Regularly cited in the media in recent months as a means of preserving traditional songs, the Canto app has been mired in controversy. According to ReleaseThe team behind Canto, which lists “all the popular and traditional songs of France for digital storage”, is said to have many ties to the far right and some of the songs listed belong to the nationalist repertoire.
Especially since the Ministry of Culture, through the National Music Center (CNM), subsidizes the application for a sum of 40,000 euros.
The free, participatory app lists 1,700 song sheets shared by users who have the ability to use a pseudonym. Organized into categories “hunt”, “childhood”, “sea shanties”, each sheet lists the music, the lyrics and the story of it. The user can also create their own playlist.
Founders close to the extreme right
But among these listed songs, many raise questions. As noted Releaseone can find face to sunof a Spanish fascist movement, fundamentalist Catholic popular songs, but also military melodies sung under the Third Reich such as the panzerlied where he Grün ist unser Fallschirmjäger. This Thursday at noon, these songs were still present on the platform.
Its co-founder, Charles Dor, better known as Lancelot Galey, is a former member of the GUD, a far-right student organization and close to the political circles of Marine Le Pen and Eric Zemmour. He states in several interviews that he is very attached to the preservation of traditional French songs. The association’s secretary, Lucas Chancerelle, is also a far-right activist.
in the columns of Releasethe general manager, Gauthier Brioude assumes the content of the list of songs shared by his application.
It also ensures that a charter will be created to “refocus the work at the heart of the mission (…) the French popular song.”
However, the CNM opened an investigation that could finally cut off the aid, says Liberation. Contacted, the institution had not yet responded to Tech&Co when this article was published.
Source: BFM TV
