Miro Lovejoy Teplitzky

Fete de la Musique

13:27, Saturday

21st June, 2025

Paris.

There are few things more attractive to the human spirit than light and music. In

fact, along with food and some form of shelter, it’s in our ancestral bones that light

and music are essential to our existence.

Its the longest day of the year as I am writing this, as good a reason as any to

celebrate. In Scandinavia they light bonfires late into the night and play music. The

Greeks jump over fires, a purgative ritual that cleanses the soul. Eastern Europe

sees it as a romantic time. While in India, it is a day of movement and colour.

Native Americans often hold ritual dances to honour the Sun. In South American,

there are various forms of rituals that are dedicated to warding off bad spirits, often

involving movement and dance.

Here in France, in this case Paris, it is music and dance that has become the

custom of the country on Summer Solstice. In 1982 the Minister for Culture

officially launched Fête de la Musique in Paris, in keeping with the rest of the

world’s desire to pay homage to the sunlight by dancing long into the night. It

caught on quickly and spread across Europe and the world - now considered

World Music Day. A place where people from all nationalities, backgrounds and

music genres could mix and play freely in the streets.

It’s swelteringly hot here. Summer beats along the boulevards of the original city of

lights. It’s lunch and I sit people watching with a glass of wine. It’s the first time I

have been to Paris in the Summertime. This fact seems almost criminal to me as I

sit watching some of the most unique and wonderful people stroll around. They’re

stylish. It all seems so individual here and not in a costumed, ostentatious or trend

chasing way. More so, people are giving you an indication, as much as they can,

as to who they are through what they’re wearing.

I am distracted. Where was I. Oh yes, music, light, sustenance. After sustaining

myself I walk around and begin to feel the more musical element of the days

events beginning.

People congregate with each other to dance to a young man playing guitar and

singing intro microphone, sat almost literally outside of the entrance to a clothing

shop. Around the corner, a dj blasts out house music to a fashion-leaning crowd.

Then down the road, a hole-in-the-wall cafe has closed and has people jumping

around its shopfront next to some speakers.

There is a continuity to this as I walk through the streets, watching, observing.

Music, people, fun and excitement seems to be emanating from every stretch of

Parisian street and boulevard. Hours go by in what feels like seconds. I walk to thebottom of the Marais where a cafe I know well, Le Peleton, is hosting its 10 year

anniversary by having a 10 or so person band play to an absolutely packed street.

This would continue long into the night.

Its one of the most unusual elements about pictures is that while they can often tell

a thousand words, the most difficult component is there most powerful and that is

subjectivity. With that, it is so difficult to express how events feel when we

photograph them. I believe that is why we love images so much. We impress so

much of ourselves onto them. The pictures accompanying this text hope to

express something that felt so present within the streets of Paris on June 21st,

2025. That is this connection with each other. It felt close, a pull towards

adventure, perhaps even a compassion and empathy towards life. It’s a tricky

complicated world and it feels especially so right now. Theres a lot wrong with it…

but theres also a lot right with it too. This felt like one of those instances where it

was right. Maybe thats just me, maybe I just needed it, but hey maybe if I did, so

did you. So here you go. Enjoy!