ELYSEE MONTMARTRE

The historic music hall, Elysee Montmartre was devistated by fire Tuesday morning with over one hundred firefighters called to extinguish the blaze that filled the neighborhood with smoke.

Older than The Moulin Rouge, and birth of The French Can, it was designed by Gustave Eiffel early in the nineteenth century It was in the mist of renovation. It stands just down the street and around the corner from my studio and is dear to nous Montmartois and high on the list of hip hop concerts for the last two decades.

Yesterday afternoon at four o'clock there was a gathering of mourners - at least a thousand or so-from old-timers to spiked haired rap stars and of course camera crews. It was very sad- a wonder I thought how people can love a place.