEBORAH BOILEY IS REAL! After having read your commentary on the real Piafs in the United States, I rushed to the website of Boiley to get acquainted with her music and her style. http://www.deborahboily.com/recordings.html  . I am French-Canadian-American. My background allows me to appreciate French music. You could tell that Boiley is a connoisseur (connaisseuse) of French music. Her selection of Parisian songs shows her knowledge of real French songs. I give you an example. While American singers constantly chose songs like la vie en rose, hymne a l’amour and similat things, Boiley in addition to these two selected very typical French chansons that the French people like very much. Songs that are not usually or maybe rarely sung in the United States. Songs like Jacques Brel’s Marieke, Serge Lama’s  d'Aventure en aventure, Charles Azavour’s la boheme, Yves Montand’s la chansonette. This tells you that Boiley is familiar with what French and international audiences like about Parisian music. You were right, she is the real thing. I encourage your readers to know more about this charming and professional singer. Alain Lagrange, Quebec, Canada.

A NATURAL FRENCH SINGER: I am from Alberta, Canada. Although I prefer different kinds of music, the old cabaret songs style of France appeals to me when it is interpreted by big names by Brel, Aznavour, Chevalier and Piaf. The new generation of people who buy record do not listen all the time to old music. Cependant, when a big star from the old style comes to town, we all go to see him or to see her because it is rare thing. I saw Joëlle Rabu's in concert twice in Canada. She is very pro and very French in her music. Reading about her in your magazine was a nice surprise. Yes, definitely people should go to her concerts. What makes her very French in the way she sings is her natural talent as a French singer not like American singers who imitate singers from France.

Joëlle Rabu sings exactly like French effortlessly because she is part of that culture. In my opinion, natural talent and natural way of feeling and saying things make you do the same when you sing. This how I see Joëlle Rabu. Evidently, she is one of the rare singers outside France who can sing real French songs like French singers. Impressive is the way she sings the songs of Piaf. It looks so real and so deep. She is my favorite so far. Albert Meynard, Alberta, Canada

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