Enrico Macias Tickets Promo Code

Music has always served as an avenue for expressing ideals and revolutionary themes within cultures whose people have been subjugated to oppression and colonization. French Algeria was one such colony that languished under the yoke of France for more than a century, finally attaining independence in 1962. Amongst the melodious voices that arose from the colony riddled with strife in the aftermath of WWII, was one of Enrico Macias. For about half a century, he has crooned and strummed his way through the various upheavals in the music world, with his music mirroring the zeitgeist. His accolades range from industry wide acknowledgements of his scintillating legacy to honors and titles bestowed upon him by UN Secretary Generals.
Born as Gaston Ghrenassia in a chilly end to the year 1938 at Constantine, Algeria, Enrico Macias wholeheartedly embraced his Jewish parents’ musical heritage. His father played the violin as part of the orchestra of Cheick Raymond Leyris, the renowned Algerian maestro of Arab-Andalucian styled music known as Maalouf. This association would prove to be extremely instrumental in shaping Enrico’s musical career as the years would roll by. A teenaged Enrico Macias displayed his prodigiousness by becoming a member of Cheick’s orchestra. However, music in the colonially controlled Algeria was in little demand and Gaston compromised on his musical affinity by settling on becoming a school headmaster. This divide between the music and the political milieu widened at the onset of the 1960s and the eruption of so-called guerilla warfare between different separatist factions and government forces claimed Cheick Raymond’s life.
It was after his immigration to France along with his wife Suzy, the daughter of the slain Cheick, that Enrico Macias sought solace in Maalouf music. Using his Algerian exile as an impetus, Enrico’s initial outpourings served to placate the patrons of various local cafes. His debut record came about out of a chance encounter with Raymond Bernard, that ensued in the single "Adieu mon Pays" being recorded in 1962. The song by the freshly rechristened Enrico Macias, penned by him whilst on the ship carrying him to France, catapulted him to fame amongst the local Algerian expatriates and clinched him a television appearance on the program Cinq Colonnes à la Une . Following in the footsteps of the now famous "Pieds noirs" or black-footed Algerians, Enrico Macias was soon garnering wide acclaim for his soulful musical style and was awarded the Prix Vincent Scotto in 1965. His 1976 LP Melisa , featuring songs such as "Malheur à celui qui blesse un enfant" brought him a golden disc and 1981 saw Enrico being awarded the title of "Singer of Peace" by the then U.N. Secretary General Kurt Waldheim. Four years later, Enrico Macias was graced with another honor, that of the Légion d’Honneur and then in 1997 he was nominated as the "Ambassador at Large for Peace and Protection of Children" by the then United Nations General Secretary Kofi Annan.
Commencing touring early on in his career, Enrico Macias’s voice was soon heard live beyond French borders. Whether singing in front of a 120,000 strong crowd in the Dinamo Stadium in Moscow or jet setting off to Japan, Enrico’s musical appeal soon spanned the entire globe. 1968 saw him perform in the prestigious Carnegie Hall, followed by a US tour the next year. A unique opportunity, an invitation at the behest of Egypt’s then president Anwar Sadat in 1978, materialized in a performance in front of 20,000 people in the cradle of the great pyramids, despite the apparent ban on him performing in many Arab states including Egypt. Deeply affected by the former’s assassination 3 years later, Enrico Macias composed "Un Berger Vient De Tomber" in remembrance of the slain Egyptian Premier.
Enrico Macias paid tribute to his former mentor Cheikh Raymond by headlining the Festival of the Printemps de Bourges at the eve of the new millennium and at its onset attempted to perform a tour in his native Algeria, though to no avail due to dire security concerns. Enrico Macias even garnered acclaim for his acting prowess by starring in the 2005 telefilm Monsieur Molina. However 2008 heralded a tragic turn of events for Enrico, with the demise of his wife of more than 50 years, Suzy succumbing to a long bout of illness. However the indefatigable Macias persevered and injected his positivism in his 2011 record “Voyage d’une mélodie”. So get your Enrico Maciastickets now for embarking on your own journey through melody.