A Huge Voice and an Immense Heart: Chanteuse Myriam Phiro & the Songs of Edith Piaf

By Sharon M. Chin

Legendary French chanteuse Edith Piaf sang with an evocative voice that could make people cry even when they couldn’t understand her. Singing of love, loss, and sorrow, Edith rose from life in a Paris bordello to France’s national chanteuse- a songbird as much sparrow as phoenix. And with a tumultuous visible private life, her “irresistible need to destroy herself,” inspired her mournful love songs and countless retellings from biographers and storytellers. Today, almost 105 years after her birth, Edith’s legacy and potency in conveying emotion soulfully endures.

French-Canadian NYC-based performing artist Myriam Phiro has long been fascinated by the “immense heart and voice of Edith Piaf” and, in the style of Edith, has created a heart-rending tribute in homage to the works and truth of “the little sparrow.” Presented in theatrical form at Birdland and Joe’s Pub Theater in New York City, with an accompanying December 2019 album release, A Tribute to Edith Piaf stirringly guides her audiences through the decadent world of Edith Piaf. Via timeless ballads, an embodied performance reflecting Piaf and captivating vocal stylings, and illuminating biographical vignettes, Myriam incandescently recounts the tale of an unforgettable icon.

Credit: Jolie Mome French Band

A Tribute to Edith Piaf is a collection of 15 Piaf songs celebrating Edith’s truths and features a mix of Edith’s most famous and more obscure works designed for staged performance. Myriam first conceived of a tribute to Edith Piaf four years ago in 2015, for the centennial celebration of Edith Piaf. Identifying foremost as a performer, primarily as a jazz singer, Myriam notes “Piaf is my greatest inspiration in becoming a performer and I’ve learned so much through her truths. I wanted to pay homage to who she was, her life experiences, and how she became an artist.” And while Myriam identifies with Piaf as a chanteuse with a bohemian lifestyle and French heritage, Myriam notes the biographical parallels to the artist diverge from there; “Edith had a life of hardship- one devastating tragedy after another- and I have a happy one.”

Myriam became fascinated with Edith’s story, of “how her experiences, particularly her early years in the bordello, overcoming blindness, and relationships with both parents and men shaped her.” Her resulting 2015 tribute focused on Edith’s early years and included song, circus, and burlesque. Myriam felt proud of the work but kept the work on hiatus for two years, subsequently restaging elements periodically. A visit to 54 Below and its cabaret environs, however, felt “kismet” for Myriam, prompting her to reimagine her tribute to Edith. “Edith was not an artist about spectacle and when I decided to revisit this work, I wanted to bring back the essence of Edith. I stripped it down and made it introspective.” The result is an intimate affair with Myriam as both elucidating narrator and songbird, and a trio of talented musicians, sharing beautiful renditions of Edith’s work. With each song and introduction, we gain insights into a wild and dramatic life and an evocative emotional connection.

Edith performed regularly on cabaret stages and Myriam’s presentation for this tribute shares the same ethos. In a Bastille Day 2019 Joe’s Pub performance, Myriam emerged onto a tiny stage and took us back to the past, sharing Edith’s beginnings, from birth on the pavements of Paris on a cold December night to her life of excess and hard work. Beginning with “Autumn Leaves (Les Feuilles Mortes),” Myriam sings of the “red and gold by her window;” and if her voice begins with a whisper “since you went away,” it warms richly with embellishments and strength throughout the song and evening. Accompanied by Hyuna Park on the piano and accordion and Elias Bailey on the bass, the three musicians evoke the streets of Paris. With a sultry voice, Myriam additionally draws her audiences in with warm smiles, a caressed microphone, and occasionally closed eyes, reminding us that when Edith too “really wanted to hear, really 'see' a song,” she’d close her eyes and bring it out of the very depths of herself, her guts, and out of her belly.”

Edith Piaf, standing at a diminutive 4 foot 8 inches, was also known for taking control of her repertoire at a time when music direction was largely controlled by men. Myriam’s curatorial choices are a mix of Edith’s power ballads and Myriam’s personal favorites, with all songs guided by narratives of Edith’s life and evoked feelings. “Hymne a l’amour/ Hymn to Love,” Myriam’s favorite song, is sung with beauty and power, with Myriam noting “it’s about giving her all to love. The lyrics tell us it doesn’t matter if the sky will open or the earth will stop spinning because in the end, we’ll be together and love reunites us all in death.” “La Vie En Rose/ Life in Pink,” sung with both French and English verses, and “Non Je Ne Regrette Rien/ No, I Don’t Regret Anything” are table stakes for a tribute to Edith Piaf and lovingly included in the set. “La Vie en Rose” beyond being Edith’s most well-known song, was also included because of Edith’s role in writing the song despite the advice of her creative team. Beyond curating the song choices, as artistic director of the show, Myriam pulled out a few additional surprises, including Grammy award-winning Oran Etkin- Israel on clarinet, a lovely demonstration of her talent on the bass, and arms that musically move with the music. For example, Myriam strikingly flares flamenco arched arms against a Peruvian-inspired song, noting “Whether it’s a gift from my mother, a dancer, or from my own swing dancing, I perform with not just my voice but my whole body.”

Uploaded by David Rosen on 2019-05-28.; Birdland 2019 Performance

With the evening waning, the tribute ends with two powerful and heartrending songs, “Non Je Ne Regrette Rien” and “La Marseillaise.” Myriam chooses to end with these two poignant songs for the way in which they encapsulate Edith Piaf and what Edith represented for France. With gratitude, Myriam spoke of “Non Je Ne Regrette Rien, stating “If you look at her life and all the mistakes she made, and the passionate love affairs that left her broken hearted or even that she gave away almost all her wealth, Edith regretted nothing. This song was written in the last months of her life and it is her greatest truth.” And with Edith Piaf, who would knit backstage in the tradition of French revolutionaries, we have an icon who helped shape French national identity. Rousingly Myriam sings this song and invites a spellbound and somewhat teary-eyed audience to join in. Edith Piaf remains an inimitable genius. There will never be another like her, but Myriam Phiro has created a sonorous and elucidating homage to Edith Piaf’s enduring voice and devout faith in love.

More from Myriam Phiro

Where Can We See You Next: “I’ll be playing at Birdland Dec 12th at 5.30pm. The show will celebrate the release of my Tribute to Edith Piaf album, Phiro chante Piaf, by offering selected songs from the album, as well as other French/gypsy Jazz favorites. The release party features special guests including Grammy-award winner Linus Wyrsch on the clarinet.” You can follow me here for my other work, including my all female international jazz band Mariposa.

Who Are You Watching: “My favorite contemporary Jazz singers are Cécile McLorin-Salvant (she's just unbelievable!), René Marie and Veronica Swift. I love Marilyn Maye and KT Sullivan; they’re both such good story tellers. My favorite band is Pink Martini.”

Your Favorite Non-Jazz Songs: “I need to state my top few. ''Both Sides Now,'' by Joni Mitchell, has such a beautiful message and reminds me to there’s always two sides to a story. It has also taught me that perspective is key and you can retain power in deciding how you view things. I've also always had a soft spot for U2 (thanks to my dad) and one of my favorite songs of all times is ''With Or Without You.'' I also LOVE Queen's ''Bohemian Rhapsody'' and a beautiful French song written by Jean-Jacques Goldman, ''S'il suffisait d'aimer.'’

How Has NYC Shaped You: “NYC has made me constantly revisit my artistry and given me a fierce desire to continuously improve. It’s not just the competition, but the level of talent makes me hold the mirror more closely to my own face. Montreal, Canada, however, forms the heart and warmth of my music. “

What Would You Like to Tell Other Artists: “It will not be easy- but if your heart is in this, you will find a way. Secondly, if you are feeling low, remember it only takes one yes. When I was a waitress in Montreal and facing countless rejections, I met a famous talk show host who gave me this advice. I’ve held it close to my heart ever since.”

What’s One Fun Fact About You: “I am a bohemian at heart and I lived in a treehouse for a year when I was 20. I was backpacking through Europe and fell madly in love with a bohemian jewelry maker in Scotland. We lived together in the treehouse, overlooking a beautiful vista, and it was a sweet time of my life.”