Paris World Music

France has welcomed many different peoples and cultures for the last 200 years, making Paris one of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities. Many leading artists of the French ballad genre such as Edith Piaf, Serge Gainsbourg and Charles Aznavour were themselves from immigrant backgrounds. World music, sometimes translated as sono mondiale, was popularised in the 1980s. It was increasingly played on Radio Nova, discussed in the newspapers Libération and Actuel, and performed in the French capital’s venues, crafting new, audacious and blended musical styles in a reflection of contemporary French society.

Focusing on genres from Columbian cumbia to Egyptian fusion, Hit the Road guides you on a multi-coloured adventure through a melting-pot of music from across the globe.

Paris Hip-Hop

The hip-hop movement was born in the black ghettos of the United States in the mid-1970s, and took root thanks to worldwide hits such as Rapper’s Delight by The Sugarhill Gang, the Rock Steady Crews’ breakdancing moves and graffiti artists in New York. Driven by the influence of free radio stations such as Radio Nova, and the television programme H.I.P.H.O.P, France became the second biggest country showcasing this genre. But it was not until the late 1980s that the French hip-hop and rap scene made a name for itself, driven by groups such as Suprême NTM, Assassin and the Marseille-born rapper IAM. Over the years, the suburbs (particularly Seine-Saint-Denis) and North Paris became a hotbed for this constantly changing genre, influenced by eclectic figures including Booba, Kery James and Rocé.

From iconic graffiti in the 20^th arrondissement to a live rap concert, Hit the Road invites you to explore the multiple facets of this revolutionary movement.

Paris Rock

While not as popular as in England or Germany, French rock quickly found a passionate following. The 1960s saw artists such as Eddy Mitchell and, of course, Johnny Hallyday follow in the footsteps of American stars to become idols of the younger generations. Singers including Jacques Higelin took up the torch in the 1970s with a new style of rock music, but it was not until some ten years later, with the legalisation of free radio stations, that the nascent French rock movement really began to develop.

Whether you’re looking for a local record shop or an indie music venue, Hit the Road can introduce you to the pop-rock culture that spices up Parisian nightlife.

Paris Classique

The City of Lights is teeming with places to delight lovers of symphonies and preludes. Whether churches, opera houses, renowned auditoriums or more intimate venues, Paris boasts a countless range of indoor and open-air hotspots hosting orchestras and smaller groups of musicians, who travel from all over the world to perform Chopin, Liszt, Bach and more.

From attending the recording of a classical music radio show to visiting the Salle Gaveau concert hall, the eclectic line-up offered by Hit the Road will be music to your ears.