8:45 PM. The hall is decked out waiting for its “friend”. The still-dark stage whispers familiar notes. Then a familiar voice ventures out discreetly…
“I never had a red balloon
When I was young in my neighborhood
In those provinces where nothing moves
All my balloons were deflated.”
“My friend, my master” enters the stage dressed all in black.
Initially, Lama had set out on a four-month tour, but today, it’s been four years! Four years that this popular singer has been traveling the boards with his team! “It’s wonderful!”
On stage, there are two: the singer and the musician. “In the press, they talk about us as a duo. My show is titled ‘Accordionissi-words’. It was created with a lot of work and heart.” Yes, Serge Lama, just like at the beginning, is accompanied by an acoustic setup where the accordion plays a major role. But this instrument, often seen as one for the poor, becomes rich alongside the talent of Sergio TOMASSI. Magical, this high-tech device that looks like an accordion emits sounds that belong to the piano, the bass, or even wind instruments. No playback. No soundtracks. “Everything is authentic!” Our ears were amazed. Don’t worry, it’s always like this the first time!
The singer and the musician give us their music. From “Little Women of Pigalle” to “The Singer at 20 Years Old”. Sometimes playful, sometimes tender! The “Lamaist” songs are simply “some loving notes from some words.” On stage, the artist who “belongs to a time when the subjunctive was imperative and the future was not yet conditional,” lives. He plays “With simplicity” with his enchanted audience. “Ah,” how short “The Time of the Old Tune” seems in the company of “Superman”! Then the captivated spectators will declare to him “I love you madly” orchestrated by Serge Lama. A proof of love for this lover of rhymes and of “Women,” of course!
“He is strong. Bravo,” says my neighbor.
A touching moment when he sings “Algeria.”
A fun moment during “The Bathroom.”
From comic roles to dramatic ones, on this evening of March 1st, Serge Lama, the poet of verse to notes, asked for nothing. We got everything. He gave his all. We received it all.
The “Lamaist” performance dims without a microphone with a remarkable a capella rendition of “I am Sick.” What a presence: Standing ovation! For the duration of the show, his “Home” became “Our Home”!
