It’s always a bit tricky to give a young artist an award that bears the name
great glory of his art. Because, on the one hand, of course, it is always a
great honor, to be placed in the lineage of the best. But, on the other hand,
there is obviously a risk of feeling assigned, defined too early, too quickly, especially
for a young singer who, by definition, has not yet had time to explore
all the avenues for creativity that starts at the wheel.
And yet, without stopping at the risk of undermining the fragile magic of an artist
born by locking it too early in a tradition, I wanted to create this Prize
Barbara» on the occasion of this 2010 edition of a Fête de la musique «au
female”. I wished for two reasons.
First, because I absolutely wanted to pay tribute to the great singer
which today would have been 80 years old, almost day for, and whose melodies, texts
and the unforgettable voice has accompanied us for years, every day, who
belongs to our familiar universe to each, which has become a part of nousmêmes
and our emotions. Create an Award in her name, to her that disappeared already
13 years was almost the least we could do to make it more visible
this sensitive presence that has never left us.
At the same time, I didn’t want this award to be just a celebration
turned to the past, however eternal it may be. I wished that by rewarding a young
singer, author or composer for his first album, it constitutes a way
link all generations of talent. A way also to twist the
neck to some CASSANDRE who would have us believe in a supposed
«decline» of our culture, our French song and this song with text
who has worn the colours of our popular music all over the world.
Every year from now on, this award will celebrate two artists:
BARBARA, “as in herself eternity finally changes her,” and a young
French artist who, through his talent, can be affiliated with him. Each year, this young
artist will be as lit by the «black sun» of this large, lively skin that has
marked our sensitivity forever. And at the same time, each time I hope,
it is also BARBARA who will reappear a little, rejuvenated in the mirror of these voices
news. Each time, we will feel the movement and continuity of the
french song.
Of course, I could not give this «BARBARA award» and want to perpetuate
its living memory in its elective descendants, without gathering the
family of the singer. I think of her faithful pianist Gérard
DAGUERRE, to Liane FOLY, to Marie-Paule BELLE who dedicates her
last show, to his accomplice always Richard GALLIANO, I
think of Gérard DEPARDIEU, the unforgettable DAVID of «LILY PASSION»,
but also to each member of the jury who knew how to weave, as closely as possible, or
in a more indirect but equally intense way, an unwavering bond with
BARBARA…
I imagine that between all these outbreaks and explosions of young people
talent, the jury’s choice was not easy… And finally he stepped up
on a young artist who was the great revelation of the year 2009,
Carmen Maria VEGA.
«Carmen Maria VEGA»: can we imagine a name better predestined to
a great career as a singer? «Carmen», both singing and singing
charm… a Hispanic charm – for you who were born in
Guatemala – a tonic and tangy charm where the taste comes from
salutarily heckle what the charm might have too easy or
too smooth.
Dear Carmen, Valéry ZEITOUN from Label AZ was not mistaken, because
you renew the tradition of French song in many ways,
and probably first by your rhythmic biases and recourse to jazz
Manouche – in honour of this year’s celebration of the
centenary of the birth of Django REINHARDT. This «swing» gives
a new youth to the avatar of the realistic song you us
offer. I am thinking not only of the speed of the tempo, but also of the
changes of rhythm that embrace the inflections of your fables of
daily. They communicate to us a force that does good, a real
youth for the ears and for the body, invigorating like fresh air,
corrosive and caustic just the right thing to do. It’s your electric battery side.
which is, I must say, perfectly conductive...
lead in an exhilarating volubility, a bit like in the scat: not
need “antidepressants”, certainly, when you have the happiness of
listen to you, as you distribute energy on the fly and at full capacity
voice…!
You show us that, far from disappearing into the Other, the song
French is back enriched and revived by its detours by jazz, by the
rock or punk…
And as you marry influences, you unite sensitivities around
of you. "Carmen Maria Vega", these three names evoke, of course, a
collective, a meeting, a real group, which is often called, besides,
“Les Carmen”. Everyone is already indispensable to the show. Just
seeing them appear on stage, those big boys around their little sister,
this little ball of nerves who is also an actress born, to be
captivated, amused, fascinated.
Everyone is indispensable to all the ingredients of your success. I think
to Max LAVEGIE, your guitarist and your «pen», the author of these texts
tailored to reveal your presence and deploy all the
possibilities of this young woman of today, multiple and endearing, that
you play so well. There is also Alain ARNAUDET and his double bass
as well as Thomas’s flexible and impulsive battery
MILTEAU. I add Vincent CARPENTIER, Fred JAILLARD and Xavier
BUSSY the three directors of your album, whose work I salute.
With your musicians, dear Carmen, in a kind of alchemy
effervescent, it’s a bit like a perpetual “beef” caught on the spot,
in his spontaneous willingly rebel who disturbs without brutalizing, who
shakes our habits and moves melodic and musical lines.
Each time, they are also a bit like «stand-up» developing,
in music, improvised sketches, rich in fleeting satires and
hilarious twists. From the fable of the cuisto who gets beaten up
by the “new” with the waitress to the story of the fearful who
doesn’t want to go out at night for fear of insecurity and who ends up in the arms of
his paramedic, the audience loves these crazy stories you give him
in generous marathon tours. He wants more of this mix
surprising and amazing of charm and energy, of this character mixed
with the profile of the ideal «Andalusian» and with the insolence «Franchourde»
cleverly distanced…
But you’re also exploring other tones. So, in the
quieter and more sentimental moments, the accents of the great
love songs, as in «En attendant», which is a little already
your “Don’t leave me” or, back to BARBARA, your “Say
When will you come back?” to you.
Your visceral sense of the scene does not prevent you from
cutting-edge technologies, such as in the video for «The Liar»,
in its way of juxtaposing the real world and the
imaginary world, with you in the middle, like a demiurge of its own
communicative delusions… You reveal that you were
“the daughter of MITTERRAND”, I didn’t know which one you wanted to talk about,
but in any case, for me, it is clear, I adopt you! And even if you
refuse, it doesn’t matter, you can always continue to say
proudly: “I know people in the department”…
That’s it. It’s for your humour, your talent, because you know how to do
live the French song in a lively and original way, both in
the lineage of BARBARA and according to your own moving lines and
moving to you, that I am particularly happy, dear Carmen
Maria VEGA, to present you today, on the occasion of a Feast of the
Music under the sign of Women, this first «Barbara Prize»
of the song.
Thank you.
Address by Frédéric Mitterrand, Minister of Culture and Communication, on the occasion of the 1st Barbara Prize.
Madam Minister, dear Christine LAGARDE,Ladies and gentlemen of the jury of the BARBARA Prize,Ladies and gentlemen,Dear friends,
Published on 21.06.2010
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