Paris Techno Parade 2011

Here we go, wee!

Interestingly, I had no idea that dancing down the street was a for real fantasy of mine, until I did it today.  If you know me, you KNOW that dancing is extremely important to me.  At times, I have claimed it as my religion.  Movement is sacred, sharing rhythm with strangers is intimate, being open to the spontaneous shapes your body will make is art, letting go of self-consciousness and instead being in touch with deep consciousness is brilliant.  Dancing can be all of these things, or more - or optionally less.

I miss dancing in clubs.  For a variety of reasons, it is just so very rare that I do it.  We try to go to outdoor music festivals as much as we can so that we can include Sabine, but there is something really fantastic about stepping out into the night, looking good - ready to shake your thing! I miss funk shows and afrobeat shows and Rusted Root shows.  I haven't seen a good blues band live in years.  This saddens me deeply and profoundly.  Part of the reason is I have been invariably disappointed when we have gone to live music shows in Paris.  While it is true, maybe all 'big cities' are like this, but clubs in Paris just get incredibly SATURATED with people.  It gets so crowded, so hot, so repressive that I just can't stand it.  Or maybe we just went to the wrong places.  Of course, you can do a quick google search and read about how Paris' night life sucks because the entire city is getting gentrified by people who want to sleep. 

Really.  Damn, when I think back on Cat's Cradle, Mosaic, the American Dance Festival, ANY North Carolina outdoor music festival - I just kick myself for taking it all for granted.  All those shows - affordable tickets, space to move, easy parking, door limit, air conditioning or windows, open and free people and a special bonus, bathrooms with toilet paper and soap!   

Sabine's ear protectors. 

Okay, well it is easy for me to feel sorry for myself - like anyone when we reflect on what we don't have rather than what we do have.  And well, Hicham and I did get to check out some cool shows this year, just not as many as I would have liked... boo hoo, right?  

But today,  all of that brings me to THE 13TH ANNUAL PARIS TECHNO PARADE!  It is an outdoor electronic music festival/parade.   To be clear, techno means a lot of things - there are many kinds of techno, it doesn't ALL sound like videogame music. I like some techno quite a lot, it can be soulful - especially when there are vocals.

from one of the floats

The festival starts off with dancing workshoops, dj's, art expos, etc and then there is the parade.  There are 20 giant floats (very slow going) containing 150 musicians, DJ's and dancers from all over France that waft down three miles of Paris streets as their minions follow behind and dance/walk/clap/take tons of photos of each other.  There are also people standing on the sides of the streets watching the parade old-school style. Confetti fills the air at various intervals as well as, hilariously, smoke machines. 

Sabine got all dressed up for her first rave party by sporting a PINK winged, furry, unicorn/Pegasus ensemble that I ordered in the states for this halloween.  Not that there is trick or treating here anyway, so I figured, fuck it - this is festive and where else will she get to wear this?  And let me just say, that Sabine loved wearing that thing.  She was just pleased as punch looking at herself in the mirror with her little costume.  

A lot of people took (or tried) pictures of the little pink unicorn. Unfortunately for all the people who happened to zoom in on her while I (vs Hicham) was holding her, because I was moving, jumping - all kinds of shaking and making ridiculous faces too (I discovered later) - so I probably ruined their entire shot!  Hicham took some pictures of Sabine and I - and let me tell ya, you ain't gonna see them .... ever!


Anyoldway, it was really, really cool to dance my ass off down the street to some funkadelic tribal drumming, jazzy number which was blasting out of one of the techno trucks.  Sadly not as many of the attendees danced with as much exuberance ... .  Well, I came to dance and so that is what I did.  Also, sadly not as many were dressed up for a dance party as I was expecting, here are a few pictures of the beauties that did.  Enjoy!  (And as always, for a BIGGER view, click on the picture).  


Here we go!  BY THE WAY, PLEASE CLICK ON THE "READ THE REST" TO SEE THE ENTIRE SERIES OF PICTURES!

fabulous coordination

beauty

Everything about this picture is great.  Everything.

There were some people who were really into this look...

one of the floats - big damn float.

Sabine enjoying the view

Hey girl!

You were looking at me, I was looking at you, you were looking at me, I was looking at you too. -RuPaul

Hicham always takes such cute pictures!  

I LOVE this old Paris meets new Paris.

hell to the yeah! Float on, big float.

You gotta have the Arabs standing on a bus depot waving their flag.

Sabine and her wings.

not sure, but at least it was original.

pumping her little fist

mama looking like a dork - and I don't care.

after the parade, the police

yup, this is what they were wearing, freaky shit.

Paris street clean up.

cleaning up the techno parade

the army of street cleaning trucks and woman on bike.

on our way home, we stopped at a fish seller and got some nice fresh fish for dinner.

Sabine admiring the colorful outfits (that's my girl)

sleepy unicorn/Pegasus girl