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Music'Expo 95

Le Salon de la Musique

Richard Erickson's Paris Journal - Freelance Correspondent to the Paris Pages
All images copyright (c) 21 June 1995 Richard Erickson - used with permission

Porte de Versailles, Paris:- The 20th edition of the Salon de la Musique opens the doors of Music'Expo 95 exceptionally today, June 21st, on the occasion of the National 'Fete de la Musique.' 17 groups will be performing on three stages: two outside the expo hall and one inside.

Brand-name and size of musician dosen't matter; this one got a big hand and nobody got his name - yet.

Music'Expo 95 brings together musicians and fans, as well as the manufacturers of instruments, both traditional and electronic.

Featured at the Salon are importers and distributors, fabricants of instruments, of both wood and metal, as well as professional audio equipment; musical institutions, cultural associations, teaching organisations, the music press, and music publishers.

About 150 exhibitors are presenting 1200 brands of material, spread over 10,000 square meters of exposition surface. Demonstrations, various animations and working sessions will be presented at the exhibitor's stands for every sort of visitor. Practical demonstrations and concerts will be given to and for children and adolescents.

The musician's new friend, the computer chip, will be represented not only by the various engines - some look like scientific instruments, or outer space gadgets, but some look like - pianos? guitars? - for musical creation, but also by music publishing systems, and multimedia editing software and hardware.

Summertime hit songs in France are called 'Tubes d'Ete', so here are ex-Soviet 'tubes.'

In case this last techno-info seems like the Salon might be more for propellerheads than jazzheads, 'Le Jazz-Cafe,' located in the expo hall, will be a showcase for musical groups to perform, from about 13h00 to 18h00 every day. Outside the hall, and possibly under cover - ah, Paris' summer is here - after a selection from 400 amateur groups, 15 were chosen by a jury will be in daily action in 'Le Tag Hall' from 13h00 to 17h00 in a little contest called, the 2nd 'Tremplin.' The winners will be chosen at the finale, on Sunday, June 25. In addition, there will be invited groups performing every day after the regular shows.

The exhibitors have some impressive musical lineups planned. These are too long to list here.

Several music publishers will be present at the salon, in addition to magazines deicated to music subjects. If you are not performing at 'Le Jazz-Cafe,' nor competing in 'Le Tag Hall,' nor doing stints on stands, bring your demo tapes and CDs, because this salon is a place to see a lot of people all at once.

Whether anybody will be able to hear anything; is another matter entirely.