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Enrico Macias

Enrico Macias

Actor · b. 1938 · Constantine, France [now Algeria]

Gaston Ghrenassia (born 11 December 1938), known by his stage name Enrico Macias, is a French singer, songwriter and musician. Gaston Ghrenassia was born to a Sephardic Jewish family. His father, Sylvain Ghrenassia (1914–2004), was a violinist in an orchestra that played primarily malouf, Andalusian classical music. Gaston played the guitar from childhood, and started playing with the Cheikh Raymond Leyris Orchestra at age 15. He pursued a school teacher career, but continued playing the guitar. In 1961, the Algerian War of Independence was raging, and the situation became untenable for the European colonizers of Constantine. The assassination in 1961 of his father-in-law and musician Cheikh Raymond Leyris by the National Liberation Front (FLN) was of immense effect on Gaston Ghrenassia, and appears to have been due to his opposition to the independence of Algeria from France and pro-Israel stance. Gaston left Algeria with his wife, Suzy, on 29 July 1961, eleven months before the end of the Algerian War of Independence, and went into exile in mainland France. He has not been permitted to return to Algeria ever since. First living in Argenteuil, he eventually moved to Paris, where he decided to pursue a career in music. At first he tried translating into French the malouf numbers which he already knew. Later on, he developed a new French repertoire that he performed in cafés and cabarets. He remained, though, a popular interpreter of Arab-Andalusian music and Judeo-Arab songs in France. He adopted the stage name Enrico Macias and made his first recording in 1962 after a meeting with Raymond Bernard of Pathé. The result was the recording of "Adieu mon pays" which he had composed for his beloved Algeria on the ship 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 spring 1964, he opened for Les Compagnons de la chanson at the Paris Olympia and then undertook a successful tour of the Middle East, performing with great success in Israel, Greece and Turkey, especially in the latter where he still has a huge following. In Turkey, many of his songs were translated and interpreted by Turkish artists. In 1965, he was awarded the Prix Vincent Scotto, and the following year he sang before 120,000 people at the Dinamo Stadium in Moscow, performing concerts in more than 40 other Soviet cities. He also toured Japan and recorded titles in Spanish and Italian and was popular in both countries. His American debut, at a sold-out Carnegie Hall concert, took place on 17 February 1968. He continued to tour the United States, singing in Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles. In Quebec, Canada, he was warmly welcomed as a Francophone artist. ... Source: Article "Enrico Macias" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Series24

  • TV5.7

    Sacrée soirée

    1987 · 5 votes

  • TV6.8

    Champs-Elysées

    1982 · 9 votes

  • TV3.6

    Vivement dimanche

    1998 · 9 votes

  • TV7.2

    L'École des fans

    Fan School

    1977 · 2 votes

  • TV5.0

    LEGEND

    2023 · 2 votes

  • TV7.5

    Numéro un

    1975 · 2 votes

  • TV9.0

    Midi Première

    1975 · 2 votes

  • TV6.0
  • TV
  • TV6.0

    Zone interdite

    1993 · 3 votes

  • TV8.0

    Le Grand Échiquier

    1972 · 3 votes

  • TV7.5

    Fort Boyard

    1990 · 31 votes

  • TV6.0

    Midi trente

    1972 · 1 votes

  • TV6.5

    La Chance aux chansons

    1984 · 2 votes

  • TV6.0

    Samedi soir

    1971 · 1 votes

  • TV3.3
  • TV8.6

    Les Nuls, l'émission

    1990 · 6 votes

  • TV5.7

    Star Academy

    2001 · 18 votes

  • TV6.2

    30 millions d'amis

    1976 · 3 votes

  • TV7.3

    Coucou c'est nous !

    1992 · 2 votes

  • TV
  • TV8.0

    À bout portant

    1968 · 1 votes

  • TV6.2

    Stars 90

    1990 · 2 votes

  • TV6.3

    Samedi Sébastien

    2021 · 3 votes

Movies11

  • Movie7.2
  • Movie5.2

    Les Clefs de bagnole

    The Car Keys

    2003 · 88 votes

  • Movie5.4

    Maison de retraite 2

    Oldies But Goodies

    2024 · 94 votes

  • Movie5.5

    Bienvenue à bord

    Welcome Aboard

    2011 · 546 votes

  • Movie6.2

    La Vérité si je mens ! 2

    Would I Lie to You? 2

    2001 · 418 votes

  • Movie4.3

    Coco

    2009 · 543 votes

  • Movie5.5

    La Vérité si je mens ! 3

    Would I Lie to You? 3

    2012 · 352 votes

  • Movie

    La Maffia du plaisir

    Pleasure Mafia

    1971

  • Movie6.0
  • Movie4.5

    Déclic et des claques

    1965 · 2 votes

  • Movie6.0

    Pour ton mariage

    2023 · 3 votes