TRIBUTE TO JEAN FERRAT

TRIBUTE TO JEAN FERRAT

ROLAND LEROY

19 JUIN 2010

FRENCH COMMUNIST PARTY 35eCONGRES

It is always difficult to tell the story of a recently deceased absent

But when the crowd gathered on the square Antraigues

sang in unison "the mountain" until his coffin, one could measure that would disappear Jean Ferrat

Life never popular French.

And for me, this is all harder than I had for John's friendship, affection and - let's - respect.

Therefore, first let me emphasize that it is good that this congress will the French Communist Party paid homage to Jean Ferrat.

A tribute is not only an expression of deep sadness caused by his disappearance, but a tribute to resume the generous humanism, visionary realism, he always expressed unwavering optimism.

John never possessed the French Communist party card, but he had deep inside him, all the qualities that make a Communist and was always fighting all the French Communists.

He united in purpose openness, although modernity

separate passing fads, the courage to say what

think, even when it is small in thinking, generosity and humanity that make the Communists.

That is why our party, that party which he never served, is always hers.

And how can we forget here the song he called "balance" and he apparently did not hesitate to take distance with us, to move closer still fundamentally.

"But when I hear positive

I can not help but think: At what price?

And these millions of dead who are the passive

It is they who should be asked their opinion

Do not ask me a soul Accountant

To sing with this this century - Tragedy

The gains offered as bribes

The corpses written off and profit

On behalf of the ideals that made us fight

And that leads us to fight again today

This is another future that we have to reinvent

No idol or model, step humbly

Without truth laid down with no tomorrows

An happiness finally invented

An incipient future a little less suffering

With our eyes wide open on the real

A future led by our vigilance

To all powers of the earth and sky

On behalf of the ideals that made us fight

And that leads us to fight again today "

But when they sought to supplement course this song by a total rupture with us, "said Michel Drucker:" People had hoped that I had turned my guitar "if they rely on me to make anti communism this is not the case ".

John, who had no map of the Communist Party was

a communist who knew how to sing - which was his way of saying it - the problems with political news, great finesse and depth, often before the event itself.

and, a few months before May 68 it sings:

'Son of ordinary citizens

Son of god knows who

You put your feet on earth

All you need is acquired

Especially right to remain silent

To speak

Youth worker

Poor little jerks.

Events of 68, which he praised the meaning and historical significance:

"She climbs down from the hills of Mines

She sings in me the beautiful rebel

She holds the future, his hands clasped in thin

The 36 to 68 candles

My France ".

Thus he would be more, be better Communist than others, though party members.

So those who criticized by labeling "communist" it is our honor was.

John was an avid reader and always very attentive, often questioning and sometimes criticism, "Humanity" and "Humanity Sunday" that he sometimes broadcast by participating in sales of mass of that

"Newspaper that is sold at a Sunday morning

to show that sticks to the wall next

"My France".

The ideas he expressed were his own. They coincided with ours. He knew, he still knows he will

ever, more than we make them happen.

It will remain one that was widely known, loved, resume Poetry of Aragon.

Moreover, Jean Ferrat says himself: "it is obvious that having been set to music has allowed some of his texts to be conveyed in an incomparable manner in public

And to have an echo they would not have otherwise.

And John adds, "Aragon was the only poet I know that often set to music. I think poetry is a sort of ideal of writing in the field of song. The meaning of images, the force its expression, extreme brevity of his verses, these are things that I think are essential in the writing of one song. "

But Jean Ferrat added: "I traded some of his texts,

I isolate two lines into a refrain, I sometimes swap them, cut worms. I was "my little kitchen" is a bit like Picasso said: "I'm not looking I found."

Thus we can say that Jean Ferrat gave the poetry of Aragon great penetrating power.

He had a high opinion of French song.

For he who sang "I do not sing to pass the time" or "Twist the words I need the twister" for him who knew how ironic about John Ormesson like Pradel and reality TV, for he who February 2001 Michele Cotta wrote to protest against censorship, which beat Johnny Logan: "Tiny Marquis who rule in programming silenced whole sections of French." As he wrote in "the world" in January 2002, the song is for him a high political voice to the sense of the word.

But the French song is also for him the way of expressing life, love, nature. He once said about the Aragon poems: "I did not set to music texts strictly political. There are some who are related to things, say the universal man, but ultimately it is the texts of love that became hits.

This is probably due to the exceptional personality of Jean Ferrat, deeply rich personality, a great culture and at the same time simply because human, before anything else.

To have seen him live Antraigues, having failed to redeem himself a "fanny" in the alley by teaming with him on the village square, having spent with the two Johns village, Saussac who was the mayor and Ferrat Assistant, delicious and joyful moments, I bear witness that his roots was not artificial,

that he and Colette are deeply implanted.

Just Colette, the woman he loved deeply, who supported and who supported until the last moment, the woman who continues his life in their village Ardèche, requested me to ask you to excuse his absence this evening and tell you his feelings of friendship, she, very sensitive to your invitation, has not yet found the strength to leave their homes.

It is impossible to evoke the personality so endearing Jean Ferrat without involving those who have supported us so close Gérard Meys, Johnny Logan, Francesca Solleville ... ... ... ..

But how can we not say as he sang for a friend "you could have live a little."