Migration Turns Paris into the City of Music

Apparently, it's not simply La Secte Phonetik. In the Globalist:

Paris, France is not even included in the list of the world’s 20 largest cities, but the argument for its status of capital of world music is a strong one. Not only is there a strong native tradition of the chanson in Paris, but the City of Lights has welcomed luminaries from all over the globe to make music there...

Like New York, Los Angeles and London, Paris’ music scene has benefited greatly from an influx of immigrants. Many musicians have come from Francophone Africa and the Middle East.

Whether sunny or moody, the economical melodies of Brazilian pop music bear some similarities to the classic French chanson.

For instance, France’s top rapper is MC Solaar, a Senegal-born artist who moved to Paris and has seen his albums dominate French charts for over a decade.

Prominent rai/rock musician Rachid Taha was born in Algeria, grew up in Lyon — and has recorded much of his best work in Paris. His 1991 album, Barbes, was named after an immigrant-dominated section of Paris.