Former communications advisor, Norbert Chiche, also known as Marike, has always had a prolific sense of creation. Besides his extensive musical repertoire, he is also an accomplished writer with a corrosive style. However, do not be mistaken; behind his dark glasses and rugged look lies a committed artist with a big heart.
NP: How would you describe your musical journey?
Marike: I have more than 400 songs to my credit, composed within total eclectic styles: melodic French songs interspersed with slam poetry, dance, and sometimes jazz. But the general component is a concern for sharp and non-linear text. I try to avoid the usual clichés. I’ve been in the industry for quite some time with some successes, including a title “Marchands d’ivoire” that I composed for the group Epsilone which did well. Another title, number one in Poland and Eastern European countries, “Cracovie,” performed by the group Yaga-yan. Silver Microphone at the Sopot festival (Eastern European equivalent of Eurovision). A title composed with Didier Barbelivien and so on…
NP: What are your projects today?
Marike: I would like to find a label that would produce a two-track CD with distribution for the song that is currently on video on the net, “Le Pouvoir d’Achat,” which is called by the burning current issue addressed to a large audience.
NP: What are the subjects that are closest to your heart in your writing?
Marike: First and foremost I would say social issues, particularly the commitment to fighting instability. It makes me sick to see more and more people in the streets even today; it’s surreal! Of course, there is also the defense of animals, as in the song “Muerta la Corrida”, and humanitarian causes in general.
NP: Do you have any idols or heroes who are a source of inspiration for you in these areas?
Marike: To me the hero is anyone who has accomplished or is accomplishing something exemplary towards others, such as a surgeon, a researcher, a missionary. In this regard: Pasteur, Einstein, Abbé Pierre… And not those who have set a world record for something, or who have swum across the Atlantic!
