The comedian, who left France Inter last May to support Guillaume Meurice, defends his new show on stage “Exodus(es)”. A regular at the Arabesques festival, he is scheduled to perform there on Sunday, September 22. Djamil did not join the Meurice team on Nova, preferring to concentrate on his personal projects.
You don’t want to talk about it anymore, but still, you were under media fire last May when you resigned live on France Inter to support Guillaume Meurice. How do you feel now?
Very good. I feel in great shape physically, and also mentally, emotionally. It’s a deliberate decision. I’ve already been fired from previous jobs, it sucks. But when you’re the one jumping ship, it’s not the same thing.
Guillaume Meurice joined Radio Nova. That’s where you started. What makes you not be found there? After all, there’s Pierre-Emmanuel Barré or Aymeric Lompret. It’s becoming a landmark for former France Inter employees.
That’s true. But now, I have other projects, otherwise of course, Guillaume and the rest of the team asked me to come. It was discussed at the beginning of the show but for now I prefer to focus on my projects. But I’m not closing the door. It’s quite possible that I’ll end up there one day. But the new podcast and the new show. That’s a lot of work!
This is not the first time you come to Montpellier. What does it mean to you to be programmed in a festival that highlights Arab cultures?
That’s good, I’m from these parts. It’s perfect timing (laughs). This isn’t the first time I’ve come to the festival. I’m very attached to my country of origin, Morocco. I was born in France, but my parents and brothers and sisters were born there. When I was very young, I spoke the language and was immersed in the dual culture. So, I’ve remained very attached to the Arab-Berber culture. And then Montpellier is a city where I studied.
Ah good ?
And yes, there are some little scoops (laughs). I spent a year at Paul Valéry University. In 2004, I tried my hand at sociology. It’s a city with which I have many ties. I’ve kept lots of contacts.
And you didn’t stay?
I was looking for a work-study BTS and I didn’t find a company. I had to change regions. But I would have stayed here. It’s a city that I love. And then, it’s the closest beach to where I grew up in Auvergne. There was a free motorway thanks to Giscard d’Estaing to Montpellier, so we went to La Grande-Motte with friends. It was great. I know the area well.
Your new show is called Exodus(es). Are you talking about your background?
Yes. We put an “s” because exodus can mean a lot of things. It can be about work, moving from one city to another, from one country to another. Being on the move spoke to us. But it talks about a lot of things. My life has changed in the last few years. My relationship to new fame, my relationship to education because I’m a father, and a lot of other subjects. And then the news too, because that’s how we became known. It’s a varied show and above all very funny (laughs).
You have traveled, especially in the United States and Asia. For you, movement is life?
Maybe it comes from my culture. My ancestors were Tuaregs, so they were people who were always traveling. I inherited that. In my twenties and thirties, I needed to be on the move, to go away for 3 months, 6 months to discover other cultures, other visions so as not to be too focused on France. It was when I left that I learned that we, the French, were seen as somewhat arrogant people. I didn’t take it well. But in fact, we have the image of giving lessons, the country of human rights, etc. But since I had only lived in France, I thought “we are the norm”. So moving around brought me a lot.
Does turning 40 mean you’re taking a new turn?
I don’t feel like I’ve turned a corner. Life goes on. And I would say it’s getting better and better. The more time passes, the more we know ourselves, the more we know what we want and what we don’t want. It allows us to be a little more fulfilled. It’s just that sometimes, my back hurts.
Current events make you react. Will the political situation in the country inspire you in the show?
I always plan one or two minutes on the news of the week. I give myself a little space. Crazy things are happening. There, Michel Barnier, that’s already a joke in itself. The guy says “I’m in the renewal”. To dust off politics, we’re brought back Michel Barnier (laughs).
Talk about the podcast that appeared this week.
We’ve been thinking about it for a while. The show is called “Les grands remplacements”. It’s our big political project (laughs). We’re going to discover new comedians. It’s available everywhere on platforms and it’s free.
