French-Canadian singer-songwriter Pascale—who prefers to introduce herself in verse rather than give the usual “hello my name is”—tells us of the importance of maintaining optimism and lightness in the face of hardship.

Neighbors, friends, and the people of France remember Lazare Ponticelli, the last Poilu, who saw one hundred and ten springtimes and two world wars before passing away in March of 2008.

Meet Les Nubians, two singer-songwriter sisters who grew up in both Paris and Chad and whose music has been nominated for several awards, including a Grammy (and not just in the World Music category, thank you very much). We know we’re big fans!

What was life like for the poilus, the French soldiers of World War I? In sum, much, much harder than our lives. Subjected to bullets, bombs, death, and all the atrocities of war, these soldiers fought bitterly to protect their homeland, and one another.

Hélène and Célia tell us about their musical influences, origins, and inspiration. When they encountered prejudice about Africa and Africans upon coming back to France, Les Nubians used music to paint a truer picture of African culture.

Mozart fans, take note: Go in through the back door of the Vichy Opera House to see Jérôme Deschamps and his talented crew’s reimaginings of the famous composer’s works. Don’t worry—all the tunes are still pure Wolfgang.

The French singer Serge Gainsbourg is still remembered long after his death by fans, English rockers, and songwriter (and first lady of France) Carla Bruni.

Did you know there are 55,000 different kinds of beer? And more than 5,400 of those are German? You can find quite a few of these at Le Village de la Bière, a shop in popular French city Strasbourg. How long would it take to sample them all…?

Meet Melissa Mars: actress, singer, songwriter, storyteller, dreamer, “Martian.” In the first of her interviews with Yabla, Melissa tells us how her career got launched.

Melissa talks about the making of the music video for her second clip “Et Alors!” She was lucky enough to find a director whose vision matched her own. Great minds think alike!

Whether heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, “jouets intimes”-sexual, or sexagenarian, women affirm that sexuality is not just for men.

International soccer in South Africa isn’t just for the World Cup! A group of eight kids from Lyon has the chance to win big—on and off the field—thanks to the “Sport in the City” association.

Paris's Gay Pride march (La Marche des Fiertés) takes place every June, beginning in the Montparnasse district and ending in the Bastille district. This video of the march was recorded a few years before France legalized same-sex marriage in 2013.

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?

Dive back in to the 1968 winter Olympics, held in Grenoble, France. “Treize jours en France,” a recently restored documentary film made in ‘68 by director Claude Lelouch, captures the spirit of the times, and the “pre-revolutionary” zeitgeist leading up to the events of May.