One of the most exciting parts of learning a new language is being exposed to a new world of music. You will become familiar with new foreign artists and music styles. If you are learning French, you are in luck because the French have a very rich music industry. In fact, France has the 5th biggest music market in the world! How crazy is that?!
Are you familiar with any French singers? If you aren’t, it may be a good idea to familiarize yourself with a few. If you want to, you can begin exploring by browsing our Lingopie playlist of some of the most popular French music artists. You will find a variety of different music genres ranging from the classic Édith Piaf to the more modern Stromae and Indila.
Lingopie music is so useful because you can watch the music videos whilst you can learn a language with lyrics. Whenever you are uncertain of a word, all you have to do is click on it and its meaning will appear. Bingo! Listening to music is a really effective way to get accustomed to the French language.
You can’t learn French just through textbooks! Learning a new language is a bit more complex than that and there are many aspects to it.
Kendji Girac is one of the most well-loved singers in the French music industry right now. If you are unfamiliar with his music then hopefully we will change that today! Some of Kendji’s most popular hits are ‘Les yeux de la mama’, ‘Andalouse’ and ‘Conmigo’.
So who is he? What are his songs like? What does he sing about? And most importantly, can you learn French with his music? (clue: yes!).
Today we are going to get to know Kendji a little bit better, translate some of his lyrics and find out how to learn French with his songs.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
2. Why should I learn French with Kendji’s songs?
3. Can I learn French with Kendji Girac?
4. How to learn French with music
Who is Kendji Girac?
Kendji Girac is a 26 year old French singer and guitarist. He was born in the south of France in Périgieux to a Catalan Gitano family. His first language is actually Catalan, though he speaks French perfectly.
Kendji began singing very early, from the age of 8, and his grandfather taught him how to play the guitar.
Kendji Girac rapidly rose to fame after winning Season 3 of the French music competition ‘The Voice: La Plus Belle Voix.’ Ever since, he has been releasing viral hit after hit, and is now one of the most appreciated music artists, not only in France but across borders.
However, he also gained some fame through uploading some videos of himself singing on YouTube. His cover of Maître Gims’ song ‘Bella’ went viral very quickly.
Why should I learn French with Kendji’s songs?
So why should you check out Kendji’s songs? Well, I believe Kendji has brought something completely fresh and different to the French music industry. He offers a variety of different music genres, though most of his songs definitely come under the category of Latin pop.
A large number of his songs have a latin flavor to them, with a flamenco upbeat style that makes you want to just get up and dance. Quite a few of his songs are bilingual, where he sings in both Spanish and French.
One of his songs ‘Habibi’ (which is Arabic for “my love”) even has an Arabic influence, with a Roma-flamenco beat whilst featuring a typical Arabic folkloric dance in the music video. It is no wonder he is admired by many French speaking countries including Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco.
Whilst his songs are certainly catchy and easy on the ears, what is really special about Kendji Girac is his beautiful voice. His voice is charming, soulful and when put together with his guitar, it is something really quite special.
Can I learn French with Kendji Girac?
Ahh the big question…
Yes! Absolutely. One of the things I like most about Kendji Girac is that his French is quite easy to understand. This makes it a lot easier for French learners. He uses a lot of simple vocabulary in his songs, rather than long, complex words.
Kendji tends to sing a lot about the themes of love, childhood, loss and family so you will be picking up a lot of vocabulary on these topics. Keep in mind that many of Kendji’s songs are quite upbeat and fast, so if you are a beginner, I would recommend starting by listening to some of his slower songs (where he sings at a slower pace).
I find his songs to be so catchy that learners are much more likely to remember new words.
How to learn French with music
Before we look at some of Kendji’s lyrics and their meaning, let’s cover how to actually learn French with music. Obviously, the first thing to do is to listen to the song in French from start to finish. You can actually do this 2 or 3 times to get used to the sounds and to the beat. You might not be able to decipher many of the words at this point, and that is perfectly okay.
Then, you can look up the lyrics to the song (in French) and read them. How many words are you able to understand? If there are any words you are unfamiliar with, underline them or highlight them so that you can look them up later.
The next step is to listen to the song whilst following along with the lyrics. Are you able to understand more of what is being sung whilst reading the lyrics? Now you can look up the meanings of any words you are unfamiliar with.
The last part is the fun part- singing along to the song whilst following along with the words. Humans are hardwired to remember new words through songs! Focus on how the words are being pronounced by the singer and try to copy them as best as you can. Remember practice makes perfect.
Lyrics with Kendji Girac
Let’s take a look at some of the lyrics from Kendji’s song ‘Les yeux de la mama’. This is undoubtedly one of his most beautiful and moving songs. It is one of his slower songs and the music video reflects the beauty of the words he is singing.
The lyrics to this song express the love Kendji has for his mother. He talks about everything she has done for him throughout his life and how much he appreciates her.
Here are some of the lyrics along with the English equivalent translation:
“Quand j'ai froid elle se fait lumière
Comme un soleil dans l'existence
Quand j'ai mal elle se fait prière
Elle me dit tout dans un silence
Quand je souffre, elle souffre avec moi
Quand je ris, elle rit aux éclats
Mes chansons sont souvent pour elle
Elle sera toujours ma merveille
Quand je n'suis pas à la hauteur
Elle m'élève plus haut que le ciel”
“When I am cold
She becomes the light
Like the sun in existence
When I am hurt, she becomes the prayer
She tells me everything in silence
When I suffer
She suffers with me
When I laugh, she laughs out loud
My songs are often for her
She will always be my miracle
When I'm not at my best
She lifts me up higher than the sky”
Here are two French expressions you absolutely need to know:
‘J’ai froid’ - ‘I am cold’
‘J’ai mal…’- ‘to be in pain’
For example, if you want to say you have a headache you would say ‘J’ai mal à la tête’. Or if you have a backache you would say ‘J’ai mal au dos’.
Cool
Let’s take a look at another of Kendji’s songs, named ‘Cool’. This is a fun song about how successful Kendji became with his singing and how he never expected to come this far.
‘J'ai passé des heures à chanter tard dans la nuit
Pour m'amuser un peu ou pour tuer l'ennui
Pour le fun, pour draguer les copines
Pas pour passer dans les magazines
Je bossais pas pour pouvoir toucher le cœur des gens
Mais le destin en a décidé autrement
Je suis là devant vous sur la scène
A vous donner mon amour et ma peine’
‘I spent hours singing late into the night
To amuse myself a little or to kill the boredom
For the fun, to hit on the ladies
Not to get in the magazines
I didn't think I could touch people's hearts
But fate decided otherwise
I'm here before you on stage
To give you my love and my sorrow’
Words you should remember:
‘Draguer’ - to flirt. (Draguer is the slang/colloquial word for ‘to flirt’ or ‘to hit on somebody’ in French).
‘Bossais (bosser)’ - bosser is the slang term for ‘to work/ study’’
As you can see, listening to French music is a great way to pick up new French slang terms.
In Conclusion
So, hopefully now you are a bit more familiar with Kendji Girac and some of his songs. Kendji’s music is fun, upbeat and an optimal way to practice your French listening skills. His lyrics are not overly- complex and his spoken French is quite easy to understand.
Make sure to actually look up the lyrics when you are listening to French songs. It is important to put the words together with the audio (as most people find it difficult to completely understand spoken French at first). Reading along with the words will help your brain to actually remember them.
Remember that with Lingopie music, you can follow the songs along with the lyrics. And to simplify your life, you can click on any word you are unfamiliar with and the meaning will pop up. This is definitely easier than having to look them up in a dictionary!
Because we know how important it is for learners to work on their French listening skills, we recommend watching movies, documentaries and series in French (as well as music). You will find a huge selection of these on our Lingopie website.
Do you have any favorite French music artists?
Good luck!
