A grape harvest right in the heart of Paris? Some might call it a miracle, but the “Vendange Château Charonne” (Charonne Castle Grape Harvest) is celebrated each year with a huge block party in the eleventh arrondissement. There are plenty of prizes to win (thousands, in fact!) and delicious wines to sample.

Interviewees on the streets of Paris protest the banning of the burqa in public places in France and offer their perspectives on this controversial issue.

In this next installment of Télé Bocal’s coverage of the Python-Duvernois block party, we hear from a group of kids who’ve made a courageous trip down an enormous slide, and from a municipal advisor who shares with us her inspiring message of solidarity.

Saxophonist Alex Terrier talks about how he came to be a jazz musician and shares some photos. Come take a glimpse inside the life of this gifted artist.

Alex gives a detailed description of the saxophone and all its different parts. Did you know that, despite its association with jazz music, the saxophone was actually invented in the 1840s for use in military bands?

In this video brought to us by Allons en France, a French government program that encourages students to learn the language and culture of France, young people from all over the world tell us about what learning French means to them.

The actress Aïssa Maïga talks about her work for UNESCO, which has partnered with Always to promote literacy among women and girls in Senegal and other countries.

Arlette Grosskost, UMP (Union for a Popular Movement) representative and member of the Parliamentary task force on the burqa in France, advocates a law aiming to ban the wearing of the full-body veil in public. What’s your take on this controversial issue? Is it a question of women’s rights? Of religious freedom? Are arguments against the burqa perhaps another type of veil—to cover up underlying racism?

From dreams to reality, putting forth “a little bit of energy each day,” Annie Chartrand, a vocalist who debuted singing behind her bathroom door, burst onto the music scene in 2006. Here is an interview with the singer of Ma blonde est une chanteuse [My Girlfriend Is a Singer]—a group which is actually part of a love story…

The lovely singer tells us in franglais about franglais. She discusses her experiences growing up bilingual in Quebec, her international travels, and why it’s not always a good idea to tell someone if you’ve ripped your pants…

Lucile, aka “B-Girl Frak,” has been dancing most of her life. But it wasn’t until she discovered hip-hop that she realized what dancing as an art form really meant to her.

Lucile talks about how her incredible flexibility and break-dancing skills led to her being known as “B-Girl Frak.” Find out what your true hip-hop name is here.

B-Girl “Frak” talks about growing up in Beaubreuil, a neighborhood in Limoges with an unfair reputation for being full of people who want to burn your curtains.

B-Girl “Frak” breaks down one of the most basic moves in hip-hop — the six-step. See if you can follow her body movements and her instructions in French at the same time.

For Cyril Daniel, freestyle rollerblading is more than just a hobby. The twenty-year-old Parisian has been rollerblading for half of his life!

Men, women, love: Charles-Baptiste tells us what’s special (and what’s universal) about his love life in New York, and lets us in on the secret to his success. You have to get your hands dirty!

Claudine Thibout Pivert, a prolific poet, musician, and artist, talks about her latest books and the source of her inspiration, her childhood spent in the beautiful Anjou region of France.

Meet Jean-Phillipe Talbot, pizza man at Montréal’s F&F Pizza. F&F is a gourmet pizza shop, owned by the multi-talented company Rhinoceros, where Francophones and Anglophones alike can come to savor a slice (those who can afford it, that is).

Fanny and Corrine tell us all about the merits of their hometowns. Crepes and parties? Or hot weather and bouillabaisse? Either way, you get some lovely beaches!

Corrine shares some more with us about the rich culture of the South of France, and she even puts on her best southern accent for us!