mardi 27 octobre 2009

Newsletter October 21, 2009



Dear Friends,
What a lucky girl I am…

  • I am surrounded by wonderful people who love me, push me, help me, believe in me and make my life beautiful.
  • I get to follow my dreams.

I. If I could take one thing away from my trip to Paris, it is that love was all around me.
Love from my family: they all dedicated their time to help me out in every way possible and without them I could not have done it. My father dealt with all the paperwork for me, lend me some equipment, was the sound guy at one show, did the lights for another and much more; my sister, Juliette, was my assistant in every way and helped me take care of my wonderful band so we wouldn’t lose them in Paris; my little brother, Charles, lend me his apartment, filmed and took pictures of the show; my older brother, Arthur, found us a beautiful upright bass to borrow and accepted my invasion of his apartment; my mother was there to listen to me every time I needed her help and ran errands all over Paris for me; my cousin Violette found the main venue for me and booked the show (check out her website: www.littledoor.fr); my cousin Egmont lend us his electric guitar…
Love from my friends: all of you who showed me your support in any way, those who came from far to come see the show, and particularly my friend Floriane who really made that week in Paris a success. She put all her heart in it and helped me achieve things I would not have been able to do alone…
Love from my band: I wish I could describe the amount of fun we had, the connection that was built between a band that was formed at the last minute, the amount of toasts that were given, the laughs and tears of emotion but you had to be there to really understand… We are all still floating remembering a week that went by so fast it was almost surreal. Fortunately, we have hundreds of pictures to prove it really happened!
Thank you all…
For those of you who couldn’t be there, I will post some videos on my myspace page very soon.
II. I am so excited to finally have a new EP out and to be able to share it with all of you!
I officially released my new EP “The I Love Yous” in Paris and on the internet and I am looking forward to playing a CD release show in NYC very soon.
If you cannot wait to get it (or if you don’t live in New York… ;-)), don’t worry!! You can buy it online at: cdbaby.com/ancellej
Most of it was produced by the very talented, Paul Umbach. Please let me know what you think!
III. I have never had so many ideas in my life!
I am so happy to have some new songs to share, that I have been imagining all these things that I could do to promote them and have as many people hear them as possible. I have lots of projects and it is very exciting.
If I could get your help as well, it would be wonderful: all I ask is that you play my music to your friends (for example, leave the CD on your car seat, a friend gets in your car, picks it up so he doesn’t sit on it, says: “Who’s this?” and you answer “oh, that’s a really cool new artist I love, let me play it for you!”…), maybe post a link on your Facebook page, become a fan on my Facebook fan page etc.
IV. A couple of other things:

  • I am getting ready for a new music video which we should shoot mid-November.


  • The FIAF invited me to play for them again and I am excited to participate in their Soirée Beaujolais Nouveau on November 19th.


  • I will be heading to LA in November for the first time in my life to attend a big musical conference called the Taxi Road Rally. Should be fun!!

All that to say, I am happy, thanks to all of you! Merci!!



FRENCH WORD OF THE MONTH
Tope-la!: There were many “High fives” given during the trip so my sister tried to teach the band how to say it in French. Pronounce top la (like the solfège note). For some reason, the band quickly forgot the pronunciation, and it started to sound like “Coldplay”… It is the intention that counts…












Newsletter July 29, 2009

DEAR FRIENDS,
What are you doing this summer? I hope you are all taking some well deserved vacation. I am staying in New York but I am taking advantage of all of the great things the city has to offer and we have been getting a pretty perfect month of July weather-wise; it has not been unbearably hot like it usually is but it has been sunny most days, so I am loving it! But enough small talk, here comes the BIG NEWS:
I AM COMING TO PARIS IN SEPTEMBER TO PLAY MY FIRST SHOW EVER IN MY HOME TOWN!! I am bringing a couple of my band members who agreed to take a little vacation in Paris in September and I cannot wait! My European friends and family, this show is for you!! Please please please, save the date! September 28th at Le Sentier Des Halles. I am going to need all of your support and help to make this worthwhile so start letting your friends know about it and let’s make it unforgettable together!
Mes chers amis qui en avez marre que je n’écrive mes emails qu’en anglais, je m’en excuse… Oui, vous avez bien compris, je viens donner mon premier concert à Paris le 28 septembre au Sentier Des Halles!! Je m’en réjouis déjà car j’ai hâte d’enfin pouvoir partager ma musique avec vous. Je vous en serais plus que reconnaissante si vous pouviez réserver votre soirée et n’hésitez pas à inviter vos amis!
I will give you more details as the date approaches… I also have a lot of other projects for the month of August which I will keep you posted on.
Even though I love being in NYC, don’t hesitate to send me some of your vacation pictures so I can have a little change of scenery for a few minutes… ;-)
Much love,
Joséphine.



UPCOMING SHOWS
August 3rd 2009, solo show at Blackbird’s – 9pm
41-19 30th Avenue, Astoria, New York 11103
September 28th, at Le Sentier Des Halles – TBA
50 rue d’Aboukir – 75002 Paris FRANCE ☺



FRENCH WORD OF THE MONTH
How about a useful sentence for your future trip to Paris? Let’s say, I don’t know… at the end of September!
“Bonjour Monsieur (Madame), je voudrais un croissant et un café au lait s’il vous plaît.”
Do not pronounce the “r” in “monsieur”, “et” rhymes with “café”, “voudrais”, “lait” and “plaît” rhyme with “say” and “vous” with “too” (almost…)
Meaning: “Hello Sir (Mrs), I would like a croissant and a coffee with milk please.”
Just picture yourself at the terrace of a little café ordering your morning breakfast before your walk along the Seine…





Thank you to all of you who were at The Bastille Day shows!
I hope you had as much fun as I did…

Newsletter June 12, 2009

June 12, 2009

Dear Friends,
Life is good! Don’t you think? I try to remind myself everyday of how many wonderful things I have going on in my life and I hope you can all count many wonderful things in yours.
I am so happy that I not only get to do what I love, music, but grow from it every day. I have always known that nothing is sure in life and that our goals can sometimes turn into different realities but I have always thought that this path that I have chosen was the best way for me to discover who I am, push myself beyond my limits and never get stuck in one state of mind, whatever the outcome. It is even greater to walk on that path and always find a door that is unlocked…
I have spent the past few month looking for someone to produce a new album or EP for me. I knocked on many doors that never got opened and had to go all the way to Nashville to find the one that would! It’s always when you find that door that you understand why the others stayed closed. I will tell you more as things evolve but for now you can go to my myspace page and listen to the first recording that came out of this new collaboration with my song “Half Of Me”. I would love to hear what you think.
I have also put up on myspace an acoustic version of a new song. This song has a nice story behind it. It has to do with a candle, a French restaurant and a wonderful 80 something year old couple… All you have to know is that I did not write the lyrics to it but if you want to hear the full story, come out to a show and I will tell it then! I like to give details when I tell stories (my family always makes fun of me for it but I think it is more fun that way) and this one would be too long to write in this email if I wanted to do it justice!
Luckily, I have a bunch of shows coming up! ;-)
UPCOMING SHOWS
June 18th at Bar 4 for The NY Sirens
(444 7th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215) at 10pm
with Jamie Rae at 8pm and Shanna Zell at 9pm. I go on at 10pm (with Peter Calo, Matt Wigton and Chris Benelli). I know this is in Brooklyn and late at night but Bar 4 is a really cool place and I don’t know many people in Brooklyn. If you have some friends who live out there, I would really appreciate it if you told them about it!
June 21st for Make Music New York
(2519 Broadway, NY 10025) at 3pm
Make Music New York got started I think 3 years ago in New York but it was inspired by a celebration that started in Paris many years ago and the spread out all over music. Every year on June 21st , anyone can go out in the streets and play some music. You can find out more about it at MakeMusicNY.org/. So I chose to play in my neighbourhood, in front of my friend Bob the Indian’s store that sells my CD, Urban Cottage, at the corner of 94th street and Broadway. I plan to go on at 3pm with my band and we’ll turn the block into a party for a little while!
July 12 for Bastille Day!!!
Bastille Day’s street fair organized by the FIAF (French Institute) is always a lot of fun. I had to pleasure to be a part of it last year and I am so happy to do it again this year! I am not sure of the time yet but it will be some time in the early afternoon.
http://www.bastilledaynyc.com/Entertainment.htm
http://www.fiaf.org
July 12 AT THE LIVING ROOM AT 8PM (or 9pm – to be confirmed)!
Yes, it is the same day but it will be a different show. I am very excited to play The Living Room again with the full band and once again I will beg you to come out! I still need to prove that I can bring out people and I promise it will be a lot of fun!!
ALL OF THESE SHOWS ARE FREE AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU AT ONE OF THEM!... or all of them!
Let me know how you are doing,
Much love,
Joséphine



FRENCH WORD OF THE MONTH
I figured I would give you a few words that are exactly the same in French and in English… There are actually many of them. English borrowed a lot from French and French borrowed a lot from English; and still does…
Here are a few examples: (they mean the same thing and are spelled the same)
Album, beige, catastrophe, concert, crocodile, double, explosion, fruit, horizon, idiot, intelligent, jungle, locomotive, massage, normal, police, robot, statue, taxi, urgent, virus, xylophone, zen… So if you’re ever in France and you don’t know how to say something, try an English word with your best French accent and there are good chances you will be understood… That is how I fool people when I speak English! ;-)





My awesome fans at The Living Room!

Newsletter April 6, 2009


This is the view I had when we were shooting the photo we chose for my album cover: a beautiful cherry blossom tree in Riverside Park.

Dear Friends!
I hope you are all doing well. What is the weather like where you are? We, New Yorkers, cannot wait for the cherry trees to blossom and for a steady 60 degrees which should happen in the next couple of weeks… The cherry blossom season, when most of the trees are blooming with beautiful white and pink flowers is definitely my favourite time of year. It was actually during that time, two years ago, that I shot my album pictures in Riverside Park!!
ON THE MUSIC SIDE OF THINGS
Well now it is time for a new album! I have been keeping myself busy with writing new songs and seriously preparing for my new EP. I need to be sure of the songs I will choose and of the direction that I want to take so I am taking my time with it as it will be the root for everything else. All I can say is that it should involve more French songs!
UPCOMING SHOWS
I have not performed in a while because I want to focus on writing and shows always take a lot of preparation but I couldn’t resist for too long…
So the next one will be at:
Caffé Vivaldi on Friday April 17th at 7:30pm
(32 Jones Street in Greenwich Village – FREE)
Caffé Vivaldi (www.caffevivaldi.com) is a really cute intimate venue that is perfect for acoustic sets. I will be lucky to be accompanied by Peter Calo on acoustic guitar, Matt Wigton on double bass, and Chris Benelli on percussion and I will play some new songs that will probably go on the new album!!
I have been invited to play by Andy Mac for the “Andy Mac and Friends” night that he hosts there twice a month so I am very proud to be a part of it!
I hope I will get to see a lot of you there and until then, let me know what you are up to!
Much love,
Joséphine

Newsletter January 21, 2009

January 21, 2009

NYC park right by where I live...
I love it when it looks like that!


DEAR FRIENDS,
I am at least a week late for my newsletter but it is because I have been busy and in a good way! I have a lot of things to share with you…
First, I have to say that I am very excited about 2009. I keep having this image of a big blank page on which I can’t wait to write pretty stories, happy moments, surmounted challenges and many many other things! And I wish the same thing to all of you. May 2009 be a year of fulfillment.



I AM STARTING THE YEAR WITH A COUPLE OF EXCITING THINGS:
First, I will be shooting my first music video this Thursday!! I am very much looking forward to finally seeing how it all works, although a little bit nervous. I will probably have a lot of fun stories to tell when it is all done! It should be available on itunes in about a month. I will of course keep you posted.
Also, I got interviewed for the popular Franco-American magazine “France Amérique” and the article should be online some time this week.
Meanwhile, you can check out what they wrote about one of my upcoming shows…



UPCOMING SHOWS
I have two shows coming up:
January 27th at The Bubble Lounge (228 West Broadway) – 9pm
This event is for a fundraiser:
The French club of the International Arts and Business High School in Flatbush, Brooklyn, is the most active organization in the school community. It is made up of dedicated students, some of whom have never left New York. Headed by Salima Smith, the club has been raising funds to finance a trip to Paris.
I am the musical guest of the night and will be playing a half hour set with my band but there is a party going on from 8pm to 11pm. There is a $10 donation at the door. It will probably be full of French speakers so come out and practice your French!
February 8th at The Annex (152 Orchard St.) 8pm
Full band 45min set - $10 Cover
The Doors open at 7:30pm.
Christina McDonald will be opening the night at 7:45pm
Craig Wilson will be playing at 8:45pm.
Since a lot of people requested more French songs at my last shows, I have been working on writing some new ones. So I promise more Frenchness!
I hope that you are all well!
Much love,
Joséphine.



FRENCH WORD OF THE MONTH:
I was talking with some friends the other night about some of the English words that we use in French and have transformed or given a new meaning to, or plainly invented but made it sound like they were American.
A few funny ones are:
CHEWING-GUM: In the US, people now just say “gum”. In France we pronounce it “Shooinggum.”
FOOTING: I don’t think this word exists in the English language. We use this word instead of “jogging.”
SHOPPING: In France we don’t “go shopping” we “make some shopping” (faire du shopping)…
Anyone has some other fun ones to share?

Newsletter May 13, 2008

Joséphine Ancelle
Me with cowboys!

HELLO FRIENDS!


So much has been going on since the last time I got in touch with you!

Where to start? Well I just got back from Nashville. It was great, y’all! ;-) I went down there to meet a few people and stay in touch with others but it was also a little vacation.

I played at Douglas Corner and sat at booth under a signed poster of Garth Brooks saying something like “Douglas Corner has always been like a home to me”... I felt kind of cool!

I also went horseback riding in a big ranch with cowboys! The instructor was also a singer (of course!) and so I ended up hanging out with him and his friends that night. Somehow, I danced to country music with a real cowboy... I didn’t really know where I was from anymore... Paris? Where is that? In Texas?... ;-)


Joséphine Ancelle
A gas station in Nashville...
ON THE MUSIC SIDE OF THINGS

The music has been going very well. I keep getting played on a bunch of podcasts. “Meant To Fly”, “Unfinished Life” and “I Think Of You” are the favorites...

You can go check out some of them:

mtdan.ca

live365.com/stations/powerhit102

wlso.fm/wordpress/archives/1036

Also I just hung up the phone from a web radio interview with Radio Now. It belongs to the live365.com network. I don’t know when the interview will air but I will let you know when I find out!

And I just finished an interview with iProng Magazine (iProngMagazine.com) that just got published in the May 13th edition. It is a four-page interview and I am really excited about it! Also, my appearance at Podcamp 2.0, a podcast conference in Brooklyn that took place on April 25th and 26th, was mentioned in the iProng Magazine May 7th issue. Go check it out!

My CD has been available for sale at a store called Urban Cottage, a really cute store at the corner of 94th Street and Broadway. Go in and ask them questions about my CD if you happen to walk by! You can even buy it if you don’t have it yet... The owner of the store is a very nice guy; he is from India and when I asked him for his name he answered: “Just call me Bob...”


Joséphine Ancelle
UPCOMING SHOWS

MY SHOW MAY 20TH AT R BAR HAS BEEN CANCELED! I AM IN THE PROCESS OF REBOOKING IT ON ANOTHER DATE AND I WILL LET YOU KNOW AS SOON AS I FIND OUT WHEN!

And believe it or not, the June 12th show is now going to be on June 13th at 9pm at:

UnWINEd @ The Symphony Space
(95th street between Broadway and West End) FREE!

UnWINEd is a really cool wine bar in the Upper West Side. Upper West Siders, this gig is for you!! You can’t say that it is too far anymore! ;-)

One cool thing that I like to mention about this place is that on Mondays and Tuesdays, they are open for people to play Guitar Hero III all day...

On May 23rd I will appear live for an interview and to sing a couple of songs on an internet show called RNO from Paris (justin.tv/fromparis) from 9pm to 12pm (NY time). It is an interactive show so you can talk to me through the chat!

I have other shows coming up in June and July and will let you know about them very soon.

À Bientôt!
(check out the “French Word of The Month” below to get my translation)

Joséphine.


CONTACT INFO

josephine@josephineancelle.com

http://www.myspace.com/josephineancelle



THE FRENCH WORD OF THE MONTH

À Bientôt: Literally means “To soon” in French... So basically it would be translated by “See you soon”. I decided to start giving you a new French word for each newsletter. Let me know if there is any word you would like to learn!


vendredi 2 octobre 2009

Artistikrezo dresse le portrait de Joséphine

Lors de son passage à Paris à l'occasion de son concert au Sentier des Halles, Joséphine a rencontré une chroniqueuse du site artistikrezo.com au coeur de Paris. En ressort un magnifique portrait d'une star en devenir:

Joséphine Ancelle, une chanteuse française qui connait ses premiers succès à New York... lire la suite sur http://www.artistikrezo.com/musique/decouverte-portrait/josephine-ancelle.html