Macias to play for Istanbul audience

ISTANBUL

Enrico Macias will take the stage July 25 at Turkcell Kuruçeşme Arena. Macias, who has visited Turkey for many times will perform his popular songs for the audience. Hürriyet photo

Enrico Macias will take the stage July 25 at Turkcell Kuruçeşme Arena. Macias will perform his popular songs for the Turkish audience.

Macias has visited Turkey many times before. His songs, including “Zingarella,” “Après moi,” “Avec les pins du bord de l’eau,” “Aux quatre coins du monde,” and “Aime-moi je t’aime” are very well known in the country.

Macias made his first recording in 1962, after meeting Raymond Bernard of Pathé. The result was the recording of “Adieu mon pays,” which he had composed for his beloved Algeria on a boat on his way to France. He appeared on French television and became an overnight sensation. This led to a first tour in 1963 as a second act with Paola and Billy Bridge. His daughter, Jocya, was also born that year.

In the spring of 1964, he performed in the first half of the show “Les Compagnons de la Chanson” at the Paris Olympia, and then undertook a successful tour of the Middle East, performing with great success in Lebanon, Greece and Turkey, where he still has a huge following today. In Turkey, many of his songs were translated and interpreted by Turkish artists. In 1965, Macias was awarded the Prix Vincent Scotto, and the following year he sang before 120,000 people at the Dinamo Stadium in Moscow, as well as performing concerts in more than 40 other Soviet cities. He also toured Japan, where he was very successful. He recorded titles in Spanish and Italian and was popular in both countries.

His American debut, at a sold-out Carnegie Hall, took place on Feb. 17, 1968. He continued to tour the United States, singing in Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles. In Canada and Quebec, he was warmly welcomed as a francophone artist.

Returning to Paris
In 1971, he returned to Paris, and then went on to the Royal Albert Hall in London, and back to Japan, Canada, Italy and Spain. A second U.S. tour culminated in a concert at Carnegie Hall in 1972. In 1974, he gave ten shows at the Uris Theater on Broadway, and also at the Olympia for the sixth time since his debut.

He toured France, and visited Israel twice, in 1976 and 1978. He was invited to Egypt by Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat to sing for peace. This came after Macias had been banned in Arab countries for many years, despite having maintained his popularity with audiences in the Middle East and North Africa. In Egypt, he sang in front of 20,000 people at the foot of the pyramids.