CABARET
By EnfantSottoVoce
Meaning
This song is a French rendition of the opening number from the musical Cabaret, and it paints the cabaret as a dazzling, slightly chaotic world of spectacle, risk, and entertainment. The tone is playful and inviting on the surface, but there is also a satirical edge: it presents performers like lion tamers, wrestlers, dancers, and boxers as if anything can be turned into a show. For a language learner, it is interesting because the repeated commands like “entrez” create a theatrical, persuasive rhythm, while the lyrics also use exaggerated descriptions to evoke the flashy, permissive atmosphere of a cabaret. Even through the imperfect transcription, the song clearly celebrates performance, glamour, and the strange freedom of the stage.
About EnfantSottoVoce
EnfantSottoVoce appears to be the children’s choir Chœur d'Enfants Sotto Voce, a French choir based at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. The ensemble is led by American artistic director Scott Alan Prouty and is known for a wide repertory that mixes classical music, Broadway-style musical theatre, jazz, and French chanson. Sources describe it as one of the leading children’s choirs in France, and it has performed at major venues in France and abroad.
"Choeur d'Enfants Sotto Voce: CABARET" seems to refer to the choir’s Cabaret-style performance or signature piece rather than a single standalone pop song. The choir’s own press materials mention "Cabaret Sotto Voce" as a favorite piece, and French press has described it as something the children helped stage themselves. Based on the available sources, it is part of Sotto Voce’s theatrical, musical-theatre-inspired repertoire, connected to the broader cabaret tradition and to the choir’s performance identity rather than a widely documented commercial release.
Line highlights
"bienvenue dans notre cabaret"
This means “welcome to our cabaret.” It immediately sets an inviting, host-like tone, as if the singer is greeting the audience into a special world.
"n'importe quel animal"
Literally “any animal,” this suggests that the cabaret offers all kinds of acts and surprises. The phrase helps learners notice how French uses n'importe quel to mean “any” in a broad, casual way.
"entrez entrez messieurs d'ames"
This repeated invitation means “come in, ladies and gentlemen.” It is a classic stage phrase and captures the performative, welcoming style of French entertainment language.
"le bel univers enchanté"
This means “the beautiful enchanted world.” The phrase gives the cabaret a dreamlike, magical quality, even though the surrounding lyrics hint at chaos and spectacle.
"applaudissez en liberté"
Literally “applaud freely,” this line encourages the audience to react without restraint. It reflects the lively, interactive atmosphere of a cabaret show.
"complètement gratuit"
This means “completely free.” In context, it sounds like a flashy promise to tempt the audience in, which adds a humorous, sales-like quality to the lyrics.
Lyrics preview (French with English translation)
- Bienvenue dans notre Welcome to our
- Cabaret, simplement cabaret Cabaret, simply cabaret
- International qui montre, vous verrez International, which shows you, you will see
- N'importe quel animal, des châteaux, des Any animal, castles, and
- Panthères et même des dromadaires, des Panthers and even camels, of
- Clôt des acrobats, un grand numéro musical At the close, acrobats, a big musical number
- Vous, la dompteuse qui ne craint pas les lions You, the lion tamer who is not afraid of lions
- Entrez, entrez, messieurs, dames, vous Come in, come in, ladies and gentlemen, you
Play the song above for the full karaoke-synced lyrics with line-by-line translation.