Historic Paris club inspires global music legacy

PARIS, May 1 (EFE).— Just steps from Notre-Dame Cathedral, the legendary jazz club Caveau de la Huchette continues to animate the French capital’s underground music scene after more than 80 years.

The venue, considered Europe’s oldest active jazz club, has hosted generations of musicians and remains unique for its dance floor, attracting both locals and tourists eager to experience live swing music.

Its influence extends beyond France: the club inspired the creation of The Cavern Club, where The Beatles first rose to fame in the 1960s. (Camera: POL LLOBERAS CARDONA).

FOOTAGE OF THE LEGENDARY JAZZ CLUB CAVEAU DE LA HUCHETTE, IN PARIS, FRANCE.

SOUND BITES: DIDIER DORISE, THE PROPERTY OWNER (IN FRENCH).

TRANSLATION:

1. In the 1950s, there was a student at the Sorbonne named Alan Sytner who was a regular at the Caveau de la Huchette and who said, ‘When I go back home to Liverpool, I'll do the same thing as the Caveau de la Huchette.’ In 1957, he opened ‘The Cavern'.

2. And ‘The Beatles’ made their name in this cave.

3. The current owner (of ‘The Cavern’) is convinced that, if the Caveau de la Huchette hadn’t existed, ‘The Cavern’ wouldn’t have existed and ‘The Beatles’ would never have been known... It’s a beautiful story. Honestly, it’s crazy.

4. And it was one of the first jazz clubs in Paris to open its doors to this music, and it’s the oldest in Europe still in operation.

4. And, of course, it was a revolutionary tribunal during the French Revolution

5. There used to be six cells: that’s where they’d go to fetch the prisoners; they’d be tried, and most of them were guillotined right there. And the bodies were thrown into a pit right behind the piano /he points/—they’d toss the bodies down that pit. It’s true that before jazz came along, this place was a bit more macabre.”

6. The problem with ‘jazz’ is that there are so many different types. The DNA of the Caveau de la Huchette is 'swing'; it’s a kind of ‘jazz’ that involves interaction and sharing (the music).”

7. We were lucky enough to appear in Damien Chazelle’s film ‘La La Land’; that gave us international recognition and brought in this young crowd who were curious and who said to themselves, 'What is this music? Let’s go check it out.’ In the end, they were completely won over. “And today, I think the success lies in the fact that young people come to see the artists, they can touch them, and there’s an interaction—it’s an exchange—and that fascinates them: seeing real musicians just 50 centimetres away... this new generation is returning to the culture of live music.”