
Enrico Macias
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.
Known For
Credits
- 2024 · Oldies But Goodies as Rico
- 2023 · Pour ton mariage as Self
- 2022 · Il était une fois Champs-Élysées as Self (archive footage)
- 2022 · Enrico Macias, de l'amour plein la tête as Self
- 2022 · Quelle époque ! as Self - Guest
- 2022 · Ces chansons de nos vacances as Self
- 2022 · La TV des 70's : Quand Giscard était président as Self (archive footage)
- 2021 · Jacques Martin, derrière vos applaudissements as Self - Interviewee
- 2021 · Enrico Macias, l'inattendu as Self (archive footage)
- 2021 · Samedi Sébastien as Self - Guest
- 2019 · La Boîte à secrets as Self
- 2019 · Family Business as Self
- 2019 · Family Business as Enrico Macias
- 2018 · Rembob'Ina as Self (auteur, compositeur, interprète)
- 2018 · Fort Boyard, toujours plus fort ! as Self - Candidate (archive footage)
- 2017 · PSG : Ce club qui a failli ne pas exister ! as Self
- 2016 · Amanda as Self
- 2012 · Our dear neighbors as Monsieur Roland
- 2012 · Would I Lie to You? 3 as Maurice
- 2011 · Welcome Aboard as Self
- 2009 · Scènes de ménages as Prêtre
- 2009 · Coco as Le tailleur
- 2003 · The Car Keys as Actor who refuses to film with Laurent
- 2001 · Star Academy as Self
- 2001 · Would I Lie to You? 2 as Maurice Boutboul
- 2001 · Stars à domicile as Self
- 1998 · Vivement dimanche as Self
- 1997 · Les Interdits des Grosses Têtes as Self
- 1993 · Zone interdite as Self
- 1992 · Coucou c'est nous ! as Self
- 1990 · Les Nuls, l'émission as Self - Guest
- 1990 · Stars 90 as Self
- 1990 · Fort Boyard as Self
- 1987 · Le monde est à vous as Self
- 1987 · Sacrée soirée as Self
- 1985 · Victoires de la musique as Self
- 1984 · La Chance aux chansons as Self
- 1982 · Champs-Elysées as Self
- 1979 · Carlos Numéro 1 as Self
- 1977 · Fan School as Self
- 1976 · 30 millions d'amis as Self
- 1975 · Numéro un as Self
- 1975 · Numéro un as Self - Host
- 1975 · Le Petit Rapporteur as Self
- 1975 · Système 2 as Self
- 1975 · Les Rendez-vous du dimanche as Self
- 1975 · Midi Première as Self
- 1972 · Midi trente as Self
- 1972 · Le Grand Échiquier as Self - Main Guest
- 1972 · Le Grand Échiquier as Self
- 1971 · Cadet Rousselle as Self
- 1971 · Pleasure Mafia as Self (uncredited)
- 1971 · Samedi soir as Self
- 1968 · À bout portant as Self
- 1967 · Europarty as Self
- 1965 · Déclic et des claques as Self