jasdooit

Justice at last!

Following The addition of Berlin techno to Germany’s list of intangible heritage in 2023, electronic music has now been included in the French list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. This marks the first step toward UNESCO recognition.

The catalog of intangible cultural heritage enables countries that have signed the UNESCO Convention to document “practices, expressions, knowledge, and abilities that communities view as part of their cultural legacy” – ranging from music and artisanal work to cooking techniques, traditional games, and athletic activities.

Electronic music deserves a place in our country’s intangible cultural heritage,” stated French Culture Minister Rachida Dati on Wednesday, marking this initial step. Recently, the ministry established a label for clubs as “venues of artistic expression and celebration.

Earlier this year, French President Emmanuel Macron advocated for French electronic music – also known asFrench touch – to be given UNESCO recognition as a cultural heritage site.

I am fond of Germany – you know how pro-European I am,” said Macron. “But we don’t need to learn from anyone. We are the pioneers of electricity. We have that French flair.

Primarily shaped by its location, rather than a particular musical style, French Touch was led by figures such asDaft Punk, Étienne de Crécy, Bob Sinclair, AIR, Cassius and many others, and has covered a range of styles – from house, dance, electro, classic disco to jazz and lots of amazing sampling.

For Tommy Vaudecrane, president of Technopol, the organization dedicated to the defense and promotion of electronic music and organizer of the Paris Techno Parade since 1998, this recognition is “an achievement and a historic milestone.”

“The first tears I cried for electronic music were under tear gas when it was condemned. The small tear I shed today is the happiness of witnessing our music finally recognized as cultural heritage,” Vaudecrane told AFP.

Among the fourteen newly recognized elements of French intangible heritage are Parisian haute couture, the agricultural fairs in Doubs, the Debaa practiced by women in Mayotte (a type of song and dance), the Chjam’è rispondi (poetic duels in Corsica), and the Demoscene, a vibrant digital creativity movement.