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Coffee Break

Coffee Break: Bastille Day

Fireworks on the Eiffel Tower during Bastille Day 2013, photographed from the Montparnasse Tower.
Fireworks on the Eiffel Tower during Bastille Day 2013, photographed from the Montparnasse Tower.Yann Caradec - Creative Commons

by Anna Weggel

July 14, 2020

July 14 is the French National Day, known as Bastille Day in the English-speaking world. Bastille Day commemorates the beginning of the French Revolution with the Storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, as well as the Fête de la Fédération which celebrated the unity of the French people one year later, on July 14, 1790.

Though celebrations may look different this year with live streaming, masks and social distancing, Bastille Day observations during a regular year are common throughout much of the world as a way to enjoy French culture and to celebrate liberty in general.

Let's celebrate Bastille Day in our own way today by listening to music by French artists for the 9:30 Coffee Break. What songs by French artists do you want to hear?

Respond with your song ideas in the comments below.

Have an idea for a Coffee Break topic? Submit your idea for a future theme and browse past Coffee Breaks in our archive.

Songs played

Jain - Come
Stereolab - Ping Pong
M83 - Reunion
Telepopmusik - Breathe
Daft Punk - One More Time
Edith Piaf - La Vie En Rose
Friends - Je m'appelle Claude
Phoenix - 1901
Christine And The Queens - Girlfriend feat. Dam Funk