French guitarist Sylvain Luc
© AFP Stan Honda

NEW YORK (AFP) - Lang took the microphone to announce Thursday's launch of "Make Music New York," based on his popular music program in France.

"We wish you good luck," the former French culture minister boomed to the packed stadium while standing on the field next to the Mets coach, after a musical prelude that included a performance by French guitarist Sylvain Luc.

Lang called the idea of launching the new program from a sports venue a "bold" move, adding that baseball to him was a curiosity. He posed next to the Mets mascot as a boy went about gathering autographs from the baseball players.

"Make Music New York" is the brainchild of a young New York entrepreneur and consists of 1,200 free concerts in the city by amateur and professional musicians.

"The fact it's taking place in New York is a milestone for Fete de la Musique," said Lang. "New York is New York. The cultural capital, an American but also European city, a city full of heart and spirit, which has suffered and has risen from its ashes; full of creativity, partly myth but also very real."

First seen in France, Fete de la Musique now takes place every June 21 in 340 cities around the world.

©AFP