Bachar Mar Khalifé joue Christophe
Description
The title of the album Bachar Mar-Khalifé Plays Christophe inevitably comes as a surprise: the Lebanese composer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist ventures into the world of the pop dandy who emerged from the yé-yé scene.
From the very first notes, one thing becomes clear: a natural splendor flows through melodies restored to their fragility and simplicity. Bachar Mar-Khalifé explores the hypnotic melancholy of a universe that is both sophisticated and crystal-clear. A fascinating dive "into this crumbling luxury," as the lyrics of Paradis perdus put it.
Seven tracks accompanied by his long-time collaborators Dogan Poyraz on drums and Aleksander Angelov on bass—seven narratives that unfold the musical richness of Christophe’s songs as much as the depth of Bachar Mar-Khalifé’s playing and singing.
It’s a captivating journey, both on record and on stage. In fact, that’s where it all began. In April 2025, BMK dared to pay tribute to Christophe at the Fragile Festival, at Cirque Zingaro, five years after the latter’s death. At first glance, this wasn’t his usual world. "I didn’t worship him all my life," he admits. "I really got to know Christophe personally before I knew his work in detail."
Growing up in Lebanon and then after moving to France in 1989 at the age of six, the music played at home left little room for Christophe’s pop. "We listened more to Brassens, Brel, Ferré, Barbara. I barely knew anything beyond Les Mots bleus. Then we met. Christophe loved the night, young musicians, exploring together..."
In 2018, Bachar and Christophe recorded a live FIP Unik session—a 45-rpm record recorded live—followed by a concert at the Maison de la Radio. The younger artist had the chance to discover a legend, as well as his creative process: "His melodies allow you to go very far—and even he, who seemed to seek a new version with every performance, as if he wanted to return to the organic essence of the song. A seeker who, out of a need for freedom, wanted to escape the image people had of him."
So there was no question of overproducing these covers, as one might out of anxiety when approaching an intimidating body of work. "I tried to work very quickly to deliver each song as if I had written it myself." The work was instinctive and spontaneous, with most of the album stemming from the trio’s rehearsals and the concerts that followed. "I chose songs that moved me. Very beautiful melodies and very beautiful lyrics." Whether the words were by Jean-Michel Jarre or Alain Kan, "they often speak of love in danger. I love the idea of highlighting this line from Paradis perdus*: ‘Dandy, a little cursed, a little aged / In this crumbling luxury.’"*
Here and there, he pruned the lyrics, as if to better reveal, in Les Mots bleus, "The winter wind blows in April / I love the still silence"—an evocation of the month of Christophe’s death. And he chose a lesser-known yé-yé-era song, Les Amoureux qui passent, featuring young trumpeter Siméon Petrov, which further expands the play on the archetypes of vintage romantic songs.
Between embraced fragility and the dizziness of emotion, between the virtuosity of lightness and unfathomable depths, Bachar Mar-Khalifé unfolds an unexpected spiritual kinship with Christophe. A bond of silences and sonic surprises (like a synthesized zurna sound in Emporte-moi), which will continue on tour. And he’s also preparing an album of original songs, his first since 2020, after years of composing for film and collaborating with other artists. He’s writing songs of love and dance, even as Lebanon and the world face such dark times. Perhaps this is Christophe’s lesson: to love and sing "in this crumbling luxury."
Tracklist
A2. La dolce vita
A3. Tangerine/Minuit boulevard
B1. Ferber endormi
B2. Emporte-moi
B3. Les paradis perdus
B4. Les amoureux qui passent
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