THE FRENCH CONNECTION
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THE FRENCH CONNECTION
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8/18/18 UPDATE TO THIS PAGE: Unfortunately, most if not all of the links on this page are broken. Time moves on. People move on. The French groups are closed to new viewers, and the links to Walt's music are broken. I will remedy the situation if Walt or Lili make contact.
The September 2002 Newsletter contained an article about Walt Young, the Narimasu, Japan, High School graduate who went on to be a DJ at the Nouasseur AFRS station 11/57-11/59. Coincidentally, about a week after the newsletter
mailing, I started receiving messages from Below you'll find excerpts from their e-mails. REALLY GREAT STUFF!!! I'm not including my responses to the messages. I think you'll be able to figure out what I might have said or asked. Please note I've not included the writers'
e-mail addresses. If you want to contact them, leave a note in our Message
Board and you'll be sent their addresses. 1/6/06 Update: You'll find at least 3500 photos of Morocco,
most of them done by Lili.
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Messages from Lili
Braun
Updated 7/5/05
French visitors wishing to leave a message on this
site should e-mail harwellm3@msn.com
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Wed 9/25/2002 Hello, Many french teenagers who are now about 60 years old lived in Morocco in the fifties and in the sixties. They used to listen to radio Nouasseur which made them discover american pop music before everybody in France. It's now a very good souvenir, and they often speak of Nouasseur on their website, remembering the name of the tunes and the gingles. Most of all came back to France a long time ago, as the Americans working at the base came back to the USA also. I am now 59 years old and in lived in Casablanca,
I listened to radio Nouaceur, I digged the "Top of the Pops"
and "Sunset Jubilee". I would like to know if some people
who were at the base has kept sounds of this broadcasts. Thank you very much, merci beaucoup. Lili Braun
9/25/02 Dear Sharon, Thanks for this email, which I liked so much. I went back to France in 1961 when I was a graduate, then I studied architecture at the school of fine arts and got married in Paris, now I live in the south of France, in the cote d'azur near Saint Tropez: but as I go to Paris by train tomorrow, I will write more next week when I will be home in the south again, next to my computer. My father was not in the French army, he had a cloths' shop, now he is dead. Thank you so much for the contact with Walt Young. My friends of the website of "civil veterans of Casablanca" found so amazing I would have find again the DJ!! I bluff them! :-)))) You cannot fancy what Radio Nouasseur meant to us,
the French teenagers living in Casablanca, and now in our Website we
talk about all could be heard at the radio, like "Poison Ivy". A bientot j'espere, Cordialement Lili [P.S.] This sounds like the movie Good Morning Vietnam!
10/1/02 Hello Sharon, Hello Walt, I am back from Paris, the life there is very tremendous
and it will take a few days I have published your emails on the website "Les anciens de Casa", so as people like Guy could read it and contact you, that's exactly what he made; he sent me a copy of the email he sent you, with a smart explaination of the mood where the French teenagers lived in in the late fiftees and early sixties in Morocco, and with the historical reasons of ours lacks of medias in those times. I can say that many young ones planed to go to the US after , because they enjoyed the music they listened to, and made there minds with an idea of your country. I travelled to NY in August 66, with friends from the Paris school of fine Arts (I studied architecture there). In 1966 my boyfriend was studiing cinema, and he would become ten years after a welknown film director: his name is Alain Corneau, and we both talked of the American bases near our hometown: Nouasseur for Casa and me, and the US airforce base near Orleans for Alain: we found plenty of similar things ; the difference is that he made in the 90's an autobiographic movie , the title was "Le nouveau monde" (the new world) When the movie was on the advertisements, I did not see Alain anymore but I recognized in it things we said, and a special mood, a special way of life, spenting ours youth in the shade of the Americans bases...
The adresse of the site is ( already maybe now somebody
gave it to you):
I can see that our generation is still very busy and creative, from both parts of the Atlantic ocean! Kindest regards Lili
10/25/02 I am glad to see that 2 Websites from both part of
the atlantic ocean communicate, sharing memories of those great times,
when we were teenagers in Morocco. Kindest regards Lili Braun Sharon replied with some links Lili and others might enjoy. If you are interested in the URLs that have "oldies" lyrics and downloadable midi files e-mail me.
Bonjour, The Anciens de Casa's Website has closed, and the members had been dispatched in many little websites, by friendness and affinities between them I am the godmother of Charly's friends Forum To enter, you must register. I wish you would go
there and let a little speech, telling who you are and you could put
the link for them to visit nouasseur.com http://charly.xooit.com/index.php There is also another place where 2 hundred photos of Casa are. (As we had not enough room in the 1st forum) http://charly-amitie-2.forumactif.com/index.forum Hoping you to come and see us, register and write some words there :-)
Liliane BRAUN
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9/25/02 Hi Sharon, Though quite young, I discovered with the AFRS of Nouasseur, the Rock'n'roll of Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Bill Halley, Elvis ....and many more, but also The Platters, Paul Anka (...When, when you smile..), Ricky Nelson, ... and someone who sang "Sixteen tons"? As my father had many american friends, I went into the base many times. For my two sisters, Catherine born in 1944, and Jaqueline born in 1947, .. and also for me, going into the base was like to be in America !! I visited the famous PX , the pool, the theater, the church, and the radio station , I remember the big recording tapes on the shelves. I appreciated the ice creams in summer, and the plastic models for christmas. My sisters were more interested by single records (with kraft paper sleeves) and were quite proud to feel musicaly in advance compared to their school friends. We left the place in 1963, and Morocco in 1964. You may certainly know,that Nouasseur
is now the international airport of Casablanca. And as many projects
of extension are under progress, the remaining of the american period
are less and less visible. For professionnal purpose, I go at least,
three times per year to Morrocco. This since 1978. I had your address through the website
"les.anciens.de.casa.free.fr" and the letter you sent to
Lili ... what a girl! Among the last messages of this site, they talk
about radio Nouasseur, I was of course interested, but when they mentioned Before leaving, I would like to say also, that on the air of AFRS Nouasseur the DJ used to say "Oh gentilement!" (sic) Do you remember? Kind regards, Note: Sharon has asked for the Nouasseur images when
Guy is able to scan the slides. Maybe some of you fellows can talk
airplanes with him:) 9/30/02 Hi Sharon, Thanks for your quick answer, all your information, and ... Ernie Ford. Concerning my message, no problem, you may put it on the website. It's a real pride for me. This afternoon, I found out the slides I told you before. Among them, there are also aerial views of the area. From october 14, to 31, I plan a professional trip to Morocco. I intend to take pictures, may be the white duplexes, we called "les villas américaines". But, as I used to see them frequently, they are not as tidy as they were in the 50' and 60', the american flavor is gone away... Yes! Nouasseur AFR was really something in these times. Remember, just after 56 and the independance of Morocco, TV broadcasting had stopped till 62! For French listeners, there was only RADIO MAROC, and after ... sunset, RADIO MONTE CARLO was badly caught on AM. But, both of them were quite poor in good music, and THE reference was Nouasseur AFR ... the voice of Rock'n'roll and american dream. As I like to show you where I lived
exactly, you will find attached:
10/8/02 Here are the slides, sad pictures
taken almost 20 years ago.
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Date: 10/18/2002 Dears Walt Young and Sharon, We are TOINOU and JANE. It is a real pleasure and an honor to have your signature on our BOOK Of GOLD and knowing that our site, les.anciens, is appreciated and visited by the Old ones of the American Base of NOUASSEUR. LILI is a friend like PIERROT and GUY FORNARI. We are all of CASA and CASA is OUR FATHERLAND OF HEART. MUSIC HAS NO BORDERS. With our MOST SINCERE GREETINGS. And continue to make us dream and dance to all the MUSIC which one LIKES.] |
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Date: 10/18/2002 Hello Sharon, |
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Date: 10/17/02 Hi all of you from Nouasseur USAF in Morocco I was so pleased to see that we have not been forgotten
in your site (the Bye for now Pierrot |
