The two men spoke several times at the “Fête de la Musique” at the French Presidential Palace in Paris. The event was headlined by Jon Batiste, a first for a Louisiana musician.
Edwards and Macron spoke during the Fête de la Musique held on June 21 in Paris. Will McGrew/Télé-Louisiane
By Jonathan Olivier
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards again met with French President Emmanuel Macron during the annual “Fête de la Musique,” hosted at the Élysée Palace in Paris on June 21. The two leaders last met in December when Macron visited New Orleans, the first from a French president in almost 50 years.
Edwards made a last minute decision to attend the Fête de la Musique at the invitation of Macron to continue their conversation on increasing economic investment and cultural partnership between France and Louisiana.
Edwards arrived in Europe on June 16 to meet with business and health sciences leaders from around Louisiana to “explore future business development and expansion opportunities with prospective and current international partners and top executives of major global corporations, focusing on the energy, aerospace and life sciences sectors,” according to a statement from his office. Some of the companies on Edwards’ list include Boeing, Airbus, and Air Liquide, a French gas company with a presence in Louisiana.
“Diversification is the key to prosperity and continued growth in our increasingly interconnected global economy,” Edwards said. “Louisiana’s economy is more diverse than at any time in our state’s history, but there is more work to be done. The global shift toward sustainability has created surging demand for low-carbon energy. NASA’s Artemis mission has launched a new era of space exploration. Technological advances have emboldened a new generation of life sciences innovators. The result of all these developments is the same: rapid transformation of emerging sectors in Louisiana, and a historic opportunity for economic growth.”
During the concert, New Orleans jazz musician Jon Batiste played for a second time for Macron–he first performed for the French president at a White House state dinner. Batiste’s performance was the first time a Louisiana musician headlined the Elysée edition of the Fête de la Musique, an important spotlight for the state. Also with Batiste were New Orleans musicians Herlin Riley, Mitchell Play, James Andrews and Mahmoud Chouki, as well as French-Lebanese trumpet player and composer Ibrahim Maalouf.
French President Emmanuel Macron addresed the crowed at the Fête de la Musique, before a performance by New Orleans and Lebanese musicians. Will McGrew/Télé-Louisiane
In addition to playing French classics, Batiste started off the night with the French national anthem, which the crowd sang along to. He closed out the night with a rendition of “When the Saints Go Marching In,” a likely homage to the New Orleans Saints’ recently announced expansion to France. The French President joined Batiste and his fellow musicians in a second line through the crowd at the conclusion of the night.
A delegation of Louisianans also attended the concert, including Télé-Louisiane CEO Will McGrew and CCO Drake LeBlanc, musician Jourdan Thibodeaux, the Consulate General of France in New Orleans Nathalie Beras, Historic New Orleans Collection CEO Daniel Hammer, and New Orleans Jazz Museum Executive Director Greg Lambousy
McGrew said that the presence of Louisiana musicians, politicians, the governor, and business leaders displays that Louisiana is taking its place in the francophone world.
“At Télé-Louisiane, we are working on several promising projects with France, particularly in our media field,” McGrew said. “To strengthen these long-term partnerships, we need more of our own Louisianans and Louisiana institutions that put the interests of the Louisiana people at the heart of their actions.”
Edwards and his wife Donna at the Fête de la Musique with Drake LeBlanc and Will McGrew of Télé-Louisiane (left), as well as the Consul General of France in Louisiana Nathalie Beras (right). Will McGrew/Télé-Louisiane
McGrew is in France for a series of business meetings with the predominant French media outlets including France Télévisions, France Médias Monde, and TV5Monde, and he met briefly with French Presidential Advisor Emmanuel Bonne and French Minister of Culture Rima Abdul-Malak, who expressed support for cultural and media partnerships along these lines.
A rising star in Cajun and Creole music in Louisiana, Thibodeaux spoke with Macron, who recognized him from his trip to New Orleans. Thibodeaux shared with the French president his hope that our endangered French language can be the bedrock of Louisiana-France ties going forward.
“The President thanked me for being there, and I thanked him for having me,” Thibodeaux said. “I’m proud I was invited and that Louisiana was represented at the Palace. I hope a Cajun or Creole musician who speaks French can return to play a concert there, too.”