Emmanuel Macron thinks French electronic music should be granted UNESCO cultural heritage status

The French President, Emmanuel Macron, has boldly claimed that France is the true home of electronic music.

Macron asserted his belief during an appearance with French radio station Fréquence Gaie, marking France’s annual celebration of music, Fête de la Musique.

“We are the inventors of electro,” he asserts [via Mixmag]. “We have that French touch!”

While some might question Macron’s stance, its undeniable that France has left an indelible mark on the electro scene.

From Daft Punk to Justice to David Guetta, to more recent artists like Gesaffelstein, French artists do seem to have a certain spark to them… a “French touch”, if you will.

The “French touch” has also been recognised as an official genre: French Touch. It’s France’s unique brand of house music, recognised as having its first boom in the ‘90s for its unique mix of Eurodisco, space disco and funk.

Of course, some might be critical of Macron’s assertion that France “invented” electro. While the French genre ‘musique concrète’ dates back to the ‘40s, you could argue the first sign of electronic music was the birth of the theramin in 1920 in Russia. But then, musique concrète saw the first examples of musicians editing together synthetic and industrial sounds.

But even that begs the question: when the first song was released entirely comprised of electronic sounds? That apparently took place in 1953 in Germany, marking the birth of ‘elektronische musik’. Some also argue Kraftwerk were one of the very first electronic bands.

While there are many arguments for where electro originates, many consider the modern version of electro to have formed in the ‘80s. People often pinpoint the first examples emerging in America in the ‘80s, with African American communities across New York, Chicago and Detroit blending together funk, hip-hop and disco.

Regardless, Macron is so proud of the country’s musical heritage that he’s even keen for it to attain a cultural status. Berlin received such an honour last year, being added to the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage – and Macron believes France is worthy of being popped onto the list.

“We’re going to do that too,” he insists. “I love Germany – you know how pro-European I am! But we don’t have to take lessons from anyone.”

The UNESCO list aims to support unique forms of art across the globe. Other genres that have received honourary nods includes include Colombian marimba, Cuban rumba, Greek Rebetiko, Jamaican reggae and more.

When Berlin’s output of techno was acknowledged by UNESCO last March, the techno world was ecstatic. Rave The Planet, who campaigned for years to see Berlin recognised by the UNESCO list, posted a celebratory post on their Facebook: “Congratulations to all the cultural creators who have shaped and contributed to Berlin’s techno culture,” the post read.

“A big thank you to everyone involved who has been with us on this journey since Hans Cousto’s initial idea in 2011. Special thanks to the Expert Committee on Intangible Cultural Heritage at the German UNESCO Commission!”

“This is a major milestone for the entire culture, and our joy is beyond words.”

Berlin techno culture is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site! 💥

This another milestone for Berlin techno producers, artists, club operators and event organizers. https://t.co/Bd1EnvJRN4

— clubcommission (@clubcommission) March 13, 2024