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When USA-made funk crosses the Atlantic
Born in American clubs in the mid-1960s, funk emerged as an irresistible musical force. It then crossed the Atlantic, spreading through major French cities like wildfire. But while Paris and Marseille later embraced the allure of hip-hop, Lyon never really forgot its love for funk. Kâshif Kroche, a passionate fan of the genre and manager of The Sounds of Music, a music haven with over 3,000 funk references in Lyon 5th arrondissement, shares this story as reported by 20 Minutes. "Lyon has remained loyal to funk since the 1990s, while other cities turned to hip-hop. It's as if funk is an integral part of our musical identity."
Lyon, the funkiest city in France
The 1980s saw the flourishing of many funk labels in Lyon. Bars and cafes in the Guillotière district, from the 3rd to the 7th arrondissements, as well as the neighboring municipalities of Lyon, were privileged witness to festive gatherings around funk music. Kâshif explains that these neighborhoods were the cradle of the Lyonnaise funk scene, helping to shape its reputation as the funk capital of France. Because yes, when we talk about the funk capital, we obviously mean the FRENCH capital of funk! Let's give the Americans what is rightfully theirs.
And for Kâshif, the funk trend that has lasted for 40 years is here to stay. "We will never move on to something else in Lyon," he explains. "Recently, artists have revisited funk in their songs, and it has been...It is a huge success. The key to funk is to make people dance, and it will continue to rhythm our streets forever." The success of dance gatherings in the streets of Lyon and on social networks testifies to this, it seems that the nickname of funk capital is far from being undeserved for Lyon and that the people of Lyon are still living in a bubble like GTA or Funky Cops for a few more years...