The Paris Ritz in the Blitz
About the show
Derby Browne and Café Ensemble
Chanteuse Derby Browne performs a Decadent Concert of Wartime French Swing & Jazz, featuring:
Edith Piaf, Charles Trenet, Yves Montand, Charles Aznavour, Cole Porter, Django Rheinhart
The Hôtel Ritz Paris occupied a complex role during World War II, serving as the luxury headquarters for the German Luftwaffe military command in Paris during the German occupation (1940–1944) while remaining a silent witness to history, resistance, and liberation.
While the Ritz itself was requisitioned by the Nazi high command, the music of wartime Paris reflected a mix of German-approved cabaret, underground jazz, and French chansons of longing and survival:
Nazi officers at the Ritz enjoyed classical music, cabaret acts, and popular anachronistic tunes of the era, though French musicians and patrons walked a tightrope between collaboration and censorship.
Songs include:
La Vie en Rose
Douce France
I love Paris
No regrets
Boum!
Begin the Beginuine
Presented by Derby Browne
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