Nathan Mosaka | Aux Vers de Rimbaud: When French Songs Place Poetry Before Rhythm

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Nathan Mosaka | Aux Vers de Rimbaud: When French Songs Place Poetry Before Rhythm

When: Sunday, October 18, 2026 | 1 – 2:30 pm

Where: AFL Office (View on Google Maps)

Price: Free 

Join us on Sunday, October 18, 2026, from 1:00–2:30 PM for a unique presentation by Nathan Mosaka facilitated by his sister, Divine Mosaka, AFL Teacher. This is a bilingual presentation with participation welcomed in English or French.

What if, behind the music, there was always a poem?

Alliance Française de Louisville is pleased to welcome Nathan Mosaka, President of the Cultivar Association, a nonprofit specializing in introductory music education through the discovery of musical concepts and auditory training.

His presentation, “Aux Vers de Rimbaud,” is an ode to the verses of Arthur Rimbaud and a playful French nod to “Over the Rainbow.” In French, vers means “verses,” while also echoing the English word “over.”

This exploration invites us to look beyond the rainbow of the seven musical notes to discover what often gives French songs their true color: the power of words. Drawing on a rich literary heritage, French-language songwriting has often placed lyrics at its heart, allowing rhythm to bend so that the words themselves may live.

From Georges Brassens and Charles Aznavour to Léo Ferré and Serge Gainsbourg, Nathan will guide us through a tradition where music accompanies the text and where, at times, a song simply becomes poetry set to music.

The presentation will be bilingual in French and English, facilitated by Nathan’s sister, Divine Mosaka, AFL Teacher. A Q&A session will follow, with questions welcome in either language.

Join us for a journey into the enduring connection between music, language, and poetry!