The Sound Kitchen

• Breathing easier in Paris

  This week on The Sound Kitchen you’ll hear the answer to the question about the drop in pollution rates in Paris. There’s “On This Day” and “The Listener’s Corner” with Paul Myers, and plenty of good music. All that, and the new quiz and bonus questions too, so click the “Play” button above and enjoy!    Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winners' names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to [email protected] Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to [email protected] for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”. According to your score, you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is [email protected]  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. Another idea for your students: Br. Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English - that’s how I worked on my French, reading books that were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it’s a good method for improving your language skills. To get Br. Gerald’s free books, click here.Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni ([email protected]) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me ([email protected]) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!This week’s quiz: On 12 April I asked you a question about the drop in air pollution in Paris. That week, Airparif, an independent group that tracks air quality, reported that between 2005 and 2024, levels in Paris of the two most harmful air pollutants – fine particles and nitrogen dioxide – fell by 55 percent and 50 percent respectively.You were to re-read our article “Air pollution in Paris region 'cut in half' over the past 20 years” and send in the answer to this question: According to Airparif, what are the policies that led to the reduction in Paris’ pollution? What are some of the concrete steps that were taken?The answer is, to quote our article: “Antoine Trouche, an engineer at Airparif, told France Inter radio that several concrete steps had made a difference.These included ‘the Euro emissions standards, taxation of industrial pollutant emissions, and increased public transport and cycling infrastructure’.He also pointed to ‘the replacement of diesel vehicles with petrol and electric vehicles.’”In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by Jayanta Chakrabarty from New Delhi, India: “Suppose you find an old magical lamp which when rubbed a genie appears and tells you he will fulfill one wish. What would your wish be?”Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us! The winners are: RFI English listener Malik Allah Bachaya Khokhar, the president of the Sungat Radio Listeners Club in Muzaffargarh, Pakistan. Malik is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations on your double win, Malik.Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Ramu Reddy, a member of the RFI Pariwar Bandhu SWL Club in Chhattisgarh, India, and RFI Listeners Club members Sardar Munir Akhter from Punjab, Pakistan, as well as Deekay Dimple from Assam, India.Last but not least, RFI English listener Ataur Rahman Ranju, the president of the Alokito Manush Cai International Radio Listeners Club in Rangpur, Bangladesh.Congratulations, winners!Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme:  “Free Wheelin’” by Thierry Durbet and Laurent Thierry-Meig; “Arc en Ciel 3” by Philippe Bestion; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Un Nuit à Paris” by Kevin Godley and Lol Cream, performed by 10cc.Do you have a music request? Send it to [email protected] week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “France hosts summit to lure scientists threatened by US budget cuts”, which will help you with the answer.You have until 9 June to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 14 June podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.Send your answers to:[email protected] OwensbyRFI – The Sound Kitchen80, rue Camille Desmoulins92130 Issy-les-MoulineauxFranceClick here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.   

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• Marine Le Pen’s penal sentence

  This week on The Sound Kitchen you’ll hear the answer to the question about Marine Le Pen’s full embezzlement sentence. There’s “The Listener’s Corner” with Paul Myers, Ollia Horton’s “Happy Moment”, and Erwan Rome’s “Music from Erwan” – all that, and the new quiz and bonus questions too, so click the “Play” button above and enjoy!  Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winners' names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to [email protected] Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to [email protected] for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”. According to your score, you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is [email protected]  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. Another idea for your students: Br. Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English - that’s how I worked on my French, reading books that were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it’s a good method for improving your language skills. To get Br. Gerald’s free books, click here.Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni ([email protected]) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me ([email protected]) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!This week’s quiz: On 3 April I asked you a question about Marine Le Pen, the president of the far-right French party the National Rally (RN). She, along with eight other RN Parliament members, was judged guilty of embezzling 4.4 million euros in European Union funds to pay France-based RN party staff who worked only for the RN and not on EU issues.Le Pen and her fellow lawmakers have been banned from running for office for five years. This ban, which had previously been a rare sentence, has become commonplace since the Sapin 2 law was adopted in 2016, which made it the standard sentence for cases involving the embezzlement of public funds and was roundly supported by RN lawmakers – until now.You were to re-read our article “RN leader Le Pen battles for political future after embezzlement conviction”, and send in the answer to this question: Aside from the ban on running for office, what else was included in Le Pen’s sentence?The answer is, to quote our article: “Le Pen was also sentenced to four years' imprisonment, two of which will be served under an electronic bracelet, and a fine of 100,000 euros.”In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by the late Muhammad Shamim who lived in Kerala State, India: "Would you rather be rich but not famous, or famous but not rich?"   Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us! The winners are: RFI English listener Lata Akhter Jahan, the co-president of the Sonali Badhan Female Listeners Club in Bogura, Bangladesh. Lata is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations, Lata, on your double win.Also on the list of lucky winners this week are RFI Listeners Club members Shaira Hosen Mo from Kishoreganj, Bangladesh; Nasyr Muhammad from Katsina State, Nigeria; John Yemi Sanday Turay from Freetown, Sierra Leone, and last but not least, Saleha, who is also a member of the International Radio Fan and Youth Club in Khanewal, Pakistan.Congratulations, winners!Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme:  “Les Jardins de L’Alhambra” by Gérard Torikian; “Stacatto” by René Aubry; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer; “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, and “Aýa döndi” by Nuri Halmamedov and Mahtumkuli, performed by baritone Atageldi Garýagdyýew.Do you have a music request? Send it to [email protected] week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “How French women won, and used, their right to vote in 1945”, which will help you with the answer.You have until 2 June to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 5 June podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.Send your answers to:[email protected] OwensbyRFI – The Sound Kitchen80, rue Camille Desmoulins92130 Issy-les-MoulineauxFranceClick here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.   

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• New markets for Bordeaux wine

  This week on The Sound Kitchen you’ll hear the answer to the question about the French wine crisis. There’s “The Listener’s Corner” with Paul Myers, Erwan Rome’s “Music from Erwan”, and the new quiz and bonus questions too, so click the “Play” button above and enjoy!  Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winners' names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to [email protected] Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to [email protected] for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”. According to your score, you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is [email protected]  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. Another idea for your students: Br. Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English - that’s how I worked on my French, reading books that were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it’s a good method for improving your language skills. To get Br. Gerald’s free books, click here.Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni ([email protected]) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me ([email protected]) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!We have new RFI Listeners Club members, Jocelyne D’Errico, a Frenchwoman who lives in New Zealand, and Alexander Konak from Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.Welcome Jocelyne, welcome Alexander!  So glad you have joined us!You too can be a member of the RFI Listeners Club – just write to me at [email protected] and tell me you want to join, and I’ll send you a membership number. It’s that easy. When you win a Sound Kitchen quiz as an RFI Listeners Club member, you’ll receive a premium prize.This week’s quiz: On 29 March, I asked you a question about RFI English journalist Jan van der Made’s article “France’s wine industry is in crisis. Can this Nigerian consultant save it?”Not only are people drinking less wine – sales are down and so are exports – but there are the 200 percent tariffs threatened by US President Donald Trump. But Chinedu Rita Rosa, whom Jan profiled in his article, thinks she has the solution.You were to send in the answer to this question: What is Chinedu Rita Rosa’s solution for the troubled French wine industry?The answer is, as Rosa told Jan: “It's time to find alternatives to the US and China, in countries such as Brazil, India and Africa ... French wine producers should have a deep understanding of the culture and tastes of new markets and adjust their products and marketing strategies accordingly. ‘You have to meet people, learn about their tastes, and adapt accordingly.’”In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by Sadman Shihab Shahorier, the co-chairman of the Source of Knowledge Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh: “What is your most vivid childhood memory?” Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us! The winners are: RFI English listener Tasmaul Akhter Nazma, the general secretary of the Sonali Badhan Female Listeners Club in Bogura, Bangladesh. Tasmaul is also this week’s bonus question winner. Congratulations, Tasmaul, on your double win!Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Ferhat Bezazel, the president of the RFI Butterflies Club Ain Kechera in West Skikda, Algeria, and Abiha Fatima, a member of the RFI Online Visitors Club in Sahiwal, Pakistan. There’s Naved Raiyan, the president of the RFI Fan Club in West Bengal, India, and last but not least, RFI English Listener Mampi Paul, also from West Bengal.Congratulations, winners!Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Wildlife of Tanzania” by Wuji; “Paris Cafe Ambience”; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Mount Harissa” from the Far East Suite by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, performed by the Duke Ellington Orchestra.  Do you have a music request? Send it to [email protected] week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “What happens now after the death of Pope Francis?”, which will help you with the answer.You have until 19 May to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 24 May podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.Send your answers to:[email protected] OwensbyRFI – The Sound Kitchen80, rue Camille Desmoulins92130 Issy-les-MoulineauxFranceClick here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.   

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• Zimbabwe’s supremo swimmer

  This week on The Sound Kitchen you’ll hear the answer to the question about the seven-time Olympic medallist Kirsty Coventry. There’s “The Listener’s Corner” with Paul Myers, Erwan Rome’s “Music from Erwan”, and the new quiz and bonus questions too, so click the “Play” button above and enjoy!  Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winners' names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to [email protected] Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to [email protected] for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”. According to your score, you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is [email protected]  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. Another idea for your students: Br. Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English - that’s how I worked on my French, reading books that were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it’s a good method for improving your language skills. To get Br. Gerald’s free books, click here.Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni ([email protected]) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me ([email protected]) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!We have new RFI Listeners Club members, Jocelyne D’Errico, a Frenchwoman who lives in New Zealand - and Alexander Konak from Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.Welcome Jocelyne, welcome Alexander!  So glad you have joined us!You too can be a member of the RFI Listeners Club – just write to me at [email protected] and tell me you want to join, and I’ll send you a membership number. It’s that easy. When you win a Sound Kitchen quiz as an RFI Listeners Club member, you’ll receive a premium prize.This week’s quiz: On 22 March,I asked you a question about Paul’s article “Zimbabwe's aspiring Olympics supremo Coventry targets development of athletes”, which profiled seven-time Olympic medalist Kirsty Coventry, the most decorated African in the 129-year history of the Games.Kirsty Coventry was one of the candidates vying for the presidency of the International Olympic Committee, which was decided a few days after the podcast … and she won! She’s the first woman, and the first African, to hold the post. Congratulations Ms. Coventry!You were to send in a list of the medals the swimmer won, along with the dates of the Games in which she won them.The answer is, to quote Paul: “… in 2004 at the Athens Games, she won gold in the 200m backstroke, silver in the 100m backstroke and bronze in the 200m individual medley.In Beijing in 2008, she retained her backstroke title and claimed silver again in the 100m backstroke as well as silvers in the 200 and 400m individual medley.”In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by Alan Holder from England’s Isle of Wight. His question was: “Do you believe that people have a sixth sense - that is, an ability to know something without using the ordinary five senses of smell, sight, taste, hearing, and touch?  Can you recall any personal experiences to justify your belief?”Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us! The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Dipita Chakrabarty. Dipita is also this week’s bonus question winner. Congratulations, Dipita, on your double win!Also on the list of lucky winners this week are RFI Listeners Club member Bidhan Chandra Sanyal from West Bengal, India, and Paresh Hazarika, a member of the RFI United Listeners Club in Assam, India. Last but not least, there are RFI English listeners Khondaker Rafiqul Islam from Naogaon, Bangladesh, and Ahmad, who’s a member of the International Radio Fan and Youth Club in Khanewal, Pakistan.Congratulations, winners!Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Koud Min” by Aurélien Chambaud and Yon Kalawang; “Hip Hotheads” by Rick Braun; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and Antonio Vivaldi’s Bassoon Concerto in a minor, RV 499, performed by Daniel Smith with the English Chamber Orchestra conducted by Philip Ledger.Do you have a music request? Send it to [email protected] week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read Paul Myers’ article “Nobel prize-winning author Mario Vargas Llosa dies aged 89”, which will help you with the answer.You have until 12 May to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 17 May podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.Send your answers to:[email protected] OwensbyRFI – The Sound Kitchen80, rue Camille Desmoulins92130 Issy-les-MoulineauxFranceClick here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.   

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• Europe’s leading military powers

  This week on The Sound Kitchen you’ll hear the answer to the question about European military powers. You’ll hear about recent concerts featuring the music of JS Bach, as well as “The Listener’s Corner” with Paul Myers and Erwan Rome’s “Music from Erwan". All that and the new quiz and bonus questions too, so click the “Play” button above and enjoy!  Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winners' names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to [email protected] Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to [email protected] for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”. According to your score, you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is [email protected]  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. Another idea for your students: Br. Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English - that’s how I worked on my French, reading books that were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it’s a good method for improving your language skills. To get Br. Gerald’s free books, click here.Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni ([email protected]) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me ([email protected]) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!We have new RFI Listeners Club members, all members of a student radio club in West Bengal, India, headed up by their teacher, Ratan Kumar Paul. Join me in a hearty welcome to new members Deep Paul, Dilip Meta, Sima Pal, and Rimil Paul, with of course, their teacher, Ratan Kumar Paul.Welcome, one and all! So glad you have joined us!You too can be a member of the RFI Listeners Club – just write to me at [email protected] and tell me you want to join, and I’ll send you a membership number. It’s that easy. When you win a Sound Kitchen quiz as an RFI Listeners Club member, you’ll receive a premium prize.This week’s quiz: On 15 March, I asked you a question about our article “Macron hosts European military chiefs to discuss Ukraine security guarantees”. French President Emmanuel Macron had just met with defense ministers from Europe's five main military powers for talks on the "necessary rearmament of Europe", as well as military support to Ukraine, according to one of the French defense minister's aides.You were to send in the answer to this question: Which five countries are Europe’s main military powers? The answer is: France, Britain, Germany, Italy, and Poland. In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “Which is more important, talent or hard work?”Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us! The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Helmut Matt from Herbolzheim, Germany. Helmut is also this week’s bonus question winner. Congratulations, Helmut, on your double win!Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Hasina Zaman Hasi, a member of the RFI Amour Fan Club in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, and RFI Listeners Club members Solomon Fessahazion from Asmara, Eritrea, Karobi Hazarika from Assam, India, and Samir Mukhopadhyay from West Bengal, India.Congratulations, winners!Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: The Adagio from the Concerto for Violin and Oboe, BWV 1060 by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed by violinist Nemanja Radulovic, oboist Sébastien Giot, and the Double Sens Ensemble; “Herr, unser Herrscher”  (“Lord, our Ruler”) from the St John Passion, BWV 245 by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed by the Netherlands Bach Society conducted by Jos van Veldhoven; Czardas by Vittorio Monti, performed by Nemanja Radulovic with the Chamber Orchestra of Cannes, conducted by Didier Benetti; the Allegro from the Violin Concerto in d minor, BWV 1052R by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed by Nemanja Radulovic and the Double Sens Ensemble; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; the theme music from "I Dream of Jeannie" by Hugo Montenegro; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and traditional Greenland Inuit Chants and Drums. Do you have a music request? Send it to [email protected] week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “Air pollution in Paris region 'cut in half' over the past 20 years”, which will help you with the answer.You have until 5 May to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 10 May podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.Send your answers to:[email protected] OwensbyRFI – The Sound Kitchen80, rue Camille Desmoulins92130 Issy-les-MoulineauxFranceClick here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.   

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