Bigflo & Oli. The manuscript of “O Toulouse”, by Nougaro, in the Oli exhibition at Abattoirs: “He has accompanied me all my life like a spiritual godfather”

“How far my country is, how far away…”: if you are from Toulouse, you inevitably recognize the first words of this cult song, which resonate like an anthem. Among the works in the exhibition “The Imaginary Museum of Oli” are two sheets of paper, with the lyrics of “Ô Toulouse”, handwritten by Claude Nougaro. Presented as “the original manuscript”, the text does not show any erasures, the writing is neat and regular.

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But this work does not fail to touch native visitors to the Pink City, like Jean. “I don’t even need to read the lyrics, I know them by heart and they upset me every time,” he says. He sat on a wooden box in the middle of the exhibition hall, enjoying the piano notes.

Since right next to the manuscript, the work “imaginary piano” is installed. The instrument is present, but the musician is only a shadow who plays Nougaro's repertoire. Enough to feel even more the influence of the singer who died in 2004, on Oli's world.

An “essential” tribute

“It seemed essential to me to pay homage to Claude Nougaro,” confides the rapper. “He has accompanied me all my life like a spiritual godfather. I designed this imaginary pianist who plays his repertoire and I smile while imagining the reaction or the phrase what Claude would have said when he saw him.”

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“The two artists are very close and you can feel it,” explains Valentin, a visitor. Oli spent an afternoon with Hélène Nougaro, the singer's last wife, and was also able to with Cécile Nougaro, his daughter. Moreover, the manuscript comes from the “la maison Nougaro” project, led by the latter.

The mix of generations

“It’s difficult to imagine an exhibition by a Toulouse musician without seeing a touch of Nougaro,” says Quentin, who also came to discover the exhibition. “It’s beautiful to see the mixture of old musical culture and new . It makes me think of Aya Nakamura singing Charles Aznavour at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.”

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A mix of generations appreciated by all passers-by, even if they are less familiar with the singer of “Armstrong” and “Tu will see”. This is the case of Mathilde, who comes from Angers to Toulouse for the end of year celebrations. “It perpetuates the culture from before and it’s nice,” she explains. Same observation for William: “I love the fact that Toulouse residents are so attached to a local artist.” And Oli has multiplied the tributes to his city in his exhibition, visible at the Musée des Abattoirs, until May 4, 2025.