PARIS | In four decades of his career, Patrick Bruel has never given a single Christmas concert. But he is preparing to remedy the situation by taking the stage at the Maison Symphonique with the collaborative show Parapapam. “I like to step out of my comfort zone. And since Montreal is synonymous with daring for me, it makes sense that I take on this challenge here,” says the singer.
Some artists make it a point to lend their voices to countless Christmas classics as soon as the first snowflakes hit the ground. But not Patrick Bruel. He certainly knows and appreciates some of them, but the idea of revisiting them on stage or on record didn’t necessarily come naturally to the Frenchman.
“Christmas shows are not a French tradition; It’s much more North American,” explains the singer, who met Le Journal in a chic Parisian restaurant.
“So I don’t have that culture of Christmas carols. I know a few, some I listen to when the holidays come, but it remains a challenge to take part in a show like Parapapam. And that’s the exciting thing,” continues Patrick Bruel.
That’s why he will appear together with Mario Pelchat, Marie-Josée Lord and Vladimir Kornéev on the stage of the Maison symphonique de Montréal, where the four singers – accompanied by a hundred musicians and choristers – will revisit the greatest titles of the holidays. Some of them are of course performed as soloists, while others are thematized in duets or group numbers.
As Bruel revisits Carey
Among the titles to which he will lend his voice, Patrick Bruel recalls classics such as Petit Papa Noël, The Prayer, Happy Xmas (War Is Over) and even the infallible All I Want for Christmas Is You, borrowed from Mariah Carey.
“Petit Papa Noël is already a very sweet song, but I will try to make it even more intimate. And Mariah Carey’s is very cool, that’s why she comes back every year. So I have to try to read it again a little differently. “I can’t wait to see what it will bring,” he says, visibly feverish.
A “very worrying” conflict
The festive atmosphere promised by Parapapam will also bring a little lightness and peace – if only for one evening – to a world torn by conflicts around the world. Laughing naturally, Patrick Bruel takes a more serious tone when discussing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict currently unfolding in the Middle East in an interview.
“It’s very worrying,” he says thoughtfully.
“Despite everything, we have to move forward. We are here to make people smile and do good. That is my mission. But we also can’t pretend that everything that’s happening isn’t happening; We are there, we are the witness. It’s no longer about being an artist or a political commentator; We are all human, we have to put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward,” he continues.
Back in 2024?
From February he will start a new European tour to France, Switzerland and Luxembourg. If a date is not yet scheduled on Quebec soil, fans can rest assured: Patrick Bruel is currently reviewing his schedule for the development of a part that will pass through the province of La Belle.
“Quebec and I have a long, beautiful and very moving history. “So I’m definitely thinking about when I can make my traditional stopover with you as part of this tour,” he assures with a smile.
- The show Parapapam will be presented at the Maison symphonique de Montréal from December 8th to 10th.