Welcome to the 'Cabaret du uke'

4/11/2024

I haven’t even been on the road for a week, and my life is already turned upside down. I never imagined how much my ukulele would shape this journey. After visiting RAUL and Rendev’uke, I am quite exhausted. It’s Thursday morning, and tonight is the “Cabaret du uke.” The monthly highlight for all ukulele players in the city and a great opportunity to gain stage experience at an open-mic on a boat (!).

I have quite a bit of time until the evening, but I can’t bring myself to go sightseeing. Instead, I conserve my energy and spend a lot of time in various cafés in the city. This gives me the opportunity to reflect on the experiences of the past few days. Before heading to the “Cabaret du uke,” I pick up my luggage from the hostel. I won’t be able to stay the whole evening as my bus to Toulouse departs at midnight, where I will make a short stop. I would have loved to stay in Paris much longer, but the daily expenses make me nervous: at least €60 per day. If this continues, I’ll quickly run out of money for the trip – and I want to travel around the world! Alicia, whom I met at a Buddhist monastery in Thailand, is waiting for me in Madrid. I’m really looking forward to seeing her!

A Final Reunion on the “Péniche Anako”

As always, I’m a bit early. The boat is called “La Péniche Anako,” which has been converted into a café with a stage and is located on the “Bassin de la Villette” in the northeast of Paris. A place I would never have explored without my ukulele. On deck, there is a rooftop terrace where I spot a few people from RAUL. I join them and we chat a lot before the “Open-Mic” begins. One of the RAULs (as everyone jokingly calls themselves from the ukulele club) tells me how she uses the ukulele in her preschool. A great idea to introduce young children to music and rhythm. Gradually, more and more familiar faces appear. I almost feel like I already belong to the community. I am repeatedly asked if I will perform something on stage tonight. I decline. Everything is still too new for me, and I don’t have a song in my repertoire that is stage-ready. To be precise, I have stage fright. Mathias offers to let me perform with RAUL on stage tonight. I am very grateful to him. With 10 other people on stage, I feel much more comfortable and can gain my first stage experience. Little do I know that it will take another two months before I dare to go on stage alone.

Networking in the Ukulele Community

Before it all starts, I make some interesting acquaintances. For example, Malik from Toulouse, who is returning to his hometown the next day. He suggests we meet for a coffee. From my Bonn ukulele group, which I unfortunately only visited once, I have the task of greeting a Sebastian. I ask around a bit, and indeed, he is here tonight. Mathias introduces me to him and we chat a little. Sebastian is often in Japan and is very well connected in the ukulele community there. I am to get in touch with him when I am in Japan.

My First Open-Mic Begins!

Slowly, everyone moves below deck, where there is a surprisingly large stage for a boat. I count about 70 people, and almost all are equipped with ukuleles. A moderator closes the open-mic list and opens the evening with his own little performance. He is also a bit nervous and makes a few mistakes at the beginning. But the audience applauds loudly at every slip and is very encouraging. I gradually relax and start to feel really comfortable. Playing the ukulele is not so much about delivering a perfect performance. It’s more about having a good time together, growing together, laughing together, making music together, and overcoming fears together.

Until the break, a wide variety of acts perform. Some are solo artists, and some perform as duets. Then various ukulele clubs take the stage. Later, there are ukulele bands that even tour France. I am thrilled by how ukulele culture is lived here. When RAUL is called, I get a bit nervous. I quickly tune my ukulele and go on stage with the others. We play the song “Le chanteur” by Daniel Balavoine, which we practiced at the meeting on Monday. I stand behind the others and try my best to play the rather difficult chords cleanly. It works quite well, but I have trouble with the singing. It’s a lot of fun rocking the stage with the others. The song is over way too quickly, and we leave the stage to applause.

You can watch the performance on FB here: Link

There are other familiar faces on stage, like Helene and Mathias with their band “Ohana Banana.” But Eva also sings tonight. I am amazed by her jazzy voice. Anne, who I meet shortly before my departure during the break, also sings beautifully. She is very interested in my ukulele journey, which makes me feel very good! I would have loved to stay longer, but I have to leave to catch my bus on time. I say goodbye to all the wonderful people I met this week.

My Farewell from Paris

On the way to the bus station, I reflect on the week. So many wonderful things have happened! I get this beautiful feeling in my stomach that this trip is exactly what I needed. My time in Paris has exceeded all my expectations, thanks to the fantastic people I met here. All because of our shared love of playing the ukulele. I am especially grateful to Mathias from RAUL. He made me feel like I belonged all week. Merci beaucoup, Mathias!

I reflect on the lessons from tonight:

• A monthly open-mic is a great opportunity to gain stage experience in a safe environment.
• The ukulele community is incredibly supportive, especially when you make mistakes.
• Events like these are perfect for networking within the ukulele community.

I eagerly await the next ukulele adventure as the bus carries me south out of Paris.

Anyone wanting to explore the ukulele clubs of France on their next trip should definitely check out FOUF’s interactive map: Link