Calogero talks about the recording of “Pomme C”: “A completely improbable thing”

The author, composer, performer and musician, Calogero, is the exceptional guest of Le Monde d’Élodie Suigo from August 26 to 30, 2024. Five days, five songs to get to know this artist better, one of the most loved and adored of the French music scene. Last September, he released his ninth album “AMOUR” and he will resume his AMOUR Tour in mid-November from Dijon.

Calogero is the special guest of Le Monde d’Élodie from August 26 to 30, 2024. The opportunity to look back on five highlights of his life with five songs from his repertoire. The author, composer, performer and musician has been on stage and in our playlists for over 37 years. Passionate about music since his youngest age, it was at the age of 16, in 1987, that he formed the group des Charts with his brother and a friend. 12 years later, he launched a solo career with his album Among the othersgiving up his jobs as a plumber and apprentice butcher.

With this solo career, he has definitely become Calogero, an essential artist of French song, with his little pop and rock touches. An essential melodist, many artists have called on him like Florent Pagny and Zazie.

franceinfo: After the album 3the public and the profession are unanimous, you are an integral part of the great French song scene. Did that affect you?

Calogero: Of course, it’s wonderful because it’s the job I dreamed of doing. I would have been very unhappy not to be able to sing my songs. I would have been very unhappy to only make songs for others.

Every time an album comes out, you go straight on tour. It’s really the playground, your favorite playground. At each of your concerts, many people in the audience say that they revisit the songs you perform on stage in a different way. It’s actually a game for you!

In fact, I’m not afraid anymore when I’m on stage. And above all, I really enjoy the people, I look at them. I have wonderful memories of past tours where I’m in front of them and I look at them all, really. And I say to myself, but these are venues in which my idols sang!

“I have fears in life that completely fall away when I’m on stage.”

Then you’re going to invest in a house in Italy with Zazie and friends. This will actually give rise to a record, Apple C, which will suit you and show something else about you.

The recording of Apple C was amazing. First, I call Zazie and tell her: “Come on, let’s make an album together. You write all the lyrics and I’ll do all the music.” She answers me: “But it’s very dizzying, have you already done it?“And I said to him: “no, i never did it“. I like tailor-made costumes in songs and I said to myself that we would record this album in Tuscany. We went to find an old manor house run by a German woman, a completely improbable thing. And there, we brought all the equipment, all the musicians. It was an unforgettable moment. Recording the album outdoors with all the instruments that we took out in the early morning. In the evening, we had to bring them in because there was dew. There was an extraordinary Italian couple who, every evening, cooked for us. The husband did the grilling, his wife prepared pasta for us. He reminded me a little of my parents because they are the same. My father helps my mother a lot when she cooks and I felt like I was at home. It was really an incredible experience.

One tour later and it’s The Beautificationin 2009, with very strong authors.

One of my first songs with Dominique A. My first with Jean-Jacques Goldman, It is said. It’s an album where I’m coming out of a somewhat complicated period.

“I called my fifth album ‘L’Embellie’, when in fact, it wasn’t at all l’embellie in my head, but that was a force of persuasion.”

I wanted to convince myself and it brought me the improvement. I really like this album today and then, there is It is said who was the locomotive with the very modest and respectful emails that we sent each other with Jean-Jacques Goldman to make the song. I remember that for this song, my theme was a little particular, sophisticated. He told me: “But Calo, where is the hook?” and I didn’t know where she was. So he said to me: “I’m looking for her. We’ll find her!“And finally: “We are only as rich as our friends. It is said“, and it’s so much like my life. It’s true that, ultimately, that’s real wealth.

There is another song that is very strong, Nathan with a text by Marc Lavoine, who talks about difference, autism and then, there is The Shadow and the Light which will definitely mark this album. We actually felt that it was a rather complicated period and quickly, the light prevailed over the rest.

If I am asked: “Are these your children first or the music?” It has to be music because otherwise I wouldn’t be a balanced father to them. I love them with an infinite love, but it’s thanks to music that I’m balanced for them because it’s music. Music is part of my mental balance. Many times, I’ve been asked: “But what else could you do?“I could do a lot of things. I like cooking, decorating, building. I always wanted to build little models, but music is deeper than that. It’s central. I have four children and I’m very present for them.

Calogero is back on the roads of France with his AMOUR Tour for numerous stages, including November 14 in Dijon, November 15 in Reims, November 23 in Limoges, December 30 in Caen, December 7 in Toulon and December 20 and 21 in Lille.