The diva of the French-speaking world, Jacques Brel, who died on October 8, 1978, continues to return to the forefront, since, even today, and as if to respond to a sense of duty, our association ”KalimArt ” has chosen, for the third edition of its cultural café, to pay, through the talented Mamoun Salaj, a strong tribute to the man whose elastic voice continues to resonate in the ears of Meknassi music lovers who keep a living memory of his visit to the Ismaili city.
Now 60 years old, the presentations of Grand Jacques, legend of French song, at the Camera cinema in Meknes for four successive days, were experienced this Thursday, October 3 as an evocation of a collective memory that our young ” Kalimart”, worked with ardor and enthusiasm, to awaken, by inviting to the premises of the sumptuous Terrab palace, the very talented Mamoun Salaj, to celebrate the voice in all its splendor, and to recall the unifying side of this mythical character of French song, which has bequeathed to the world of art an immense musical heritage.
It is therefore a pleasant and engaging heritage at the same time, that Kalimart has chosen to highlight, during this colorful artistic evening, hosted by the Moroccan Brel, Mamoun, who took us, of our own free will, for a fabulous two-hour walk, in the artistic universe of Grand Jacques, living legend of French song.
After glorious presentations in several artistic events in Morocco and elsewhere, the great Mamoun, known for his exceptionally expressive voice and his endearing personality, pushed his talent very hard to captivate the audience, in an atmosphere of intense musicality, punctuated by moments of Bursts of laughter and relaxation, brought by our singer, funny comedian.
Jacques Brel and Mamoun Salaj
Heir to a great name, that of his uncle, the essential Tayeb Sediki, our Moroccan Brel, knew how to captivate the room from the first notes, making the Meknassi audience relive the Grand Jacques repertoire, to the rhythm of its captivating sounds. Don’t say that Mamoun is just a singer. He is the subtle and penetrating, the accomplished artist, respected and admired by all. He is a storyteller of soul who has always fought for art to retain its nobility, thus embodying Moroccan artistic excellence.
In each song performed: ”Quand on a que l’amour”, ”la waltz à mille temps”, ”Ces gens-là”, and around ten others from the Grand Jacques repertoire, we sees it print its own stamp and his heartbreaking voice, sometimes moderate, sometimes volcanic, according to the words and texts that the legend of French song knew how to handle with rare virtuosity.
But it is ”Don’t leave me” which will immerse the audience in real musical intensity, thus instilling a very strong air of cheerfulness and enchantment into the spacious living room of the Terrab palace, which resounded with applause. Proof of the universality of the song and its eternal relevance. A song where each word, each distribution is a living painting which earned it the selection of best song of the 20th century, by the International Music Council (CIM), a global network of institutions working in the field of music .
This picturesque, living tribute that ”KalimArt” pays to one of the greatest singers of all time, is also paid to Meknes, with the ambition of restoring to the city the artistic and cultural prestige that it deserves. A city loved by Brel and by all of us, where art must once again flourish with the strength and beauty it once had.
Meknes is no longer the laughing place of Jacques Brel’s time, is no longer little Paris. Today it is even the sleepiest of imperial cities, after a golden age brought about by Sultan Moulay Ismail who made it his capital. It so needs proactive initiatives capable of reinventing its prestige. And it is in this spirit that the KalimArts association works, and this evening is a further step in this direction.
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