''Formidable'' is the soundtrack to the show performed at the
Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge (, ; ) is a cabaret in Paris, on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche, the intersection of, and terminus of Rue Blanche.
In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was co-founded by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Ol ...
in Paris, France by American singer
La Toya Jackson
La Toya Yvonne Jackson (born May 29, 1956) is an American singer and television personality. The fifth child and middle daughter of the Jackson family, Jackson first gained recognition on the family's variety television series, ''The Jacksons'', ...
. Only 3,000 copies were created and it has become one of the most sought-after albums by her fans.
To promote the show, Jackson paid homage to
La Goulue
La Goulue (, meaning ''The Gourmand''), was the stage name of Louise Weber (12 July 1866 – 29 January 1929), a French can-can dancer who was a star of the Moulin Rouge, a popular cabaret in the Pigalle district of Paris, near Montmartre. Weber ...
by visiting her grave in
Montmartre Cemetery
The Cemetery of Montmartre (french: link=no, Cimetière de Montmartre) is a cemetery in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, France, that dates to the early 19th century. Officially known as the Cimetière du Nord, it is the third largest necropolis ...
. Jackson also cited
Josephine Baker
Josephine Baker (born Freda Josephine McDonald; naturalised French Joséphine Baker; 3 June 1906 – 12 April 1975) was an American-born French dancer, singer and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in her adopted Fran ...
as an influence. ''
L'Express'' hailed Jackson as "the new Josephine Baker."
[Cohen, Roger]
'Paris Journal; Today's Lament: Where's Yesteryear's Gay Paree?'
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'', January 29, 1993. According to academic Bennetta Jules-Rosette, "Through careful planning, she was able to model a successful part of her career abroad on the master tropes of a Baker-like image. Jackson exemplifies
Baudrillard
Jean Baudrillard ( , , ; 27 July 1929 – 6 March 2007) was a French sociologist, philosopher and poet with interest in cultural studies. He is best known for his analyses of media, contemporary culture, and technological communication, as w ...
's notion that neither the message nor the content count as much as the referentiality of the signifier in postmodern performative discourse."
Jackson was the main attraction at the Moulin Rouge for four months, at which point she broke her contract and was ordered by the French courts to pay $550,000 in damages to the owners of Moulin Rouge.
["Early exit from Paris show costs La Toya Jackson $500,000". '' Jet'' v.87 n.18, 13 March 1995: pg. 63(1). Gale Resource Database. Online. 10 January 2007.]
Track listing
#"Les Doriss Girls"
#"Les Touristes"
#"Formidable"*
#"Paris En Rose"
#"À Paris, Les Femmes Ressemblent A Des Fleurs"*
#"Les Garçons Du Désert"*
#"Le Marche"
#"Les Filles Aux Serpents"
#"Night Club"*
#"Les Crocodiles"
#"Les Tapis Volants"*
#"La Fontaine Lumineuse"*
#"Allons À L'Opera"
#"
Valses De Vienne"
#"
French Cancan
''French Cancan'' (also known as ''Only the French Can'') is a 1955 French-Italian musical film written and directed by Jean Renoir and starring Jean Gabin and Francoise Arnoul.
Where Renoir's previous film ''Le Carosse d’or'' had celebrated ...
"
#"La Danse Nouvelle - Jeanne Avril Et Bruant"*
#"Une Pensée Pour Maurice"
#"Un Clin D'œil À Joséphine"
#"
Locomotion
Locomotion means the act or ability of something to transport or move itself from place to place.
Locomotion may refer to:
Motion
* Motion (physics)
* Robot locomotion, of man-made devices
By environment
* Aquatic locomotion
* Flight
* Locomo ...
"*
#French Medley ("
Non je ne regrette rien", "
La vie en rose", "
Paris, je t'aime
''Paris, je t'aime'' (; ''Paris, I love you'') is a 2006 anthology film starring an ensemble cast of actors of various nationalities. The two-hour film consists of eighteen short films set in different arrondissements (districts). The 22 director ...
")*
#"Grand Final Blanc Et Rouge - Formidable"*
Note
*An asterisk (*) notates songs where La Toya performed.
References
{{Authority control
1992 albums
La Toya Jackson albums