If you want a proof of that, watch the next episode of Rendez-Vous d’Amérique featuring French music in America. We followed Gaume, a French rocker in the street of Manhattan.

Gaume is from Nantes and he’s not a newbie. He’s been playing French music and English-language music with his band for several years. They released a few albums, played all over France and Europe. They’re doing very well. They’re not superstars but they have the respect of the specialists.

Yes, Gaume is not a newbie. But the guy we followed that day was more than nervous. It was the day of his first concert in New York, his first gig in America. And, you’ll see it when you’ll watch the show; Gaume was everything but relaxed before going on stage.

And the first thing he did arriving in New York is finding a music shop and buying a new guitar, his American guitar. Oh, it’s exactly the same guitar that he would have found in France but it’s not at all the same guitar that he would have found in France. This one will forever carry a part of his American Dream. He says it in the show, several times, as if he really wants to make sure it was real: “I’m going to play in New York. I’m going to play in America”.

If you’re a musician, especially a rocker, well, if you’re any kind of artist, America still means a lot. It’s where culture liberated itself in the 70’s, it’s where freedom took over creativity, and it’s where everything was possible. It’s where the dream was still alive.

I must say that I wasn’t sure that we could still say that in our America today.

But seeing the light in the eye of Gaume before going on stage, listening to his excitement, to his definition of his American dream, it gave me faith again.

It will last as long as it will last, but I want to have the same sparkle in the eye that Gaume had that night, that I had when I arrived here, that we probably all had when we arrived in the U.S. of A.

Gaume did very well that night; he even scored another gig for the next day. Yeah, the American dream…

To learn more about the French music in America, and other happenings that define Francophone culture in the U.S., tune-in to Rendez-vous d’Amérique on TV5MONDE USA. Click here for more information.

Exploring a diversity of culture entwined with the insatiable energy of New York’s theatres, the bright lights of Las Vegas Blvd, the inspirational beauty of Louisiana’s bayous, and beyond - Rendez-vous d'Amérique invites you on a journey to discover Francophone culture in America. Your host on this cultural experience is Didier Allouch - reporter, cinephile, and a familiar face at movie premieres. Click here to learn how you can get TV5MONDE USA and never miss an episode!