AH!
"Zazou" kids!
These are by far one of the most extraordinary groups of people I have ever heard of, and quite possibly one of the most short lived of subcultures to have been documented.
The name Zazou is most likely from the song "Zah Zuh Zah" by musician Cab Colloway. Jazz was played and composed by quite a number of black musicians and so the Zazou's where put into a 'black music' category.
The name Zazou is most likely from the song "Zah Zuh Zah" by musician Cab Colloway. Jazz was played and composed by quite a number of black musicians and so the Zazou's where put into a 'black music' category.
During the German occupation of France in WWII, the Vichy regime created a severely conservative hold on the youth of Paris. The Zazou's, a couple hundred of 17-20 year olds on the streets of Paris expressed their resistance to the regime. This included Dance competitions between each other and the occasional soldier of the opposing force.
....set the mood...
Johnny Hess was a french jazz artist and quickly became popular with the Zazou's. In 1942 he released "Je Suis Swing" in which he sang the lyrics:
Je suis swing, je suis swing
Za zou za zou c'est gentil comme tout.
translating to: "i am swing, i am swing, za zaou za zou nice as hell"
so obviously pro Zazou which equally meant pro freedom!
There were two main areas in which they gathered, bars and cafés on the Champs-Elysées and in the Latin Quarter. Those of the Champs-Elyées were of a more middle class background and older than those of the Latin Quarter.
It was those of the Latin Quarter that met in cellar clubs of the Dupont-Latin or Capoulade and had raging parties.
The male Zazous wore extra large jackets, which hung down to their kneed and were fitted out with many pockets and often several half belts. the fact that their jackets were so oversized was a direct defiant to the rules of rationing put in place by the Government at the time. Trousers were narrow, gathered at the waist, and so were their ties,shit collars kept high and in place by a horizontal pin. They liked thick soled shoes, sunglasses and brightly coloured socks.
Female Zazous wore their hair in curls falling down to their shoulders, or in braids. Blonde was the selected colour teamed with vibrant red lipstick as well as sunglasses. They wore jackets with wide shoulders and short pleated skirts teamed with stockings of net or stripes and thick wooden soled shoes.
these are my interpretations of the basic Zazou dress based on these descriptions.
Press:
Zazous were often in newspaper columns and cartoons. They were not favoured by the pubic and were often mocked and attacked by many journalists
A french magazine "Jeunesse" had a weekly column written by Jean Geslin examining the issues related to student life. One of the 10 Zazou related articles was titled:
“Il faut en finir avec l’individualisme estudiantin”, (we must do away with the individualism of students) Geslin wrote about the lack of student participation in building la Nouvelle France.
At the end of May 1942, the Jeunesses Populaires Françaises (JPF) were founded. The creation of the JPF, who were led by Honorary President Jacques Doriot (the infamous leader of the fascist Parti Populaire Française)and actual President Vauquelin.He outlined the organization’s mission as follows: “To create a revolutionary youth movement with enough power to attract all the living youth of this country, to regenerate all of French youth, and also to have an influence on politics and on the destiny of our fatherland.” this unfortunately did not include the Zazous.
The JPF stormed the popular areas in which the vibrant Zazous gathered and socialised. Thoses boys with their abundant hair do's found themselves with saved heads and a new wardrobe. The Zazou way of life was not to be tollerated.
There were however a minute number of publications who seem to have wanted to save the Zazous:
"Nos deux héros mi-aventuriers, mi-pantouflards, la jeune fille Forest et son pote colocataire, le cochon Groink,
attendent la fin de l’hiver bien au chaud devant le poêle, dans leur fermette isolée...Forest et Groink, sauvez les zazous !"
translated to "Our two heroes mid-adventurers, half-couch potatoes, the girl Forest roomate and his friend the pig Gronik....Forest and Gronik Save the Zazous!"
full cartoon animation:
http://forestgnagnanne.wifeo.com/forestgroink-chez-les-zazous.php