C'est une Chanson

C'est une Chanson: a festival born to save a house

The "C'est une Chanson" festival was born in November 2022 in a particular context: the Forum Léo Ferré in Ivry-sur-Seine had just ceased its activities after 21 years of existence dedicated to musical discoveries and Francophone song. Faced with the threat of this unique venue disappearing, artists spontaneously offered their concerts to keep the house alive. From this collective mobilization, the festival was born, its name - "C'est une Chanson" - a discreet but clear tribute to the art that has always animated these walls.

The Forum Léo Ferré: a house dedicated to song

The Forum Léo Ferré is one of the most important venues for Francophone song in the Parisian suburbs. Founded in the name of the great poet-musician Léo Ferré, it has established itself over the decades as a space for discovery and support for song artists, from the emerging new scene to established performers. Located at 11 rue Barbès in Ivry-sur-Seine, since renamed Le PIC (Petit-Ivry Cabaret), the venue continues to beat to the rhythm of live song, with a regular program of concerts and recitals.

A quality program in service of song

The "C'est une Chanson" festival brought together about fifteen events during its first edition (November-December 2022) with artists as diverse as La Sieste, Garance, Claire Elzière, Nawel Dombrowsky, and Georges Chelon. Special evenings were dedicated to the memory of Anne Sylvestre, a towering figure of feminist French song. Some concerts were sold out, notably those by Marl'n and Claude Lemesle, a legendary singer-songwriter and an academician of song.

Song as a popular and militant art

The identity of the "C'est une Chanson" festival is deeply linked to the tradition of French song as a popular, poetic, and committed art form. In Ivry-sur-Seine, a town with a rich industrial and cultural past, song has always held a special place: it is the art of simple words and social connection, the one that unites across classes and generations. The festival perpetuates this tradition by offering accessible concerts, often at modest prices, in an intimate setting that fosters closeness between artists and their audience.

A festival rooted in the cultural life of Ivry

Since 2022, "C'est une Chanson" has established itself in the cultural calendar of Ivry-sur-Seine as an anticipated event for fans of Francophone song. The festival is part of a dense local cultural fabric - Ivry also hosts the Festival de Marne and numerous active music associations - and benefits from the support of the Vitriot public and the network of Francophone song enthusiasts in Île-de-France. It is organized with the support of guitarist-singer Philippe Hervouët, a loyal craftsman of French song.