Long before Edith Piaf put on her stage costume, another great ‘Lady in black’ thrilled the crowds: Damia. Nicknamed the ‘Tragdienne de la chanson’, she was an outstanding protagonist of the 1930s, a figure from the lesbian scene of the interwar period. Embodying the so-called realistic song, Damia was uncompromising. Her songs explore the subjects of jealousy, sailors wandering forever, of grey walls, of popular Paris and, obviously, of love. These radio recordings (1941 to 1956) are a real immersion into her repertoire, offering us her great hits (‘Les Gorlands’, ‘Sombre dimanche’, ‘La Mauvaise Prire’) and rarer songs, four of which she never recorded on disc: ‘Y’avait toi’ (which had been sung by Lucienne Delyle) as well as ‘Parat que j’ai rien dans la tte’, ‘Le Voyage immobile’ and ‘L’aiguille du phono’.

Disc 1
1. La Rue De Notre Amour – Damia
2. Parat Que J’ai Rien Dans La Tte – Damia
3. Le Voyage Immobile – Damia
4. L’Aiguille Du Phono – Damia
5. Les Golands – Damia
6. La Bastoche – Damia
7. La Rue (Extrait a Capella) – Damia
8. Y’a Tant D’amour – Damia
9. Les Deux Mntriers – Damia
10. Sombre Dimanche – Damia
11. La Mauvaise Prire – Damia
12. Y’avait Toi – Damia
13. Un Souvenir – Damia
14. La Chanson Ralist – Damia
15. La Guinguette a Ferm Ses Volets – Damia