Hiba Tawaji will celebrate Notre-Dame de Paris on its square: “I made it my home”

A historical monument, certainly, which was able to rise from its ashes thanks to the hard work of craftsmen and true professionals, but Notre-Dame de Paris is also a novel, films and a musical which took the world on a journey. cathedral around the world and anchored it in global popular culture.

As for the beautiful Esmeralda, she has been played by many Hollywood or French-speaking stars over the years before becoming – a little – Lebanese since 2016 with Hiba Tawaji, who was offered the main role for the return of the musical show eponym by Luc Plamondon and Richard Cocciante at the Palais des Congrès. Saturday December 7, these hundreds of performances as part of an international tour will be crowned by the singer’s participation in the cathedral reopening concert alongside renowned artists, and which will be broadcast live on France 2. Since Paris, on the eve of the big event, Hiba Tawaji delivers to The Orient-The Day his impressions and emotions.

Your artist name is today associated with this monument that is Notre-Dame de Paris thanks to the musical. What does this place mean to you?

As a Lebanese and citizen of the world, Notre-Dame de Paris has always fascinated me. It was a sort of refuge when I visited Paris as a tourist, even before living there. It has always touched me with its beauty and what it represents historically and symbolically. Every time I returned to Lebanon, I promised myself I would come back to Paris to see the cathedral again. I never imagined making my dream come true, being part of the musical and becoming Esmeralda… Until the day I received this call from the producer who offered me this role for the return to the Palais des Congrès. I can tell you it was almost surreal. Since then, Notre-Dame de Paris, as Quasimodo says, I have made it my home. And it was only a few dozen meters away, in Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre, that my husband (Editor’s note: Ibrahim Maalouf) proposed to me.

The fire at Notre-Dame de Paris touched the heart of Paris and millions of people. How does it feel to take part in the reopening ceremony?

First, you should know that in 2019, I sang and celebrated at the cathedral every evening. This fire therefore had a tenfold effect on me. When I received an invitation letter by mail from the organizers and the rector archpriest of the cathedral, it meant something to me. I will first see the cathedral that I know so well again, for the first time after the fire that ravaged it, but above all I am honored to be part of this prestigious range of artists with the Radio France orchestra and maestro Gustavo Dudamel. I look forward to singing in this place which symbolizes tolerance, love and spirituality on a global scale, and where people come from all over to worship.

What are you going to sing?

I would really like to tell you but I have to keep it a surprise. See you on France 2 from 10 p.m. Beirut time! I can just tell you that each artist will perform a title and that rehearsals will take place between December 4 and 6 with the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra. This institution brings together more than 140 musicians and is very well known in France and internationally. Furthermore, this concert will be both a vibrant tribute to the artisans and workers who worked for the rebirth of the cathedral, and a celebration of the resilience and rediscovered splendor of Notre-Dame.

For the record

Confessions of Hiba Tawaji, a “Miss Congeniality” full of talent, before her Olympia

You performed in front of French President Emmanuel Macron, at the opening of the Francophonie summit in October 2024. What were you thinking when performing « Li Beirut » ?

This invitation from the Élysée honored me, but above all it was a call to pay tribute to Lebanon and Beirut in the midst of war. This moment was moving. I thought of my loved ones, of my fellow citizens who were experiencing this tragedy. It was also a great responsibility, because I carried a message. As if I was the voice, a voice. That of people who cannot speak or express themselves. My throat felt tight and I felt a lot of stress and pressure. But I still wanted to sing. For Beirut. And help change things and perhaps raise awareness, in the presence of many leaders and heads of state.

How do we experience the war from Paris?

Like many Lebanese who are in the four corners of the world. Even though I was in Paris, my relatives, my brother, my sister, my parents were in Lebanon. I was afraid for them, for the country, for our future as Lebanese. The hardest thing about being far away is feeling helpless. We try to communicate on social networks, to broadcast images, and it is in a way a very different stress but which is still very strong. We follow the news morning and evening, and it becomes an obsession. Lebanon is a visceral attachment, which I need in my life. And so I needed to know that I would be able to go there soon, and return to France to my children.

Your concert at the Olympia on May 29 was a real moment of sharing. Tell us about it.

The Olympia was wow! A turning point in my career and a big step for me in France. This concert was significant professionally and personally, because I was surrounded by exceptional artists who I admire and with whom I have collaborated. Lara Fabian, Florent Pagny, Ibrahim Maalouf, Ycare, Madame Monsieur did me the honor of sharing this stage with me. During the concert, I tried to live each moment fully. I was stressed, but I was extremely happy to find myself on a legendary stage, with unique artists and musicians, memorable songs and an audience that showed a lot of interaction. It was a magical night. When I think about it, I already feel nostalgic. And to relive this moment and share it with my audience, I will soon broadcast this concert that we are lucky to have been able to immortalize.