The result was the recording of "Adieu mon pays" which he had composed for his beloved Algeria on the boat on his way to France. 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 made his first recording in 1962 after a meeting with Raymond Bernard of Pathé.

Early years

He was born to a Jewish family in Constantine, Algeria, and played the guitar from childhood. After the cancellation of a proposed tour in Algeria in 2000, he wrote a book Mon Algérie (Editions Plon in October 2001) marketed as a "veritable love story between one man and his homeland".

From that time on, he toured throughout the world, recorded hit songs in Spanish and Italian, and met great success on every continent. He has never been permitted to return to Algeria since he left in 1961.^[5][6]

Personal life

Enrico Macias is a widower. He appeared on French television and became an overnight sensation.

This was not very successful, and he developed a new French repertoire that he performed in cafés and cabarets.|He made his first recording in 1962 titled “Adieu mon pays,” which he had composed on the boat to France. His American debut at a sold-out Carnegie Hall took place on February 17, 1968.|He received a gold disc in 1976 for Melissa, and was named Singer of Peace by UN Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim in 1980.

In 2003, he sang "Koum Tara" with Cheb Mami featured in the latter's album Du Sud au Nord and again a live version, this time on Cheb Mami's 2004 album Live au Grand Rex"'

In Turkey, many artists have interpreted his songs with Turkish lyrics including Ajda Pekkan, Başar Tamer, Berkant, Engin Evin, Ferdi Özbeğen, Gökben, Gönül Yazar, Hümeyra, İhsan Kayral, Juanito, Kamuran Akkor, Mavi Çocuklar, Nilüfer, Ömür Göksel, Selçuk Ural, Semiramis Pekkan, Seyyal Taner, Sezer Güvenirgil, Sibel Egemen, Tanju Okan, Yeliz

Controversies

His decision to try to play concerts in Algeria resulted in huge controversy.

He recorded titles in Spanish and Italian and was popular in both countries. 3 by Thomas Gilou – as Maurice Boudboul

2012: Scènes de ménages: ce soir, ils reçoivent – as a priest (TV series)

2019: Family Business – as himself (Netflix series)

Soundtracks

• 1967: Le parapluie des vedettes (TV movie) – singing "Les millionnaires du dimanche"
• 1994: Ha-Perah Be-Gani (documentary) – writing the music for "Marlène"
• 1994: Mina Tannenbaum – "Les filles de mon pays" (composer)
• 1998: A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries – writing and performing "Mon coeur d'attache"
• 2010: Axis of Evil (short film) – singing "J'ai quitté mon pays"
• 2011: Le Chat du rabbin – singing "Qu'elle ne se marie pas"
• 2011: Bachelor Days Are Over – writing and performing "Reste-moi fidèle"
• 2011: Bienvenue à bord – performing "Le mendiant de l'amour", "Les filles de mon pays", "Enfants de tous pays" and "Tu es le soleil de ma vie"

Documentaries

• 1966: Paris aktuell – as himself
• 2001: Tutti frutti – as himself
• 2003: Guerre d'Algérie: la mémoire retrouvée? – as himself
• 2003: Ombre et lumière – as himself
• 2005: Graffiti 60 – as himself
• 2005: Mamy Scopitone – L'âge d'or du clip – as himself (also archive footage)

Bibliography

• Martin Monestier, Enrico Macias, l'enfant de tous pays, 1980
• Enrico Macias and Jacques Demarny, Non, je n’ai pas oublié, 1982
• Enrico Macias and Françoise Assouline, Mon Algérie, 2001
• Enrico Macia and Cheb Mami, Koum Tara Live Au Grand Rex, 2004
• Gérard Calmettes, Rien que du bleu, 2005
• Musicien de cœur, preface by Jacques Leyris, Éditions Horizon, 2005
• Armand Carval, Enrico Macias, Un homme libre pour la Paix (180 Pages), 2008
• Armand Carval, Enrico Macias, Le Chanteur de la Paix (200 pages), 2009
• Armand Carval, Enrico Macias, Le Chanteur de la Paix (180 pages), second edition, 2010
• Idir and Enrico Macias, Cnu ay afṛux (Achenu Aya Frukh) (le duo berbère Kabylie), 2011
• Enrico Macias, "L'envers du ciel bleu", 2015

References

External links