It may not have been the evening that attracted the most people, but it was perhaps the best of the festival. Featuring Ben Ellis and Imany on its stage, Crazy Week concludes its 4th edition with quality music.
Fresh, humble, both shy and enthusiastic, the group Ben Ellis, who just released their first EP, is happy to present it live in Nice. The singer even thanks the festival for its invitation. And while the group is not yet drawing large crowds, they are certainly winning new fans with each concert, offering good music, smiles, and interaction. Each musician is delighted to be on stage, they play tonight, and they play well! The bassist jumps and charms, the drummer controls and adds nuances, the guitarist roams (on the guitar neck and on the stage), the keyboardist/backup singer concentrates, and the leader smiles. Faces full of hope and joy appear. The audience follows along. Seated on the tiers of the Théâtre de Verdure, attentive, spectators discover, for the most part. The first fans, of course, remain standing, glued to the barriers to support their new favorite. All we can wish them is to keep going like this. They’ve got it. No need to overdo it. Wishing them a great journey, find them on their site: www.benellis.fr
Now for the festival’s final headliner: Imany. Known for her duet with Tété and her unforgettable “You Will Never Know”, the artist offered some great surprises live last night. She naturally performs all the songs from her album but wins over the hesitant ones with some completely reworked covers. She warns from the start, “you are well seated there, around the corners, but you will stand up as the concert goes on, you will see.” Challenge accepted, victory achieved! It took a bit of time, but Imany eventually got almost everyone on their feet. She engages the audience vocally, using them as “arrangements,” and proposes an impromptu Flash Mob to move the crowd from left to right, clapping hands up and down.
We marvel at her rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen in a completely different, soulful, atmospheric style. Also, two tracks completely revamped and mixed together: “Ready or Not” (Fugees) and “Sign your Name” (Terence Trent D’Arby). Fabulous. And continuing with covers, the crowd rhythmically clapped along to “Mercedes Benz” by Janis Joplin to complement the singer’s deep and sultry voice.
But Imany is not alone on stage; she is surrounded by musicians worthy of the best and introduces each of them, allowing them time for a solo. Two guitarists, a drummer, a double bassist, a cellist, a bassist, and a keyboardist, all with impressive precision and infectious enthusiasm. Notably, Imany was the only artist of the week to allow such an in-depth introduction of the musicians to the audience. Bravo and thank you! A truly beautiful evening.
Go and have a listen on Deezer, this voice is worth the stop: www.deezer.com/fr/artist/468920
