Quebec impersonator David Corriveau goes straight to the semi-finals of France has incredible talentworn by Sugar Sammy’s Golden Buzzer.
“It was such an intense moment that I can’t even remember half of what happened. It’s too big, too strong an emotion. Even today I find it difficult to believe it,” breathes David Corriveau.
Tuesday’s broadcast of the show managed to rekindle memories of his time on the set of France Has Incredible Talent. The Quebecer arrived at the M6 studios last August with only one idea in mind: to impress the jury made up of Éric Antoine, Hélène Ségara, Marianne James and Sugar Sammy.
Celine Dion’s voice
For this purpose, David Corriveau had developed an act that combined imitation and technological processes. Thanks to artificial intelligence, he would take on Sugar Sammy’s facial features while mimicking the voice of… Celine Dion. So he created a perfect illusion of the comedian driving the sound to the melodies of “Pour que tu m’aimes encore” and “I’m Alive”.
“Imitating Celine Dion is a challenge in itself. But then when you add the whole technical side with artificial intelligence… let’s just say that takes me very, very far out of my comfort zone. I didn’t sleep for four nights; I was just thinking about my number, I was so worried,” he recalls.
David Corriveau borrowed the face of Sugar Sammy and the voice of Celine Dion during his audition for France Has Incredible Talent. Julien THEUIL / M6
But the game was worth it as Sugar Sammy quickly hit his Golden Buzzer to send David Corriveau straight to the semifinals. Everything was of course accompanied by the traditional explosion of golden confetti. And the imitator doesn’t hide the fact that he brought some of them back to Quebec as souvenirs.
“I felt like Michel Tremblay’s sisters-in-law with their stamps! I filled my pockets with these little papers and when I returned to Montreal I went to the wholesale bureau to have them laminated!” he exclaims, laughing.
Back to Paris
David Corriveau is expected in Paris in the coming days to put the finishing touches to the act he will present in the semi-finals. The stage will be filmed shortly. Although he has to keep quiet about the details for now, he says he has every intention of pushing his art “even further” to take the step that separates him from the grand finale.
Thereafter? The Quebecer makes no secret of his ambition to see his star shine under the skies of Paris in the more or less near future. A performance of his show 100 Counterfeits is already planned for our French cousins in October 2024.
“France has incredible talent, it is an extraordinary showcase for Europe and even elsewhere, internationally. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he says.
- The show 100 fakes is also expected on October 28, 2024 at the Place des Arts in Montreal.