Véronique Sanson at the Nuits du Sud: Nice-Bahia in First Class

Last week, the immense Véronique Sanson came to radiate her talent at the Nuits du Sud festival in Vence. An unforgettable performance, filled with rare emotion. As is her habit, France’s most rock’n’roll pianist took her audience on a true musical epic, spanning nearly 50 years of her career.

Before diving fully into the subject, it seems essential to revisit the exceptional career of this piano diva. Véronique Sanson is not just a simple musician, composer and performer full of talent, Véronique Sanson is also a rock’n’roll and romantic life, which began 77 years ago in the Boulogne-Billancourt area and has been lived at full throttle ever since, between France and the United States, for better or worse.

It is also 14 albums, all gold or platinum records, three Victoires de la Musique awards, numerous honors, such as being named Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters, collaborations with the greatest artists, a passionate and sometimes tumultuous romantic life that was occasionally destructive, but also a constant struggle to keep the shadows of addiction at bay. Free and untamable, she has managed to transcend all trends to impose her inimitable style, a sort of classy French pop infused with jazz and rock.

Balancing on a Tightrope

The fateful hour finally arrives, people rush and try to make their way to the stage, anticipation is palpable, nervousness even grips some festival-goers, concerned about their favorite singer’s health (she was reportedly recently affected by acute respiratory infection, editor’s note). Here it is, the lights go out, everyone holds their breath and suddenly, the musicians take their positions.

After a few moments of uncertainty, a discreet silhouette appears, a frail vessel on an ocean of groovy and funky rhythms characteristic of the song: “Bernard’s Song (He’s from Nowhere).” The walk is graceful but never hesitant, we were a little worried for her, as she seemed to be balancing on a tightrope, but when the time came to pick up the guitar, all doubts vanished. She plays her rhythmic solos beautifully in echo with her lead guitarist.

Next comes the flagship track from the album Le Maudit, the very bluesy/rock: “On m’attend là-bas” (They’re Waiting for Me There), the beauty lets loose. Then she announces “Les hommes” (Men). Fist raised to the sky, she will confess, not without a certain pride, that at 77 years old, for her, men are over and that she is: “a fulfilled single woman,” before turning to the male portion of her audience and touching our hearts with this declaration of love in the form of renunciation: “Men, I have nothing against you, I loved you so much.” A heart that loved men so much that it suffered their darkest aspects, particularly her affair with Stephen Stills, against a backdrop of addiction and domestic violence.

Some would have harbored eternal resentment, even hatred toward men, but Véronique Sanson is no angry feminist, she does not live antagonism but communion. Touching and visibly at peace, more than ever in the truth of the moment, she disarmed us with her kindness.

After blues, funk and rock, it is tango and classical music’s turn to join the party with “Je me suis tellement manquée” (I Missed Myself So Much), a confession that echoes her American exodus. A perfect bridge to the following song, the very peaceful: “Sans regrets” (Without Regrets), before one of her most beautiful songs, the moving: “Amoureuse” (In Love). The shadow of the late Michel Berger is not far away, she shared her life with him for six years, before he disappeared one “fine” morning after going to get a pack of cigarettes.

Which comes at the perfect moment, as she is about to perform the hit: “Chanson sur une drôle de vie” (Song About a Funny Life), made famous by the film: “Tout ce qui brille” (All That Glitters). A true hymn to life sung by heart by an audience heated to white heat. A contagious joy that will soon spread throughout the festival.

The Party Ignites

Then came the very Corcovado-esque: “Alia Soûza/Salsa,” like a concerto of tropical birds, intoxicating as a sunset over Rio Bay.

We also had the privilege of the unmissable: “Rien que de l’eau” (Nothing But Water), a song that Mr. Nougaro certainly would not have disowned during his Nougayork period. A real force emanates from this title, the use of brass instruments certainly, but once again, through the lens of his libertarian aspirations, he manages to personify water to make it appear as a strong and saving goddess. She will take advantage of the momentum of this title to let loose a little and commune with her musicians.

The time to part now seems imminent, the band takes its leave leaving its conductor alone on stage to begin the final songs. As if it were obvious, she will start with “Ma révérence” (My Curtsy). There emanates from her an impression of strength and serenity, literally inhabited by her art. As soon as she reconnects with her instrument, the dove becomes a lioness and her chords electrify. The weight of the years further accentuating the tragic nature of the lyrics, like an old soul that has wandered far too long on the surface of this Earth.

Then comes the final song, the highly acclaimed: “Bahia,” one last waltz, visibly one of the most beloved by fans. A true ode to letting go and the communion of bodies, there emanates from it an almost erotic candor, the velvet of her voice still intact and that so characteristic vibrato fit perfectly with the song’s aesthetic. She will even adapt the lyrics to the situation:

A Smooth Landing

In the heart of an unforgettable summer evening despite the extreme heat, we had the extreme privilege of feeling that famous rain from another planet. At the twilight of a dazzling artistic life, this great lady sent us the last rays of a creative sun that we would never want to see go out. A big thank you to the Nuits du Sud festival for inviting this legend of French song, but most importantly, an immense thank you to her, to she who has lived a thousand lives, for gracing us with such a beautiful and moving performance.

Aurélien Maccarelli