Magdalena’s singing is not an impersonation but an interpretation, always heartfelt, sometimes humorous, and musical highlights are plentiful, from ‘Milord’ to ‘La Vie en Rose’, ‘Mon Dieu’ to the inevitable ‘Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien’. Philip Clouts is the perfect accompanist for this project, being a composer and pianist both in his own quartet and also in Zubop, described in the Observer as “that spirited, hugely enjoyable jazz outfit, which takes the whole world of music as its home territory” 

Edith Piaf was one of the most popular performers in France during World War II. Her nervous energy and small stature inspired the nickname that stayed with her all her life: La Môme Piaf (“The Little Sparrow”). She commissioned songs that romanticised her life on the streets, emphasising her passion and inner strength. Her music was often autobiographical with her singing reflecting her life, particularly in songs of of love, loss and sorrow.

Piaf died in 1963; her last words were “Every damn fool thing you do in this life, you pay for.” Of Piaf’s many ballads, “La Vie en Rose” is remembered as her signature song.