French classics in 'Paris of the Orient'

Photo provided to China Daily

Chanson are different from other songs because they follow the rhythms of the French language. "I think the difference comes from the emotions the French language and the melodies give to an audience," Kaas says. "They have a certain French flavor. I perform them with my deep voice, with power and emotion."

Kaas has a throaty, smoky voice that is often compared to Piaf and Marlene Dietrich. She has had a successful career in the French music scene since the 1980s, and is one of the best-selling French entertainers in the world.

"Kaas broke into the international market even before Celine Dion did," Liu says. Her third studio album D'allemagne sold more than 12 million copies all over the world, and her autobiography The Shadow of My Voice has been translated into six languages.

"The first Piaf song that I sung when I was a kid, was La Vie en Rose," Kaas says. "Piaf recorded 430 songs and when I prepare my show Kaas Sings Piaf, I listen to all of them. I choose some famous and some less famous, that I want to present to the audience. I love La Belle Histoire D'amour, Avec Ce Soleil and T'es Beau Tu Sais. They touch me a lot."

Piaf was very creative in her time, Kaas says. "We marked the 50th anniversary of her death last year. I'm impressed by her life, her voice, everything in her life, her songs."

She wanted the project Kaas Chante Piaf to be a tribute, rather than just copying her predecessor. Kaas invited Abel Korzeniowski to arrange the music. "I wanted some modern classic arrangements, like for a movie. I wanted to pay homage to her in my own way and style. Abel helped me a lot with that," Kaas says.