by: Paulanne Simmons
This December 19 will be one hundred years since the birth of Edith Piaf. In France, she is a national icon, beloved by young and old. Internationally, she is a legendary singer whose star power made her one of France’s finest exports.
The evening began and ended with two of Piaf’s best known songs: Maxine Linehan singing “La Vie en Rose” and Carole J. Bufford singing “Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien.” But there were also several lesser known numbers.
Even in her earliest songs, we can see Piaf’s trademark regard for the poor, the outcast, the downcast lovers. And she also sang about overcoming sorrow, sometimes with a drink or two, or three.
It would be nice to think that one of Piaf’s last songs, “Non, je ne regrette rien” sums up Piaf’s attitude towards life: “No, nothing of nothing/No! I don’t feel sorry about anything/Not the good things people have done to me/Not the bad things, it’s all the same to me.” Bufford’s passionate interpretation of the song summed up the evening and the night.
Although Piaf performed in many large concert halls, she is perhaps best appreciated in an intimate venue, surrounded by new and old friends and a glass of fine wine in hand.
What better place to celebrate Piaf’s birthday than at the elegant 54 Below?
54 Below is at 254 West 54 Street, www.54below.com