7.2.19

The cat is back!

In a post I wrote soon four years ago (see here), I wrote about the black cat, "Le Chat Noir", a famous cabaret which existed between 1881 and 1897. I'm afraid the cabaret closed forever, but the people behind the cabaret also published a weekly newspaper with the same name... and the newspaper is now back, until further on a monthly basis, and the number 9 will soon be published. 

The previous one which was published between 1882 and 1897 had some very famous contributors with writers like Alphonse Allais, Guy de Maupassant, Victor Hugo, Edmond de Goncourt, Emile Goudeau, Paul Verlaine... with musical critics like Charles Gounod, Jules Massenet... with illustrators like Steinlen, Wilette, Léandre, Caran d'Ache... 

The life of the original newspaper was rather short, but if it stopped, it was only because of the death of the creator of the cabaret and the newspaper, Rodolphe Salis. 

The new "Le Chat Noir" is back thanks to a young man, Romain Nouat, and the purpose is the same, satire and humour. 

I had the pleasure to meet him. One amusing detail is that he works in a small flat which once (around 1880-98) was occupied by the composer Erik Satie, during the time when Satie wrote the Gymnopédies, the Gnossiennes... and when he, together with Claude Debussy and others, took care of the music at the cabaret "Le Chat Noir" and when he had a short love story with his neighbour Suzanne Valadon... (I wrote about her several times, maybe especially here.) From Satie's window we are overlooking what now is the Montmartre Museum.
On the top picture we can see Romain Nouat, holding his newspaper (no. 8), standing in front of the Montmartre vineyards (see here), the cabaret "Lapin Agile" (see here)...

Here we can see a 2019 version of the newspaper, compared to an 1884 one.

... and at last, the newspaper on sale ... and Romain Nouat again, here together with one of the present contributors to the newspaper, Rodolphe Trouilleux, author of a number of books, especially on Paris and Parisians, including the bestseller "Paris Secret et Insolite"

... and, of course, if you wish to subscribe to the new monthly "Le Chat Noir", which I just did, I suggest that you go to this site. ... and the annual fee is: France 35€, rest of Europe 50€, rest of the world 55€.


3 comments:

Jeanie said...

Oh Peter, I remember seeing this part of Paris with you in 2012 and Eric Satie's house (or at least his plaque!). Who could imagine it would come to life with an enterprising publisher! This is a terrific thing -- I hope the publication is very successful!

claude said...

En voilà une bonne nouvelle !

Anonymous said...

The young and enterprising M. Nouat looks like an angel? And I know it's no small thing to have the formidable M. Trouilleux as a contributor!
Here's wishing them every success.
Thank you, Peter.
Maria