Menica Rondelly 's works

In most documents devoted to Menica Rondelly his nickname is the Bard of Nice. This started during his lifetime, for example the inauguration  of his head and shoulders portrait at Ste-Claire Square (le petit Niçois on 7 may 1934); his son even wrote it , although it does not appear to have used this word himself.
 
This old fashioned word does not really means  what he was in fact, although the difficulty is that he was hardly classifiable. Nowadays he would rather be called as a songwriter. But he  was also a poem writer and a political journalist, although he loved singing since he did when he was a teenager and he played the guitar as his son wrote it(Page 62, Carolus Rondelly).
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Poesy, tales, news, romantic or satirical songs, theater, collecting... all forms of expression were his. He did not deny popular songs, the songs of Carnival, which he was proud to win the competition for the official song.
 
His was as well a writer, an activist for several ideas in order to protect his language, his people, his country. It was his way to be a militant.
 
His inspirations were different  but still associated with Nice. Flowers, love and women were his favorites topics. He sang the natural beauty of women, the way to speak of the fishmongers (A bella Putina), midinettes, peasants, Catherine Segurane. The observation of nature inspired him song: the birds, the rooster, the dog, etc. But especially local customs: garden sheds, game of bowls (Cansoun dou Boucin, the song of the bowl), feasts, stockfisch, cougourdons, etc.
 
He writes either in french or in english. For the songs he teamed with Auguste Roux, although for a number of songs he was alone, such a manuscript le vin de la Gaude apparently not printed.

•     1900: Li fia de L'Amour (love girls); Menica Rondelly, 1900, 90 pages, Goiran printer, Nice
   
  His first important publication dates of 1900. It was news, and stories collected under the title Li fia de l'amour. Includes Doun relori e Margarida Pendula (Don alarmclock and Marguerida clock), Lou Bedogou e lou counscrit (the Beadle and the conscript), La niera de  Zaza (Zaza's flea), Mà! Sieù tapada (but I'm touched), Letra de Pourtugalie (Letter from the orange tree), Padre Presaïre, L'ome serious(the serious man), Lou mau d'amour(love sickness), Granouia e viei gari (the frog and the old rat), la Mounega e lou Serin (the religious and the Canary), la mieù Mita (my girlfriend), Lou Pignatoun de Tite (The pan of Tite), Lou amour d'una fruma maridada (the love of a married wife). This collection represents the discerned behave in foreword an address protest to the wreckers of our past, and challenging then when wrinting you will never destroy my blue sky, my sunshine and the language of our father, as used  by Rancher

Sa première publication importante date de 1900. Il s'agissait de contes et de nouvelles, rassemblées sous le titre Li fia de l'amour. On citera Doun Relori e Margarida Pendula (Don Reveil et Marguerida Pendule) , Lou Bedogou e lou counscrit (Le bedeau et le conscrit), La niera de Zaza (La puce de Zaza), Mà ! sieù tapada (Mais, je suis bouchée !), Letra de Pourtugalié (Lettre de l'oranger), Padre Presaïre, L'Ome serious (L'homme sérieux), Lou mau d'amour (le mal d'amour), Granouia e viei gari (La grenouille et le vieux rat), La Mounega e lou Serin (la religieuse et le serin), La mieù mita (ma petite amie), Lou Pignatoun de Tité (La marmite de Tité), Lou amour d'une fruma maridada (l'amour d'une femme mariée). Ce recueil présente l'originalité de comporter en avant-propos une protestation adressée aux "démolisseurs de notre passé", en leur lançant le défi "qu'ils ne démoliront jamais l'azur de mon ciel, l'éclat de mon soleil et la langue de notre vénérable père, illustrée par Rancher".

•     1901: Lou Presepi Nissart (Christ child's cribs of Christmas); Menica Rondelly and Antouana Augier,  1901-1930, printed by E. Magnan
   
  The tradition of the Nissart Presepi was ending. The oral tradition was lost. He went to meet Antoine Augier, who interpreted the role of Barba Micheù to collect oral heritage and write a comedy in 3 acts. The Presepi was played for the first time on the 24th of December 1901 at the great theater of the Tower Street. It was played then subsequently and the libretto was printed. A song was written to complete the theater show //Calena ! (Christmas).
  

En 1902, il publie ses premières chansons dans Li mieù cansoun e Souveni , un petit pamphlet de quelques pages qui rassemble des chansons aux inspirations très diversifiées. L'on citera Aven plu de Vairola (Je n'ai plus la variole, dédicacée à madame les eaux de la Vésubie et à monsieur Hygiène publique, satire contre les hygiénistes), le naufrage de la Jeune Madeleine (barque de pêche qui coula avec 4 hommes en 1902), la soupa au pistou (La soupe au pistou) , Lou gaspillage (Le gaspillage) , Lou founougrapha (Le phonographe) , Lou roussignoù e la paisaneta (Le rossignol et la paysanne), les adieux d'un rossignol, N'en fan pica au papié (satyre contre l'argent dédicacée à la Banque de France).

.Il s'agit d'une brochure écrite en niçois qui raconte le "pélerinage" à Caprera de la délégation des 40 niçois à l'occasion du 20è anniversaire de la mort de Garibaldi : le voyage en train jusqu'à Gênes, puis en bateau jusqu'en Sardaigne. ce fut un grand évènement puisque 1200 personnes venues de nombreux pays se sont rassemblées, dont surtout des compagnons d'armes. A cette occasion il retrace la vie de Garibaldi en terminant sur l'épisode de 1870. Il écrit qu'un homme seul, un vieillard, accablé de douleur et de blessures qui avait la barbe blanche est venu offrir à la France - abandonnée de tous et que personne n'est venu aider - son épée et le millier d'hommes qu'il avait.

En 1904 il publie Lou Picioun Armanac populari , petit almanach comprenant des nouvelles, des chansons et des proverbes

Cet ouvrage contient des chansons niçoises en français ou en niçois plus ou moins anciennes : Parpaïoun maride te! (Papillon, marie-toi), L'amour d'une vieille, lou roussignoù che vola (Le rossignol qui vole), lou festin dei verna (Le festin des aulnes, fête qui se déroulait le lendemain de la Pentecôte dans le quartier des Verna, près de la chapelle Sainte-Marguerite, en face de St-Laurent-du-Var) , le beau corset, la blea (La blette) , lu nas (le nez) , la paisaneta (La paysanne) , o tu la mieu bella Nissa (O ma belle Nice) , li baumetta (Les Baumettes) , la cansoun de Tanta gianna (La chanson de Tante Jeanne) , A la bella pouti…naa ! (A la belle poutine) , la cansoun de l'estocafic (La chanson du stockfish, dédiée au club de l'estocafida) , chant du conscrit niçois, Semper crescendo (en montant toujours) , la cansoun dai reproce (La chanson des reproches) , la cansoun dai cassaire (la chanson des chasseurs) , etc.

Il publie par souscription "Les grands événements de Nice de 1860 à 1910". Loin d'être un travail d'historien comme l'on pourrait s'y attendre, cet ouvrage est en fait constitué d'une liste chronologique d'évènements d'importance très variable et que l'auteur a sélectionnés dans la presse locale pour des raisons assez personnelles parfois. Outre la liste des souscripteurs qui ont aidé à la parution de cet ouvrage figure à la fin une liste de 41 journaux locaux parus depuis l'annexion. Ces évènements ne donnent la plupart du temps pas lieu à commentaire par l'auteur.
Ils sont classés en 5 chapitres (10 ans par chapitre) qui se terminent chacun par des photos de son ami Giletta.
Le 1er évènement est très symbolique puisqu'il s'agit de la narration jour par jour des cérémonies du "rattachement" de Nice à la France et l'ouvrage se termine avec le dernier évènement avec comme commentaire " Nice fête dans la plus grande joie le cinquantenaire de sa 2è réunion à la France " le 29 juin 1910.
On y trouve toutes sortes d'évènements dont surtout des faits divers, comme par exemple :

16 avril 1863 : "pêche miraculeuse de thons à hauteur de la Croix de Marbre"
20 avril 1866 : "les travaux de la nouvelle route de Cimiez sont presque terminés"
17 février 1874 : "la pluie empêche les fêtes de Carnaval"
27 avril 1896 : "le roi Oscar de Suède quitte Nice"

On y trouve aussi les travaux réalisés dans la ville et en particulier les destructions d'arbre et de bâtiments :

Le 23 janvier 1870 : " les vieux ormes, autrefois le plus bel ornement du Cours qu'ils ombrageaient d'un dôme de verdure tombent sous la hache "
25 mai 1878 : "plantation de jeunes platanes en face du square Masséna"
Photo de Giletta (à la fin du chapitre 3) avec le commentaire : "le célèbre eucalyptus Place Masséna disparu en 1898"
18 septembre 1909 : " les jolis platanes qui ombrent la route de France près du Cros-de-Cagnes sont abattus pour installer à leur place la ligne de tramway qui occupe actuellement le milieu de la chaussée "

Heureusement qu'il n'a pas assisté au chantier du nouveau Trambalan et à l'abattage de tous les arbres de l'avenue Jean-Médecin !
Mais aussi des évènements plus politiques ou plus importants tels que :
. 24 avril 1865 : La description de la mort de Nicolas Alexandrovitch (1 page)
. 9 février 1870 : journées d'émeute (1 page)
Surmontant sa modestie habituelle, il ne manque pas chaque fois que l'occasion se présente de relater ce qui lui tient plus particulièrement à cœur, et aussi de se faire un peu de publicité pour la postérité :
. 4 octobre 1891 : "Inauguration de la statue de Garibaldi. Nice a rendu ce matin au plus digne de ses enfants l'hommage qui lui était dû depuis si longtemps. Elle a inauguré le monument élevé à la gloire de Joseph Garibaldi, le paladin des temps modernes, le chevalier de la justice et du droit"
. 30 mai 1902 : "M Menica Rondelly secrétaire de l'Union garibaldienne de Nice se rend à Gênes pour s'aboucher avec le Comité italien en vue des mesures à prendre pour l'arrivée des garibaldiens niçois".
. 10 septembre 1902 : "M Menica Rondelly et G Ricci publient la vie politique d'Alfred Borriglione"
. 20 septembre 1903 : "M Menica Rondelly et Jules Eynaudi restaurent par souscription publique le tombeau du poète Rancher"
. 30 septembre 1903 : "Menica Rondelly et Jules Eynaudi fondent l'Academia Rancher. Son but est de propager la langue du terroir"
. 3 janvier 1904 : "grand concours de chansons carnavalesques : M Menica Rondelly obtient le 1er prix de la section niçoise sur 17 concurrents et M. Fernand de Rocher le 1er prix de la section française sur 11 concurrents"
. 8 janvier 1905 : "le Comité des fêtes accorde le 1er prix de chanson carnavalesque à M Menica Rondelly et décide que cette chanson sera orchestrée par toutes les musiques de la ville"
. 12 juillet 1907 : "une délégation de garibaldiens niçois composée de … M Rondelly secrétaire part pour assister aux fêtes de l'inauguration de la statue de Garibaldi à Paris"
. 1er février 1910 : "Chahut ! chahut !" chanson officielle pour les fêtes carnavalesques, musique de H. Tarelli, paroles de Menica Rondelly, éditée par les frères Cortelazzo

A partir de 1914 son activité littéraire diminue ; il se consacre à d'autres activités. Il édite cependant un recueil de nouvelles "Li Mieù douze novas" . Ce livret comprend :
- Una nova d'Amour (poème de 174 vers)
- Lou curat d'Aiglu (le curé d'Aiglun)
- Giamai! Giamai! (jamais!)
- Un bajà en ten de Carneval (un baiser à Carnaval)
- La Bouca de la mieù calignera (la bouche de mon amoureuse)
- Lou cougùo mouart e vieu (le cocu mourant)
- Devouamen d'una Doumestica d'Auberge (dévouement d'une domestique d'auberge)
- La Granjoua de Madama Lisoun (la grenouille de Madame Lison)
- La Sauma de Doun Alounzou (l'ânesse de Don Alounzou)
- La Tabachiera de Padre Sebeta (la tabatière du Père Sebeta)
- La Niera de Madama Zigou-Zagou (la puce de Madame Zigou-Zagou)
- Lou Calen de Barba Lauren (le calen de Barba Lauren), Poème de 56 vers.
Hormis les thèmes habituels chers à Menica, quelques nouvelles traitent des couples infidèles sous forme de farces.

En 1919 il publie avec Anthony Fenouille un recueil de 125 pages contenant des proverbes et historiettes niçoises "li beluga nissardi" illustré de quelques dessins de Louis Pin. Cette publication dont la page de couverture représente 2 paysannes niçoises sous un olivier, l'une jeune et l'autre vieille porte la célèbre formule souvent citée par Menica "la lenga de ma maire es achela de Dieu" (La langue de ma mère est celle de Dieu). On y trouve pêle-mêle des proverbes universels traduits en niçois, des histoires courtes et à la fin des histoires plus longues (lamentassioun d'une paisana e de Misé Babelin, la granouja de Madama Lisoun, une beluga de ghera). Beaucoup sont en fait des expressions françaises traduites telles que :
. L'ome proposa e Dieu disposa (page 13, l'Homme propose et Dieu dispose)
. Agiudeti, lou siel t'agiuderà (page 16, aide-toi, le ciel t'aidera)
. A l'obra si counouisse l'artisan (page 21, c'est à l'œuvre que l'on reconnaît l'artisan)
On y trouve pas mal de proverbes misogynes de provenance douteuse, peut-être ont-ils même été inventés :
. Sensa mouneta noun si fa l'amour (page 17, sans argent, pas d'amour)
. Una bella frema es lou paradis dai uei, l'infer de l'anima e lou purgatori de la boursa (page 18, une belle femme est un paradis pour les yeux, un enfer pour l'âme et un purgatoire pour la bourse)
Et aussi des proverbes visiblement typiquement niçois tels que :
. La doulou s'usa en la racountan (page 21, la douleur passe en la racontant)
. Lu enfan dai cat mangerai tougiou de gari (page 41, les petits des chats mangeront toujours les rats)
. A viei cat noun li moustra sendiè (page 45, on n'en raconta pas à un vieux chat)
. Fai de ben a Bertran, lou si rende en …sublan (page 71, Fais du bien à Bertrand, il te le rend en …sifflant)
. Tempou la paja che la nespou mduron (page 71, le temps pour la paille que les nèfles mûrissent)
. Lou mou de la sartaja sera tougiou negre (page 73, le fond de la poêle sera toujours noir)
. Un viei mourtiè senterà tougiou l'ajet (page 73, un vieux mortier sentira toujours l'ail)
. Caga mai un boù che sen arendoula (page 74, un bœuf chie plus que cent hirondelles)
La publication de cet ouvrage a été possible grâce à une subvention du Conseil général à Menica Rondelly de 100 Francs (séance du 8 octobre 1920). Par comparaison, lors de la même séance une subvention de 50 francs avait été allouée à Eynaudi pour son almanach niçois. Je n'ai trouvé que cette subvention à Menica Rondelly, mais je pense qu'il en a bénéficié de la mairie de Nice quand le maire de Nice était Jean Médecin, quoique les chansons du Carnaval donnaient lieu à un concours, donc étaient financées par un autre biais. Les familles Médecin - Astraudo - Rondelly étaient proches car leurs parents habitaient dans la même rue dans le vieux-nice.
Malgré tout, le mode de vie modeste de Menica Rondelly atteste de son indépendance financière. D'ailleurs sa famille n'a profité d'aucun enrichissement de sa notoriété.

Ce pamphlet publié par souscription grâce à ses amis du Comité conservateur des traditions niçoises fait l'historique de ce pont qui datait de 1531, symbole de l'histoire de la ville. Il défend aussi le Paillon qu'il admire également et retrace l'historique de ses crues à partir de 1530. A cette occasion, il ne manque par de donner un petit coup de griffe à Alfonse Karr en écrivant : "Plusieurs écrivains, notamment le jardinier-poète Alfonse Karr, ont donné sur le Paillon une définition un peu plaisante. Depuis lors, tous ceux qui en ont bien voulu parler, se sont fait plaisir de répéter ces innocentes gasconnades".
Dans ce document figure en français une sorte d'éloge funèbre :
"La vieille pile qui soutenait l'arche du pont vieux de la rive droite du Paillon s'est effondrée sous les coups meurtriers de la mine le 21 octobre 1921. Il était exactement 6 h 20 du soir.
Une foule immense s'était portée sur le boulevard Mac-Mahon et le boulevard des italiens. Dans quelques jours le Progrès sera satisfait. De Profundis !"

Ce document, publié sous le patronage du Comité des traditions niçoises au profit de la construction du bas-relief érigé Place Saint-Augustin par souscription relate le siège de Nice de 1543 jour par jour et même heure par heure en s'inspirant des récits historiques du Chevalier Jean Baptiste Toselli. Une 2è partie traite des "citations pouvant prouver l'existence de Catherine Segurane" avec en particulier les informations connues sur la chapelle dédiée à Notre-Dame de Sincaïre en 1552 à la Porte Pairolière où se trouvait un buste attribué à l'héroïne niçoise et aujourd'hui introuvable avec une inscription en latin, tout aussi disparue.

 Ce petit recueil contient des poèmes tous en niçois publiés dans la presse locale ou bien récités lors de fêtes ou banquets ainsi que pêle-mêle des lettres reproduites provenant d'hommes politiques ou bien d'artistes et des dessins réalisés par ses amis. En plus des thèmes chers à Menica on y trouve quelques poèmes qui montrent son amour pour les animaux (le coq de M. Babelin, le chien, le pinson, l'âne et le cheval). En 4è de couverture est reproduite une aquarelle de Vincent Fossat (hélas elle n'a pas été imprimée en couleur). Menica avait contribué à faire découvrir ce génial artiste.

A 79 ans, malgré la tristesse qui l'envahit suite à la mort de sa femme, il continue à écrire des fantaisies, des contes et publie ce dernier ouvrage.

Après la mort de Menica, son fils Carolus s'est senti investi de la mission de poursuivre le travail de son père. C'est ainsi qu'il publie la biographie de son père une année après sa mort en 1936.

En 1938 il publie Ai pen de Bellanda (Au pied de Bellanda) ; 1938, 16 pages, imprimerie de l'éclaireur de Nice. Ce petit ouvrage contient 12 poèmes avec une préface au lecteur dédiée "à son père vénéré" en précisant "je veux être aux côtés de ces braves ouvriers qui ne rougissent pas de leurs origines niçoises et qui, pieusement et avec ferveur, ont repris d'une main vaillante le flambeau légué par mon Père".

Il a composé principalement des poèmes. L'un d'entre eux "Viva Carneval" publié en 1936 dans la Ratapignta a été réédité par la revue "Lou Sourgentin" en février 1985 (65):11.

En 1939, il publie "Bernardin Clerici, notable niçois sous la révolution et le 1er Empire", Gay Imprimeur, 29 pages.

He writes regularly for the contest organized by the festival committee for the carnival. This particular kind (catchy tunes and make you want to dance) has been successful because it has consistently been awarded for 20 years, from 1903 to 1923. The site "MTCN - traditional music of the County of Nice" has all the songs listed in the "air of carnival" (website address: http://mtcn.free.fr).

We can listen to the songs composed by Carnival Menica Rondelly following:

• 1903 la maire chagrin (début)
• 1905 E viva Carneval (début à 1:39)
• 1914 Pin Pan (début à 4:27)
• 1922 velou velou (début à 7:06)
• 1923 Fai Ana (début à 8:03)

Departmental archives in his collection of oral histories have indeed put on the website of Dailymotion interpreted by Ciamada Nissarda (ADAM, Sound recordings'' isolated'' 1AV42. Records Posted on 10/10/2012. Accessed 12/06/2013) (link: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xu85p0_chansons-de-carnaval-partie-1-fonds-adam-documents-sonores-isoles_webcam#.UbxBi_lOIdU)

He also wrote the French lyrics of " song of mutuality " for the Ninth National Congress of French Mutual held in Nice in May 1907 with the composer Pierre-Henri Pierre , said Pierre-Pierre (born in Nice on 23/04/1878 and died in Nice on 25/11/1970 ) . This work, probably commissioned by the city of Nice will be played by the Orchestra and Chorus of the Opera on April 18, 1907 and was unnoticed in the newspapers. Indeed, the three local newspapers of the time, only « Le Phare du littoral » noticed this event (April 19, 1907 , page 3) . it was played between the two acts of the opera " Ariane" by Massenet , after the Marseillaise.
 
Far from considering it was a small business, he was very proud to win the competition for the song of Carnival. The official Carnival songs at that time were real hit songs , sung , played and they were granted by money.
 
At the period of the War of 1914-1918 were " The crumpled letter " slow waltz created by tenor Lamy, and the cantata « the virgin of Laghet » dedicated to the Bishop of Nice.
 
He found his inspiration in everyday local life. Thus, during the rowing race in the Bay of Angels Canottieri between the Company Italia of Naples and Nice Yacht Club on May 11, 1903 which had excited the people of Nice, he composed a song.
 
In 1931 was inaugurated the Promenade des Anglais, and at the age of 77 years old he composed in honor of the blue sea a poem of four stanzas.
He composed for fun and on the spur of the moment , but also to order.
 
It happened from time to time that his songs are published in the " Petit Niçois" or « l’éclaireur de Nice " like " Mimi Pinson the nissardina " (Petit niçois 1 November 1903) . The words were sufficient since it was often like a familiar song melody. For more elaborate songs, there was a musical score.
 
Songs he composed are often in a romantic style. Today we rank in the happy entertainers . His song of the Rouseta Nanoun was a big success. Le Papillon des Amours (french) sung in 1904 was printed for 200,000 copies.
 
The Documentation Centre of the Music Museum Music located at the Palais Lascaris has kindly given me a photograph of the cover page of a score combining Nissa la bella, the rouseta of Nanoun and butterfly loves, 3 biggest success Menica Rondelly , if we exclude the carnival songs .
 
The magazine "Lou Sourgentin" has published 3 songs : "Vouali canta San Peire!" (juin 1981 (47):41, "Viva lou festin de li midineta" et "la midineta vola" (avril 1985 (66):22-23. It has also published an article about the journey to Caprera "Lou sementeri de Caprera" (juin 1982 (52):43

There are 2 interesting musical scores because apparently unknown. It's Babazoucheta (dance of the Babazouk) of 1924 and Lou mieu clouchié (my bell tower) in 1931 with a photo of Giletta.

I have also found in the family archives a handwritten musical score of 1930 beautiful sky of Nice (in french).  (see the photo of the picture of the begining). I do not know if this song has ever been printed. It was written for  the Court of honour of the Committee of traditions of Nice.
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For the national Feast on July 14, 1903, he paradoxically composed a song the glory of "his" country A la Mieù Bella Nissa (To my nice Nice). The feast of the 14th of July was official and popular events with  military, banquets, balls, in the different neighbourhoods of Nice.
 
After prizes of the ballads, ditties, grimaces and dances, the banquet, toasts and speeche to the glory of the french Republic and Garibaldi organised by the Committee of the neighbourhood Garibaldi as a young girl, Antoinette Dalbera in peasant costume or Nice sang Garibaldi Square for the first time this song especially composed for the event.
 
The success of this song was immediate, according to the newspaper Le Phare du Littoral on July 15, 1903 (the chorus was sung by public). Menica later changed a bit the lyrics that will become the famous Nissa la Bella.
 
Nice la belle was the title of a book that was published in 1854 by Marie, Princess of Solms, and then Countess Rattazzi, great writter - but not only - who was much interested in Nice and who was also granddaughter of Lucien Bonaparte,  Napoleon's brother. This curious woman was very beautiful but also intelligent and cultured. Her cousin Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte (the small one as Victor Hugo called him) for whom she represented a political opponent forced her to exile for different reasons. This book has been the subject of a very interesting article by Martine Schwartz to download on the site of Conseil general des Alpes-maritimes http://www.cg06.fr/cms/cg06/upload/decouvrir-les-am/fr/files/rr174-pionniers.pdf.
 
The title of the song was repeated with another written more than 50 years before by the great poet Eugene Emanuel in 1848 La mieu bella Nissa, cansoun dou sourda niçart em loumbardia (song of a nissart soldier in Lombardy) which tells about a peasant soldier who go and fight with Garibaldi against the Austrians. This song is on the site of the Association les niçois du canton http://les-nicois-du-canton.pagesperso-orange.fr/index_fichiers/Page4788.htm .
 
The song is notable for the  original of the theme and quality of the writing text, but the melody is less interesting as composed on the air of... in this case an air of opera-comique le cheval de bronze created in 1835 by Daniel François Esprit Auber. The air was Quand on est fille. I did some research but I have somewhat given up although I've found on amazon.com a record. It is clear that this air is not very famous nowadays... while Menica Rondelly had the quality of a composer  to bring the text and make it popular.
It should be noted in the catalog of the library of the city of Nice there is only 9 documents by Eugene Emanuel.
The song of Eugene Emanuel? was very known among the inhabitants of Nice, as his son Victor writes in 1884 in the preface devoted to the works of his father we hardly know nowadays la mieù bella Niça, a kind of enthousiastic hymn, pathetic and gay song, in which the poet was fully from Nice. Sometimes the song was said to be written by copists not very honnest, who copied it without telling the real author. It is time now to stop this misunderstanding. (page 6, Canson Niçardi).
This sentence was not concerning Menica who had written Nissa la Bella in 1903, so more than 20 years after Eugene Emanuel,  but shows that the theme of the song has often been repeated. Menica certainly intended to give a new life? to the song that was somewhat forgotten -or the music was not easy to remember - for instance on 23 August 1891 the newspaper Ficanas publishes a new version  of the song dedicated to a soldier in 1859, without mentioning the author... died only a year before.
 
Menica lyrics, quite mundane or even a little cutesy and somewhat "post card", should not obscure the last verse which refres to the history of Nice in particular  the episode more or less true of Catherine Segurane pushing the Turks, - in fact the french of François the first who signed an alliance with the Turks to attack Nice and take possession, while the County was under the flag of the Duke of Savoy Charles III. The song that was a serenade became a national hymn for the inhanitants of Nice and that finally the title is associated with the image of the city itself. Indeed, Marie Bonaparte-Wyse - of Solms - Rattazzi - De Rute  was a republican and garibaldian, explaining her tense relations with his cousin napoleon III.
 
The ideas of garibaldi are not so far, just behind the capeline, the rose and the lilac and the text has been lighted compared to the text of Eugene Emmanuel's  which was really a war song.
 
Translation of lyrics in french is sometimes crazy. Indeed, there are translations that erase all memories of local history, precisely in the third stanza and even in editions Delrieu.
 
Menica Rondelly goes on disturbing.

J'ai trouvé une partition de musique de Nissa la bella avec l'indication "le grand succès de M. Pierre Lamy, ténor du Grand théâtre de Monte-Carlo". Ce chanteur semble avoir eu du succès dans les années 1920 à 1930 dans un répertoire de chansons françaises et provençales, mais je ne sais pas s'il y a eu un enregistrement. La gravure de la page de garde de la partition représente une niçoise assez aguichante dans un style qui tranche avec le costume "traditionnel" dans lesquel on avait l'habitude de les représenter.

Calen : oil lamp in metal with a hook that allows to hang it at various locations

Sincaïre : Bastion which was part of the city wall, with 5 sides (five Cairo, in language of Nice), high place of the  resistance of the siege of Nice with Catherine Segurane

In the first version there is also included an allusion to Rancher and the language of his mother.
 
Formely described as a serenade, in which Nice is a girl to whom the author declares somehow his love, the different known arrangements do not have changed the melody. I've found 3 versions  completely different and all  interesting.
See discography on this site

Voici les paroles de Nissa la Bella par Eugene Emanuel

Portraits of girls of Nice have inspired many artists. Edward Fer well known artist who lived in  Nice  was a friend of Menica Rondelly and had dedicaced one of his drawings representing a girl of Nice he had printed in card. 

Among persons  Menica appreciated there was Victoria Fer, sister of Edward Fer, singer at the Opera Theater of Nice, called the cicada of Nice. She had an international career. She lived Mont-Boron Boulevard in the house La Cigale and Menica printed a dedicace to Mrs Victoria Fer of the Opera, Regina Sigala of the Cansoun de Nissa-the-Bella (Queen of the cicadas of the song Nissa la bella).
).

Despite big financial difficulties , he managed to create a newspaper belonging to him, when the liberty of expression was real. So on 10 June 1900 he could finally print the Ratapignata (the bat), local, humorous, satirical newspaper, Litterary and funny, the organ of the true dialect of Nice  printed at Eynaudi and Goiran, small printer of Garibaldi Square. He was director for 12 years.
This choice was an ironic decline  in report with the episode of the famous Carnival of 1875  thatshowed bats disguised of skins of rabbits or cats and which had been pole mique, supporters of the return of Nice to the Kingdom of Italy chose Catherine Segurane car and the french chose  the car of bats, which had the effect of exacerbating the idea of the 2 camps. An picture of 1878 not signed shows at Cours Saleya the famous car with the carb of Eagle before and followed by that of Catherine Segurane is located in the musee Massena.
 
Some have written that the symbolic meaning of the bat is reverse of the eagle of the coat of arms of the city of Nice, it would have been so a sign against the symbol of Napoleon. The bat dominates nothing since it suspends. Thus, the Eagle dominating the three hills would illustrate the domination of the Savoy on the country  and the bat would represent liberty and separatism of inhabitants of Nice, such as Garibaldi did. It may be noted  anyway that finally, the symbol has changed its side.
 
It is possible that there were several reasons explaining the choice of this title rather original. Indeed, the Ratapignata is a place especially well known of inhabitants of Nice since there is the ratapignata cave at Falicon, some kilometers from Gairaut that Menica Rondelly knew  well as the family of his mother was born here. This cave had been discovered or rather  re-discovered by Domenico Rossetti who had devoted a poem in Italian the grotta di Monte-Calvo in 1804. Then, he noticed yet  bats. With enthousiam for speleology in the Alpes-maritimes at the end of the XIXth century, the cave was the subject of a new interest.
 
The cave continues to be the subject of publications. I will quote the book the pyramid of Falicon and the cave of the ratapignataprinted in 2008 by Catherine Ungar, Pierre Beny and Yann Duvivier at the Institut de prehistoire et d'archéologie des Alpes Maritimes (Mémoire IPAAM).
 
I could not examine the first issues of this newspaper to learn more on the subject, but I do not desperate on day to have the opportunity to consult them.
 
The drawing which illustrated the newspaper changed several times.

Si l'on veut éviter de lire toutes sortes de romances au sujet de l'aige de Nice, l'on pourra se reporter à l'article de Laurent RIPART (Université Savoie-Mont Blanc) "le manuscrit de Nice". Ce texte de 2015 décrit le manuscrit conservé aux archives municipales de Nice sous la cote AA9 qui est un des exemplaires du XVe siècle des STATUTA SABAUDIAE et que l'on peut lire sur le site https://www.academia.edu/. La photo de la page où se trouve ce blason figure en annexe de l'article. 

Blason de la ville de Nice peint à droite sur la façade du couvent de la visitation Place Sainte-Claire dans le vieux-Nice,
au-dessus de la porte d'entrée

(le blason qui se trouve à gauche de la porte est celui de Monseigneur Lefebvre qui a été repeint à la place de celui de Saint François de Sales!)

Ce blason de l'OGC Nice a été réalisé par Nadège Gesvres en mosaïque (site : http://www.gesvres-nadege.com/)

The reputation of the newspaper was great and his influence was evident. The inhaabitants of Nice knew well this journal. Indeed, they called "la ratapinata" the glider experienced in 1901 by Captain Ferdinand Ferber, aviation pioneer, on the Hill of Mount Boron.
 
Anyway, Menica Rondelly had no aversion to the Eagle of the flag since often found in his newspaper and in a poem per ecusson l'aigla che doù siel domina mar, mountagna e li pu auti sima (Poem in the book of Carolus, page 56). Moreover, he illustrates willingly his articles with this ecusson  (particularly for the poem Nissa!, page 32 of Un Pessuc of Souveni Nissart)
 
His political commitment, given its strong love for 2 major symbols that were a part Garibaldi and on the other hand Catherine Segurane, allows makes easily appear his regionalists ideas without knowing exactlyhis preferences. He never speaks of "re-attachment" to France, but rather annexation.
his fidelity to his hero Garibaldi drew him to defend republican ideas of France, without abandoning the particularism or Nice.
 
A book has been recently devoted to the  journal (la Ratapignata, un périodique populaire en  dialecte nissart;) Christine Bovari, 2002 Serre Publisher).
Another author has written about this subject is André La presse dialectale niçoise au 19 è siècle (articles since 1955? till 1957 available on the site http://www.nicehistorique.org/). It is a pity that he stopped just before the begining of the Ratapignatal.
On internet you can also read  on the site cahiers de la méditerrannéea very good text by Suzanne Cervera  on the press of Nice at the Belle époque (Suzanne Cervera, Antimodernisme et rejets dans la presse niçoise de la belle époque cahiers de la méditerrannée, vol 74, Les crises dans l'histoire des Alpes-maritimes, 2007, [Online], online November 14, 2007.) URL: http://cdlm.revues.org/document2373.html)
 
I could not examine the first issuess of this journal in the archives , but by examining the pages - it is unlikely that the bad quality of the paper used - can be pointed out that the content was enough heteroclite.
 
According to the topic, and according to which it is addressed, the language used was either Nice or either french. There are all kinds of articles, more or less political, more or less satirical, poems, texts of songs, etc.
 
Often, the topic is nostalgia of the past, fear the language get forgotten un giou vendra che noun s'audera plus parla la lengo armounia dai nouastre dieu  (28 April 1901 La preghiera di Nissa, Ratapignata), destroy  houses and trees , but also that the inhabitants who can no longer find any work and that they feel more at home. Nissa ai Nissart (Nice for the inhabitants of Nice)) by Flaminius Raiberti, famous politician has been printed several times just under the title in language of Nice or in french.
 
This publication is a mixure of  jokes, informations, and advertising for nice advertisers whowere a financial support. He then willingly put his art in the service of the product to be sent.
All this would willingly believe he was a kind of grio , able to improvise on anything to glorify the culture of Nice.
 
Many newspapers in language of Nice since 1880 in Nice. The most original were Le Chacapan (the man whose job was to capture stray dogs), la ramassa (the broom), la rascalda (??), le mesclun//. The satirical form allowed at the same time to continue using the  language of Nice and stand up for ideas  in a humorous tone without being treated as a separatist, thanks to humour

This journal was first used to spread the songs he composed, either published in newspapers, either original. A non-exhaustive list of songs published in the Ratapignata in 1905 and 1906:
 

•     La cansoun dai reproci (4- 11 March 1906 and 17-24 February 1907) 
  

•     La bella pouti...na! (Edition 5-12 February 1905 and 1-8 April 1906) with a design of a policeman or an officer of the customs who calls out to a fishmonger. The journal Lou sourgentin has  printed an article  Menica Rondelly e lou çef doù dassi by Raoul Nathiez in the issue 180 which deals with customs and taxes. This article tells in different issues of the journal ratapignata in august and September 1901 (N° 52, 53, 54 and 55) about the dishonesty of the chief of customs.
•     The song of policemen in Nice (printed on the 19-26 November 1905 issue), dedicaced to the brave Mr. Cioà Boissière, central policeman of the city of Nice. In this song Menica laughs at police officers.
•     Sea Urchin of Nice (printed on 17-24 December 1905)
•     The song of the bowl(printed on June 24 - July 1, 1906)
•     The song of the flag ( 1-8 October 1905 issue and 21-28 May 1905))
•     The Mount-Boron song (issue 1-8 October 1905)
•     The song of the cat(issue of the 27 august - 3 september 1905)
•     The song of no feet(issue May 28 - June 4, 1905)
•     The song of pressieri (2-9 April 1905 )
•     The estocafic song ( 1-8 January 1905 and 3-10 June 1906)
•     The Feast of San-Bertomieu (19-26/3/1905)
•     The song of the flowers(16-23 April 1905 )
•     The song of the butcher ( 9-16 April 1905 )
•     The song of the sellers of Nice ( 26 February-5 March 1905)
•     The Mimi Pinson song (10-17 September 1905 )
•     The song of the Republic (22-29 July 1906 )
•     The song of July the 14th (14 July 1904 )
•     The song of the Cote d'Azur (21-28 January 1906 )
•     The song of the pistou soup ( 9-16 December 1906)
•     The song of the fashionable girl of Nice( 7-14 January 1906-24 february and 7march 1907)
•     The song of the raiola(18-25 February 1906 and 15-22 July 1906)
•     The song of hairdresser(15-22 April 1906-28 October-4 November 1906)
•     The song of the candidate(18-23 March 1906 )

•     The song of the pub of Cimiez (July 23, 1905), dedicaced to fine Sylvestre Rocchesani. Visibly ordered by the director of the pub,  the song is an advertising : the piano, the menu, and even the way to go there by bus .
•     The song of Campari (5-12 November 1905 ), dedicaced  to Mr. J - B, Girelli, Distiller and political man of the district of East Township. This song to the glory of the drink is on the first page with as footnotes an advertsing for Bitter Campari
•     The song of Rubens beer (16-23 July 1905 ), dedicaced to the Director, Mr Ch. Preisig.

•     Novel of the priest (7-14 October 1906 )
•     The love of the husband ( 28 august-4 September 1904)
•     From Nice to Caprera. Serialized ( 11-8 February 1906, 18-25 February 1906, 1-8 April 1906, 13-20 may 1906, and 8-15 July 1906)

2 songs are classified in a particular registry:

•     La cansoun of the greva dai implegat dai trambalan (song of the strike of the employees of the tramway, 28 June 1904). A strike began on June 18, 1904 after disciplinary actions against some employees by the managers. Protests followed which quickly became riots in particular after some talks of the Director. Tram cars were broken and arrests followed. Demonstrations continued daily until 22 June 1904, when policemen where asked to fire the crowd. About 100 Shots were done  and many people, demonstrators or onlookers, were retrieved to the hospital. It seems that there were no deads but injured people  including a child of 16 years. Further arrests followed

• The lament for the miners of Courrieres published in the issue of March 25, 1906  after the largest disaster in France in a mine of coal in the Pas-de-Calais (compagnie des mines of Courrieres) which made around 1200 dead on 10 March 1906. This event had important political consequences everywhere in France.

 
One of his  preferred subject was his aversion against the policemen in Nice. Indeed, the subject is often through the songs but also in everyday life, and he does not deprive to mock. For instance, on 14 July 1901 with the first page and half of the second devoted to policemen.
 
His major idea was the feeling that the inhabitants of Nice were no longer in their land since the annexation,. therefore, the slogan Nissa ai nissart (Nice for the habitants of Nice) often printed with large letters in his newspaper (Issue 6-13 May 2006 and January 13, 1901) or although just under the title, in french and language of Nice. He expressed in a style bitter, ironic, direct, powerful then, far from the romantic style of his songs.

In the issue  of January 13, 1901 he tells 2 stories:

•     That of a man who is looking for work at Vallauris and must begin a job on the next day. However, the director asked him where does he come from and as he said that he comes from Nice , he is answered that for him there will no work.
•     That of a trader in the industry  rich and influential who criticizes Nice and always says "sales niçois" while he gets a lot of money earned thanks to inhabitants of Nice and who do not want to hire inhabitants of Nice.

 
He could not admit the poverty of his fellow citizens. In one of his articles boom! miegiou! (September 1911 issue) he writes about old-Nice at noon and ends the article so and while everybody eat and drink and kiss, two poor disabled children go door to door asking the charity; a drawing is the illustration.
 
In the issue of April 28, 1901 in an article La preghiera de Nissahe prays to  ask the city of Nice  about inhabitants of Nice who will have to emigrate because in their own land they will not be able to find any work to earn their lives. Authorities must stand up and require that all which depend of the city will be 3/4 given to inhabitants of Nice and the rest to honnest foreign workers.
 
He got angry to protect his fellow citizens sometimes criticized by certain newspapers and by some foreign people(foreign or french...)
 
For instance in the issue of 26 May 1901 in a article "Lies! lies! "written in french to those who criticize the inhabitants of Nice (...)//

Since 1934 to 1936  Jouan Nicola, was at the head of the newspaper.
A third version of "La Ratapihata nova// was published since 1976 till 1979 under the direction of Jean-Luc Sauvaigo  with most of the texts in language of Nice and a few articles in french.
There was even a 4th version since 1986 till 1989.