Arkadia Chansons is a label dedicated to keeping alive the artful and consummately entertaining music of France and Europe's great entertainers, such as Maurice Chevalier, Charles Trenet, Edith Piaf and others. Possessed of style, energy, and passion, these magnetic entertainers were the minstrels of 20th Century Europe, performing songs which became a part of the everyday language of the street, of the café and of the boardroom.
Culled from a vast archive of historic recordings, these compilations present selections of these rare performances arranged thematically. From the odes to the City of Light to the best of the Pre-War France hit parade, from the superstars of the French Accordion to the songs that kept the country together during the German occupation, these compilations present a compelling portrait of the art and spirit of 1930s and 40s France through their most enduring expressions, the popular song.