For Julien Clerc, the location of this test was the Florence Gould Hall, a small 400-seat theatre and the only hall of the tour belonging to the local Alliance Francaise. The context is therefore reassuring but after the success of the previous days, the size of this room turned out to be a rather small, because even if everyone dreamed of it no one had dared imagine such a success for this trial tour. It's obvious that the next time Julien Clerc sets off across America, 2000-seat halls could be considered without apprehension. What's more, other artists have a chance of being able to infiltrate this gap where few Frenchmen have succeded up to now.

In fact, having a French artist tour North America, and in particular the USA, remains a high-flying task on which no American structure seems willing to bet. Whether it be from a financial, promotional or logisitical standpoint, it was the French who had to take control of the situation. This is how the tour ended up being a skilful collaboration between the Alliance Francaise network, the AFAA (Association Francaise d'Action Artistique) and Virgin Records. Everything was managed on site by Helene Gherman (photo) executive producer, coordinator for this tour that she followed from beginning to end, and above all a logistical wizard.
A resident of New York, this former jazz singer has successfully converted to the production and organization of tours and festivals. This is the third time that she has worked with the Alliance Francaises after Maxime Le Forestier and Alan Stivell's tours.

Entirely devoted to the promotion and the teaching of the French language all over the world, the Alliance Française circuit is, in North America, one of the rare means that allow French artists to tour. Their main activity is the teaching of French and there are about 35,000 people across the USA who are enrolled in their French classes. They are run according to local law and are totally private and independent of France on the structural and financial level.

One cannot deny the fact that the Alliance Francaise has a conservative and very wise image (which is well deserved) and that certain cultural traditions influence decisions in general and the artistic choices in particular. In each Alliance Francaise, a half-American, half-French board of advisors give their final approval to each proposal regarding cultural events. NTM or Noir Desir are therefore not anywhere near being scheduled.…

However, Stephanie de Brabander, the young woman in charge of cultural programs at the national delegation situated in Washington (and coordinator of the Alliance's side of the tour) has firmly intented, since her arrival a few years ago, to get things moving as much as possible. This is how in 1998 Arthur H and Paris Combo were able to tour. And among her wishes, Stephanie would like to propose Miossec or Manu Chao. But is the " Board "ready?

If Maxime Le Forestier played several dates in the USA in 1997, the Alliances moved to a larger scale with Julien Clerc's tour. It was the very first time that a French artist of this caliber has given a dozen recitals entirely in French (Aznavour's shows are partially in English) across a continent with little concern about the survival of the language of "chez nous". According to Bernard Frontero (photo) the General Delegate of the Alliance Francaise in Canada, it is a little bit easier to work on the French language in Canada because of Quebec . The Canadian delegation is involved in numerous festivals and organizing a tour of French artists is much easier. Moustaki, Allain Leprest or Les Tetes Raides had significant tours these past few years, travels which nevertheless did not take them to the very Anglophone city of Vancouver where Julien Clerc achieved great success which is promising for other artists.

How then are the duties of the tour divided up? It's simple: the AFAA and Air France financed the travelling, Virgin took care of advertising on a national level, and each Alliance took care of renting a hall, the artist's fee (which is much lower than usual) and local advertising. In Los Angeles, where the local Alliance Francaise is not very big, the organization was taken on by Simon Azoulay, a French producer settled in California for twenty years and organizer of Enrico Macias and Adamo's local tours.
On the technical side, the majority of things were organized by Darrell Shines, lighting director and owner fo Laid Back productions, a small company that organizes concerts. Finally a New York public relations agency (the Herbert Breslin Company who handles Pavarotti and Aznavour) took care of press relations from CNN to Radio France Internationale.

Finally if it is difficult to find Julien Clerc's CDs in North American record stores outside of Quebec, a compilation ("Rendez-vous with Julien Clerc") was specially pressed and distributed in the USA by Tinder Records, an up and coming American label of another French person Sandrine di Rienzo.

Therefore if everyone in this little group was slightly worried about the tangible success of this tour, relief seems to have replaced apprehension today. In New York, like in any other city, the Francophone and Anglophone public left the shows impressed and thrilled. And seeing the little envious eyes of French singer Renaud who was present at Florence Gould Hall Monday evening, it's possible that this tour will have sequels…

Catherine Pouplain
photos: CP
translated by sf renaudon