Patrick Fiori will give two shows in Moscow

On March 3rd and 4th the stage of Moscow Estrada Theatre will see two performances of the French singer and composer Patrick Fiori — the star of the original “Notre Dame de Paris” cast, the first artist to play the captain of King’s Archers, the handsome Phoebus. The musician will not only perform his famous hits, but will also present his new, eighth solo album “L’instinct Masculin”, that has gone platinum in just three weeks after the release.

This year the singer has a surprise for his Russian fans, who have been requesting his concert for more than a year now – a new setlist called “Best Songs and New Hits”. The show will employ original lighting and sound capabilities of the venue that also boasts the rich history and is located in the heart of Moscow – Estrada Theatre.

A GIFT FOR RUSSIAN FANS

The “Best Songs and New Hits” concert programme, quite obviously, consists of two parts. The best of – are songs that have over the years become favourites of French and Russian audience alike. These are, of course, songs from “Notre Dame de Paris”, that have recently earned storming applause in Moscow, Kyiv and St. Petersburg at the magnificent “Notre Dame de Paris Le Concert” show. The concert will also feature movie themes from “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg”, “Godfather”, “Les choses de la vie” performed by Patrick. The programme is compiled of the best numbers of Patrick’s artistic career. Gigs on the 3rd and 4th of March will see such hits as “Je sais où aller”, “Que tu reviennes”, “Marseille”, “4 mots sur un piano”, that have long become French music’s goldies. The “new” is represented by the songs from the new album “L’instinct Masculin”, released in September 2010. The CD features a duet with the famous French rock musician, singer and composer Johnny Hallyday.

MASCULINE INSTINCT

Patrick characterises his album “L’instinct Masculin”, which has instantly become platinum in Europe, as a “very personal” one, that allowed him to speak to the public about himself and his own feelings through the songs written by himself and  his friends — composers and poets Jean-Jacques Goldman, Arien Quatrefache, Lionel Florence and Jean Michel Beria.

“L’instinct Masculin” is a confession of a modern man, who is accompanied by happiness, self-confidence and, of course, his trusted friends in his life. “L’instinct Masculin” is also a celebration of the beautiful part of humanity — an anthem for a woman sung through songs like “Je crois me souvenir de toi”, dedicated to mother, or “Dieu qu’elle était belle” . This “masculine” album speaks about true values in life — love, family, friendship and respect for parents.

“I can’t sing about something that isn’t filling my soul at the moment”, says the singer. “Je viendrai te chercher”, a duet of Patrick Fiori and Johnny Hallyday, can be considered to be a true climax of the album. The song lyrics were written by Goldman while Patrick contributed the music.

Songs from Fiori’s eighth solo album are rarely performed live — so this spring Russian audience is in for a premier.

HANDSOME PHOEBUS

Last year Moscow saw a unique show “Notre Dame de Paris le Concert”, that had gathered around 16,000 viewers from all over Russia and Europe and drawn attention of the Western promoters and producers. This magnificent project brought together the starts of the original, “golden” cast if the Guinness record winning musical for one night one the same stage again. For the first time after 12 years Garou, Bruno Pelletier, Daniel Lavoie, Helene Segara, Julie Zenatti, Luck Mervil and of course Patrick Fiori as the shining Phoebus, were together again.

“Notre Dame de Paris” has become the first European musical that has gained global fame and moved the centre of musical production to Europe. After years of Anglo-American sound prevalence and Broadway shows the influence of French chanson and European singing traditions on the new generation of musicals has become apparent.

The musical premiered in September 1998, and the part of the handsome Phoebus became Patrick’s path to stardom right away. He was approved for the part of the King’s Archers heart-breaker captain after the very first audition. With other stars of the French and Canadian pop-scene he stared the rehearsals. Young, ambitious and talented artists were spending most of their time, working on the musical and have become one big family.

The musical based on Hugo’s novel has become a sensation: the show was sold out for months ahead after the premier. Both studio and live recorded albums of “Notre Dame de Paris” enjoyed tremendous commercial success. Single “Belle” sung by Patrick Fiori and his friends Garou and Daniel Lavoie stayed as number 1 in French charts for 33 weeks, won the diamond certification, was named the best song of France in 50 years and won a World Music Award and Victoire Award. The first year of “Notre Dame de Paris” was so successful the it was marked by the Guinness Book of Records. Having achieved success in France the artists of the show went on a tour of the biggest cities of the world: Montreal, London, Brussels. In 1999 Fiori along with other participants of the show was awarded with a Quebec’s ADISQ Gala prize as “The Discovery of the Year”.

EUROPE’S LAST ROMANTIC

After the phenomenal success of “Notre Dame de Paris” its actors have been showered with solo projects proposals. In May 1998 he releases his album “Prends-moi”. Until then he only published two discs that he had recorded using his own savings — in 1994 and 1995. Disney invites Patrick Fiori to record the soundtrack for “Mulan” , and Stephen Spielberg’s DreamWorks for the French version of the “Prince of Egypt”.

Fiori immediately becomes a highly demanded actor, singer and celebrity. France’s major TV channels want to see him live in their shows, and tabloids both side of Atlantic cannot take their eyes of his rumoured relationships with a popular singer Lara Fabian. While newspapers keep publishing new details of the star couple’s life, Fiori calls Lara “his guiding star” in the interviews and dreams of children. Unexpected news about Fiori and Fabian break-up is being actively discussed by the media and fans alike, and Fiori becomes far more restrained in talking to press and stops sharing secrets of his private life with the media. Having broken up Lara and Patrick remain loyal friends and colleagues, their duet “L’hymne a L’amour” being a good proof.

Fiori’s next album “Chrysalide” goes double gold in Europe. During that period the artist makes a difficult decision to abandon the brilliant role of Phoebus in favour of a solo career and goes on a grand tour of his home country first, and Switzerland, Belgium and Canada later on. He stays in touch with his “Notre Dame” friends Garou and Helene Segara and together they appear on the annual charity show “Les Enfoires”.

In 2002 Patrick Fiori reveals himself as a songwriter. The track list of the newly released album “Patrick Fiori” includes 12 songs, 7 of them written by the artist himself. “In this album I have revealed many of my soul’s mysteries”, confesses Fiori.

In order to confirm his new status as a composer, Patrick writes the headliner track of the first album of Julie Zenatti, his partner in “Notre Dame de Paris”, who played the part of Fleur-de-Lis. For work on her second album Zenatti invites him again and Fiori writes 9 songs for her.

Today Patrick Fiori is a popular author, composer and performer. He sings the beauty of his homeland and the azure sea of his native Marseilles, and never forgets to mention that he currently lives in the capital of France only because it is the only place where he can entirely release his professional potential, although “it’s not easy to find the same soulful generosity that is common among the people from the South in Paris”, he adds. “I have always cherished sincerity and simplicity of the common people”.

His concerts are always full of play between the artist and the public and communication with the audience. Through display of Armenian impetuosity, French charm and Corsican sensuality Fiori is telling a love story.

“MAMA CORSICA”

Talking about his country Patrick Fiori doesn’t mean only France’s capital Paris. Nor does he talk about chic and luxury of the Cote d’Azur. “Son of the South” as he refers to himself, Patrick has spent most of his life on Corsica, an island famous for its pirates in the Middle Ages and homeland of the great commander Napoleon Bonaparte.

Patrick Fiori was born on September 23 1969 in Marseilles, later on his parents moved to Corsica. He grew up in a big ethnically mixed family: his Corsican mother and Armenian father were bringing up five children. Theirs was not a wealthy family, so Patrick would take on any job: he used to work selling pizza, mending electricity and even as a decorator. But even in need, Fiori’s home was always filled with music.

Fiori’s scenic debut took place when he was 12, on the stage of Marseilles Opera. Fiori quickly gained recognition and was soon invited to the talent show “Les Habits du Dimanche”, where he wins both the viewers’ sympathy and the highest grades from the experts. This project becomes the starting point in Patrick’s career. In 1992 he becomes the focus of public attention again, after the victory in the French Song contest.

Just like the legendary ABBA, Patrick Fiori becomes a real success after his performance on Eurovision contest. In 1993 the singer represented France in front of a multi-million audience in Europe’s biggest musical contest. His song “Mama Corsica” dedicated to his home country won Fiori a place in the top five singers. Eurovision made Patrick’s voice recognisable by the public and his talents known and interesting to songwriters, and in 1994 the artist released his first solo album, that was successful in France.

Then came around “Notre Dame de Paris”, that has changed the artist’s life and career for good.

PUBLIC’S DARLING

“You gotta listen to this voice live, no record can convey its richness”; “Patrick has moved beyond his age, beyond the limits of ‘standard’ performance and sound of his voice and dances…”; “His concert is an eruption of emotions…”; “Patrick has a splendid vocal, you bathe and drown in it”; “Absolutely sincere smile. Starry, warm eyes. You feel comfort and warmth oozing from him”; “He sing. And you do too… you sing, you dance, you give yourself away. And the scary part is that you can’t stop it. can’t seize the moment, take all these melodies and voice with you”.

These are just some of the accounts of the people who have been to Patrick Fiori’s concert in Moscow in 2008. Speaking of the secret of his popularity the artist says: “The city is important, how big is the venue is important. But most important is how I sing and feel the audience. This is my mission, this is my life”. In Russia the artist is much loved and his concerts are much anticipated. This spring’s concerts in Estrada Theatre were organised by the popular request. Patrick Fiori has a numerous and active fan group on the Russian social network Vkontakte. No wonder that it is specially for his Russian fans the artist has prepared an original solo programme “The Best Songs and New Hits”, that he is going to present in Moscow.

Patrick Fiori official website: http://www.patrickfiori.net/
Estrada Theatre address: Bersenevskaya nab. 20/2,  http://www.teatr-estrada.ru/