"La Vendee can only be explained if the facts and the
legend are combined..." That is the introduction to
"VENDEE 93", an audio cassette (also available on
compact disc) that I was offered during our last trip to
France. 1993 is the 200 year anniversary of the
beginning of the unfortunate Vendean uprising in which an
estimated 600,000 people lost their lives. Hence the title
"VENDEE 93".
The French government has encouraged the celebration of that anniversary and is almost in favor of the Vendean cause. The result is that many Frenchmen (and women) found themselves Vendean. sympathizers, and everywhere some celebrations were held. Celebrations not to revive the rebellion against the Republic, but simply to honor the Vendeans, who beside supporting the Royalty of France, were fighting to maintain their basic freedom and rights, especially to practice the religion of their choice.
The "VENDEE 93" program is authored (music
and lyrics) by Didier Barbelien, a well known French author
and singer, and includes 12 very emotional songs [1] on the
War in the Vendee. These songs relate the Vendean drama
and tragedy - of Frenchmen fighting Frenchmen -
artistically and objectively.
The songs are too numerous to present individually,
they all have a story to tell and are worthy of mention. My
husband likes: "Te rejoindre en Vendee" a song by Robert
Hossein, Anais and Didier Barbelin; it relates the story of a
girl and a young man and the reasons for fighting in the
Vendee. She says "J'irai te rejoindre en Vendee, which
translates as "I'll be joining you in Vendee.. " and Vendee
mon fils " song by Margaux, is about a mother proclaiming
that "Tu seras Vendeen mon fils" or "You will be Vendean
my son" and the reasons behind her choice.
Personally, I fell so in love with Les Maries de
Vendee, that my cousin bought me the tape "VENDEE
93". It is a love song about a young Vendean couple
finally reunited after the Vendean drama. I also enjoy La
petite fille au tambour, the heartbreaking story of a the
tragedy of children in war, related by the little girl (Julie
Estardy) who sings about "the little girl with the drum". She
says: .... They" took my father and my brother and the white
horse that I loved so much ... I used to run in the heathers ...
We won't see anymore the little girl with the drum, she'll
never know love ... War does not like children ......
The spoken texts between songs are excerpts from
Victor Hugo's poem "93" and rendered perfectly by
Robert Hossein and Evelyn Bouix.
The songs are in French, and as far as I know, they
have not been translated in English and that is a great
shame. The compact disc and cassette are edited by Europe
I and distributed by Sonny Music France. I strongly
recommend "VENDEE 93" to anyone who is interested in
the Vendee drama and can understand a I ittle French. It has
been said that in France everything ends up in a song.
My husband's article on La Vendee is to be found
elsewhere in this issue and 'Is the reason I felt like
presenting "VENDEE 93".
[1] The songs are too numerous to cover each
individually, There are: Te Rejoindre en Vendee, Monsieur
Leona's Corner
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