“I’m very, very well, I’m in love!”: singer Renaud confides before his concert in Montpellier

Renaud's last appearance on a stage in Montpellier dates back to December 15, 2016 at the Zénith sud. Midi Libre – SYLVIE CAMBON

The singer Renaud, who continues his tour "Dans mes chords", will be on February 24 at the Berlioz opera in Montpellier and March 19 at the Amphitheater of Rodez. Started last year, this tour has already been the subject of a nice variation on a disc of the same name. Reignited by love, the singer agreed to share some secrets with Midi Libre.

How are you, Renaud, today ?

I'm very, very well, I'm happy, I'm in love, there's nothing better! And I'm on tour, and it's going divinely well.

Exactly, what motivated you to go back on tour ? You could have taken it easy, like a relaxed father!< /p>

I was starting to get a little bored, to tell the truth. It had been six years since I last filmed. I was missing my audience, who are wonderful, I wanted to see them again so I launched the idea of ​​going back on the road. And it’s going smoothly, great.

Who came up with the idea of ​​string accompaniment ?

It's my idea. I wanted to offer a new setting for my songs, my love songs, my poetic songs, my political songs too. I dreamed of a more classical, more symphonic accompaniment, and I think we found the right formula with two female quartets, violins, violas and cellos, who are fantastic, in addition to my pianist and my accordionist.

And listening to the disc already available confirms that it works really well. This accompaniment, and these arrangements, are perfect for your way of singing which is now closer, if you allow us, to slam…

Ah, you find ?… Well, I must admit that I am not a vocal singer, I never have been and I never will be. But I manage, I perform my songs, I've been doing this for almost fifty years, maybe I have a little experience!

How did you choose the songs that you were going to string together ?

I first chose among the songs that I prefer, even if they are not very well known to the general public, like Angling, As long as there are shadows or In your bag. I added the ones that my audience prefers like Knocked up, As soon as the wind blows, Morgane of you, this genre… and like the audience sings in chorus with me, I let them do it, because my audience is great.

You signed something like 250 songs, but what if you had to keep five ?

(Tit for tat) Mistral Winner, Knocked Up, His Blue, The Medal and… uh…< /p>

… and Lost heart, maybe ?

Yes, Coeur perdu, it's a song that I wrote following the breakup with Dominique, my first wife. On this tour, I sing it every evening because it's Cerise's favorite song, my partner, my future wife.

You are going to get married in May, that's right ?

Yes, in May.

How do you take our attention to you, which therefore extends to making us look forward to your future marriage ?

I don't know. Always, in my songs, I have told my moods, my love stories, my emotions, my anger… The public followed. Always. So much so that as soon as something important happens in my life, he asks for… fresh news.

And you are generous, you grant them to him (us)…

Yeah, I'm a bit shameless in that regard!

But a declaration of love is truly immodest! Does this inspire you, new songs ?

Yes, of course! I'm working on a new song for my Cerise. Cerise is her nickname, in reality her name is Christine. The first time I met her (six years ago on the set of the TV show Thank you Renaud, where she found herself sitting at her table Editor's note), she wore cherry-shaped earrings, and she still has them in fact. The public can meet her at my concerts at the merchandising stand: she sells her creations (accessories and clothing). She accompanies me on the whole tour, it's great.

Does this mean that you have enough to make a new disk ?

No, not yet. I hope for 2025.

This will be the year of your half-century of song. What does this inspire you ?

This tells me that the important thing in this profession is not to make a hit, it's to last. I managed to do that, to last, and I hope it will last… another fifty years!

What have you planned for your 50 candles ?

We are going to publish the sound and image recording of a very special concert that I gave at La Cigale, at the end of September 2007. A concert which lasted something like six hours. I had sung, I don’t remember, sixty or seventy songs! But no new album, no, no book in sight, for now.

After all that, it will finally be the holidays in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue ?

In L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue or in Nantes, we'll have to see. My fiancée is from Nantes, well she is from the Paris region but she has lived in Nantes for six years… After our marriage, we will probably live between Paris and Nantes… Ah, sorry, one more thing, I&# Think about it: make it clear that for the Montpellier concert, there will be my friend Bruno Granier, from Les Amis de Brassens, in the opening act. He will sing Brassens for thirty-five minutes, and it will be great!

In concert "In its strings" at the Berlioz opera, in Montpellier, on Saturday February 24 at 8 p.m. Also at the Rodez Amphitheater on Tuesday March 19 at 8 p.m. I subscribe to read more