Enrico Macias, at the age of 84 and a half, has no plans to retire and pursues his musical career with passion, celebrating six decades dedicated to promoting peace and love through his songs. The artist fervently expresses his attachment to his profession: “What fills me the most in life is to exercise my art as a singer, devoting myself with delight to music and embracing the scene with enthusiasm”. Macias delivers with sincerity as he finds himself in the middle of a memorial tour.
Beginning his “last tour” through France, Enrico Macias, icon of Arab-Andalusian music, stopped at the Palais des Congrès in Paris last Sunday. This journey, which began a year ago, has already taken the artist to Lyon, Lille and Marseille, and will soon take him to Nantes and Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy. The 84-year-old singer expresses his gratitude to life and his audience, which infuses him with the energy to continue performing on stage.
For more than 60 years, Enrico Macias has been spreading a message of peace and brotherhood through his songs. With more than 150 titles to his credit, he marked French-speaking song and popularized Arab-Andalusian music. Born in Constantine, Algeria, the Jewish artist lived a youth marked by violence and the trauma of the assassination of his father-in-law Cheikh Raymond Leyris, who had introduced him to music, in 1961 in the middle of the war. ‘independence.
Arriving in France under the name of Enrico Macias, Gaston Ghrenassian, born on December 13, 1938, experienced unexpected success in the midst of the yé-yé wave. His first songs, such as Paris, you took me in your arms, The girls of my country et Poï Poï Poï, met with great success despite a stylistic shift. His commitment to peace and fraternity earned him the appointment of Ambassador to the United Nations in 1997.
In the twilight of his career, Enrico Macias wishes to send a message of hope to his audience, encouraging them to never give up in the face of life’s trials.
Celebrating his 30-year career on the prestigious stage of Carnegie Hall in New York, Enrico Macias continued his triumphant journey at the Royal Albert Hall in London three years later. For his “last tour”, the artist envisages a show retracing the tempo of a day, from dawn to dusk. His son Jean-Claude conceived this idea, starting with the first successes of Enrico Macias in a music-hall atmosphere and ending in apotheosis with the bewitching sounds of Arab-Andalusian music.
A few years ago, the new generation of artists, including Carla Bruni, Cali, Corneille and Natasha Saint-Pier, hailed the singer’s talent by performing his greatest hits as a duet. As for Macias, he remains attentive to new emerging talents, emphasizing the importance of originality and innovation in music. He recalls that public support is essential and sacred for any artist.
Despite his desire to return to Algeria, Enrico Macias had to give up on several occasions due to the systematic opposition of part of the political class, which reproaches him for his support for Israel. Nevertheless, the artist remains hopeful and declares that he will seize the opportunity to return to his native land if destiny allows it.
Thus, Enrico Macias pursues his “last tour” with determination, wishing to sing until his last breath and to transmit a message of hope and fraternity through his music.
With AFP
