Singing Poets: Literature And Popular Music in France And Greece, 1945-1975 (Legenda Studies in Comparative Literature) (Legenda Studies in Comparative ... (Legenda Studies in Comparative Literature)

This book shows how the model of singing poets becomes then an organizing principle for a system of national popular music. It responds to the growing call for the teaching of the textual networks of popular music within the domains of literary and cultural studies.

between 1945 And 1975, Both France And Greece Developed An Interplay Between Literature And Popular Music, Each Making A New National Canon. Literature Provided The Aesthetic Criteria, The Cultural Prestige And The Institutional Basis For What Aspired To Be A Higher Form Of Popular Song. Published Poems Were Turned Into Popular Songs, While A Critical Discourse, In Return, Celebrated Songwriters Not Only For Being As Good As Poets, But For Being Singing Poets In Their Own Right. In France, There Were Georges Brassens, Leo Ferre And Serge Gainsbourg: In Greece, The Presitigious Title Of Tragoudopoios (maker Of Songs) Was Awarded To Mikis Theodorakis, Manos Hadjidakis And Dionysis Savvopoulos. This Challenging And Stimulating Study Draws On A Wealth Of Materials, From Theoretical Writings By Poets, Through Their Lyrics, To The Record Sleeves And Posters Used To Promote Them.

'Between 1945 and 1975, in both France and Greece, literature provided the aesthetic criteria, cultural prestige and institutional basis for what aspired to be a higher form of popular song and the authentic representative of a national popular music. Published poems were set to popular music, while critical discourse celebrated some songwriters not only for being'as good as poets'but for being'singing poets'in their own right. This challenging and stimulating study is the first to chart the parallel cultural processes in the two countries from a comparative perspective. Bringing together cultural studies with literary criticism, it offers new angles on the work of Georges Brassens, Leo Ferre, Jacques Brel, Mikis Theodorakis, Manos Hadjidakis and Dionysis Savvopoulos.'