If we forget about the unbearable heat and stench, summers in Paris have a lot to offer between film and music festivals, Paris Plage, open-air cinemas, and free concerts. In the square in front of the City Hall of the 3rd arrondissement, a series of open-air concerts were organized from June 21-July 14 as part of their Festival Soirs d’Ete (Summer Nights Festival). All of the bands were unknown to me except one soulful Frenchie, Ben L’Oncle Soul, a burgeoning singer best known for his covers of “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley, “Seven Nation Army” originally by The White Stripes and “I Kissed a Girl” by Katy Perry.
Influenced by soul music from the 60’s and 70’s (as best illustrated by “Soul Wash”, his first EP), Ben was discovered by the French division of Motown France and has been touring the country since March. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one to mistake him for a native English speaker as his sound is very much reminiscent of his predecessors, a combination of Ray Charles, Al Green, Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. His full album is a mix of songs in English and French and a real departure from much of what occupies…
