Monday December 23, 2024 at 9:08 p.m., Canal+ broadcasts Karaokea film with Michèle Laroque and Claudia Tagbo competing to win a title that is, to say the least, original. But do they really sing in this film?
That the one who never uttered the song on Connemara Lakes at 5 a.m. throw stones at them! It was at the end of the 1950s that the concept of karaoke began to develop, becoming a true cultural phenomenon in Japan. A phenomenon of such magnitude that director Stéphane Ben Lahcene decided to make a film about it, released in theaters in March 2024! Karaokebroadcast Monday December 23, 2024 at 9:08 p.m. on Canal+, it is the story of two women who are completely opposite: Bénédicte, a fallen opera singer and Fatou, a cleaning lady in a luxury hotel. The latter will reach out to the former and motivate her to participate together in a karaoke competition which will take them very far. But do the two women even sing in the film? And if so, who helped them improve?
How did director Stéphane Ben Lahcene prepare his film Karaoke ?
“I spread out to karaoke rooms. And yes, there is a French championship and a world championship […]. So I wrote and filmed by mixing the available sources and the desires for cinema that I had. A smaller competition than in reality when we are at the regional level (for more comedy) then bigger when we arrive at the world final (for more emotion). But for the candidates, whether in reality or in my film, there is the same desire to put on a show.”explains the director for the film's press kit. And the show, Claudia Tagbo and Michèle Laroque do it in this tender comedy. When he recruited them for his film, Stéphane Ben Lahcene did not doubt for a single second that they would be capable of it. “Michèle has this experience within the EnfoirésClaudia starred and sang in the musical Ghost or in Yo Mama. We recorded the songs beforehand but the actresses actually sang them on set.”he confides. An exercise for which they benefited from great support!
Which former Star Academy coach lent a hand on the filming of Karaoke ?
In an interview given to Tele-Leisure at the time of the film's release, Claudia Tagbo already revealed to us that she is “a great karaoke singer in [sa] bathroom”. But above all, that everything we hear in Karaokeit is indeed their voices on which they playback. “We were lucky enough to be coached for this film by Adeline Toniutti of the Star Academy“she added. A statement supported by the director who even adds a detail that you may have missed: “They worked on singing, breathing, posture for a month with Adeline Toniutti, the singing teacher from the Star Academy who was kind enough to appear on screen in the jury of the world championships in Japan”. But if the former coach gave the filming the benefit of her talents, she is not the only one. “Caroline Fèvre, a lyrical singing teacher, specifically helped Michèle with this register. She is a fantastic coach”he adds. Hard teamwork, for a fantastic result. The film promises: “You won’t be able to stop singing!” And it was proven, we were unable to resist the temptation to follow them, as their energy is so infectious.
Celebrities