Meet Pascal Toussaint, male soprano with an angel's voice. The multitalented and generous author and artist Amy Tan--dear
friend, prolific writing idol, and world traveler--came across Pascal
singing in a Paris nightclub one evening and decided that the world
ought to hear his extraordinarily beautiful voice, starting with
America. (That's Amy's little Yorkie, Bombo, in the video). Amy writes:
I discovered Pascal in a Paris cabaret Aux Trois Mailletz in the 5th arrondissement on rue Galande. He is the star of a contingent of performers each night.
His voice is that of a boy soprano, which never changed with pubescence due to an anomaly. Some say his voice is like the great Jimmy Scott. But his style is purely his own.
He was born in Guadeloupe, won a singing contest at age 14, was accepted into the Paris Conservatoire, where he received classical voice training for opera. In addition to opera, he branched out into jazz, rock, and cabaret. He is also a composer, actor, and writer.
Thus
far, Pascal has performed in San Francisco and New York; I hope to make
it to one city or the other when returns, undoubtedly as a serious star
next time.
(Dear Petulant, I knew you'd get my reference immediately!)
Je suis malade
Je ne rêve plus;
Je ne fume plus;
Je n'ai même plus d'histoire.
Je suis laide sans toi; je suis sale sans toi; comme une orpheline dans un dortoir...[I am sick
I don’t dream any more;
I don’t smoke any more;
I don’t even have a story any more.
I am dirty without you; I am ugly without you; like a little orphan in her room...]
So...how is everyone this morning?!
superb. male soprano is one of the purest musical tones there is. rare, and gorgeous.
thank amy for me. this is beautiful.
Posted by: minstrel hussain boy | March 16, 2010 at 12:51 PM
wow. lovely! what a voice....
you guys know amy tan?
Posted by: kathy a. | March 16, 2010 at 01:00 PM
<< cough >> i meant to say, please thank amy for me, too.
Posted by: kathy a. | March 16, 2010 at 01:16 PM
kathy, we met in 2000, thanks to vintage clothes (long and interesting story, one which includes a now-closed and hugely atmospheric San Francisco restaurant). I should mention that in addition to writing, Amy also sings--she's one of the lead vocalists in the all-authors band, The Rock Bottom Remainders. From their website:
And I see they're playing in your neck of the woods next month, Sir Charles. (See above link.)
MB, I knew you'd love Pascal's voice. And this is straight-up, without amplification or electronics of any kind! He gives me goosebumps.
Posted by: litbrit | March 16, 2010 at 01:21 PM
i know amy well from her books, and also have heard all about the rock-bottom remainders!
curiously enough, this loops back to my time in japan during the paleolithic pre-internet era. my sister provided me with recorded-from-TV videotapes of sesame st. and MASH and so on, answered the call when my son's special squeaky binkies [not available in japan] began disintegrating, and dutifully clipped dave barry's columns every week. dave later wrote a book about his visit to japan, and i met him in person for about 3 seconds of his book tour from hell, so he could sign my copies. and dave is also a remainder. a co-worker [and drummer]'s friend also helped set up the remainders. so, as you can see, amy and i are close on the 6-degrees-of-separation scale.
Posted by: kathy a. | March 16, 2010 at 01:47 PM
I love the way he blends his falsetto and modal voices. Beautiful.
Posted by: Eric Wilde | March 16, 2010 at 01:50 PM
Exquisite. Merci beaucoup, LB.
;>)
Posted by: darkblack | March 16, 2010 at 02:22 PM
the thing that makes a male soprano (as opposed to the various and sundry levels of tenor) so different, and so very rare, is that the range of the chest voice (normal range) is at an incredible high pitch. the only way it is achieved is to take a boy soprano and as the voice changes with maturity they work endlessly to keep the high notes, and keep them in the full voice.
what you are hearing is a combination of genetic gifts that have been honed and polished by years of hard work.
(litbrit: his voice made my hands itch for the national steel body guitar, and the beautiful creole ballade jolie blonde. don't know why that's the one that bubbled up instead of say, harp and mendelsshon, but, there it is)
Posted by: minstrel hussain boy | March 16, 2010 at 02:44 PM
In its ongoing, hilariously depressing efforts to gain viewers CNN steps in it yet again......
Posted by: oddjob | March 17, 2010 at 10:12 AM