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Musette

Raised in the gritty world of '30s Parisian dancehalls (in similar fashion to cabaret), the Musette style plays off a heavy use of accordion and some of the bleakest lyrics of the Depression. Often ignored by the higher French classes, musette was very popular in pre-war Paris, with vocalists from Edith Piaf to Jean Gabin recording in the style. Musette enjoyed a renaissance during the '90s, thanks in part to the efforts of the Just a Memory label and its Paris Musette series of compilations.