Thirty Years After Pierre de Grenoble. Interview with Gabriel Yacoub
by Agostino Roncallo
In 1973, when Pierre de Grenoble appeared, folk revival enthusiasts pricked up their ears and sniffed the air wafting across the Alps. That album, with its truly innovative sound, was indeed the sign of something to come: Gabriel and his sister Marie had already laid the foundations for Malicorne, a band that would go on to make history in French folk music. The first four albums, released between 1974 and 1977, will remain etched in our memories not only for their artistic quality but also for the fairytale covers designed by Albert "Gaston" Riou, who still collaborates with Gabriel today, thirty years later: along with Hugues De Courson, he will be one of his inseparable traveling companions. On the first album, in 1974, all the titles are "traditional arrangements" with the exception of "La Pernette," the music of which was written by Gabriel Yacoub himself. The songs come from various French regions, but there is also a well-known Piedmontese traditional song ("Donna Lombarda"). Martine Deschamps's logo already appears: two snakes shaped like the initials of the group's name: it is a symbol we will find often. The second album was released in 1975, also printed in Italy by Ariston under license from Hexagone; it is interesting to note, on the back cover, a comment by the young Moni Ovadia who identifies a series of references between the album's songs and Costantino Nigra's Canti popolari del Piemonte (Einaudi 1967). 1976 saw the release of the beautiful Almanach, which would go gold in 1978. This brought us to 1978, the year in which two Malicorne albums were released, including the first compilation that concluded the period with the Hexagone record label; the new album, in fact, published for the first time by Ballon Noir, was "L'extraordinaire Tour de France d'Adelard Rousseau, dit Nivernais la clef des coeurs". The Italian edition, distributed by Ricordi, is sorely missing the travel journal of Abelard Rousseau, a bricklayer who joined the sect of six "Costruttori del dovere", around whose story the lyrics on the album were written. The prolific period didn't end there, however: in 1979, two more albums were released, including the first live album, recorded on December 2 and 3, 1978, in Montreal, Quebec, and "Le bestiaire." The latter, as the title suggests, is an album inspired by traditional animal symbolism. Hugues De Courson became the group's producer. This brought us to the early 1980s: a period in which the folk revival in general was experiencing a crisis of identity and inspiration, one that even Malicorne couldn't escape. Several years would pass before the release of "Le cathedrales de l'industrie" and "Balancoire en feu," two albums in which Gabriel increasingly took on the role of composer. At this point, the group decided to split up, and Gabriel embarked on a solo career that led him, after working on seven albums, to his 2001 CD, released with the help of Yannick Hardouin and the tireless Hugues de Courson. The title is the essential ":YACOUB:," inserted between two atypical punctuation marks. The songs are all original with the exception of the beautiful "You stay here" (by Richard Shindell) and "L'amour marin" (by Brassens). But overall, Gabriel seeks to rediscover simpler, more authentic sounds in this album compared to his previous album, "Quatre." It's as if we were rediscovering our old songwriter in all his energetic compositional strength, always innovative and with few lapses. It's the same thing we wish would happen for other songwriters, because when it happens, we sink into our seats and the enthusiasm leads us to listen to even the old CDs again, happy with the continuity that unites past and present. But also in 2001, "The Simple Things We Said" was released: a collection conceived for the American market that nevertheless possesses highly original elements. Don't think of it as a typical collection of songs; this release is the result of thoughtful choices, starting with the arrangements: the CD was recorded in Paris and the songs were innovatively reworked, thanks in particular to bassist Yannick Hardouin and violinist Nathalie Rivière. Gabriel Yacoub's career has been long, a career that today is enriched by a new chapter: the book of his lyrics ("Les choses les plus simples") published in France by Christian Pirot. Our conversation began precisely with the topic of this book.
A.R. To begin with the present, you published a book (Les choses les plus simples) containing a collection of 72 song lyrics that significantly represent thirty years of work. How did the idea of publishing your lyrics come about, and how did you choose them from your vast output?
G.Y. My publisher, Christian Pirot, has a delightful series of books called "Petite Collection Chanson," which features quality song lyrics, even if the authors aren't necessarily very famous. I was very happy with his request, and instead of selecting from all the songs I'd written, I chose to take all the ones that had been recorded by myself and others, like Roulez Fillettes, Joan Baez, Laïs, Robert Wyatt, and Dave Van Ronk. For further information, please visit the publisher's website: http://www.friendship-first.com/christianpirot_fr.htm
A.R. Reading the lyrics to your latest CD (:YACOUB :), we're enchanted by the evocative power of the words and, due to their depth, the music. Listening to the CD feels like taking a journey through memory lane, from the past to the present. Is there a thread, a theme, that connects the songs on the CD and your ideas?
G.Y. There's an overarching theme in this album that inspired some of the lyrics. It's a reaction to the common and widespread idea that "it was better before." I have the feeling that the era we're currently living in is far from ideal, especially in these absurd days of war: it wasn't better before, if anything, it's worse. I also think, and try to behave in this way, that it will be even better afterward. A small, optimistic, humanist philosophy.
A.R. In the past, there have been people who have collaborated with you on different levels, starting with your first album Malicorne and ending with your recent CD in 2001. Think, for example, of Hugues de Courson or Albert “Gaston” Riou. Can you tell us something about these long-standing collaborations?
G.Y. These people are certainly old and good friends, like artistic and human beacons on my path. It's often exciting to meet new people, to have new experiences, and all of that is very enriching. But it's reassuring to be able to count on solid and valuable support.
A.R. A few questions about the past: are there any memories from the beginning of your artistic career that you're particularly fond of? What are they?
G.Y. It's hard to say. I see my career, the beginnings, then the Malicorne period up until today, as a single whole. It's an adventure that I don't separate from my private life. It's a whole. What remains in me is the reflection, the apprenticeship, the doubts, rather than specific events.
A.R. In 1996, Malicorne released "Balancoire en feu" after years of silence. How do you feel about this CD? Was the Malicorne reunion just a brief moment, or will we be lucky enough to see them in public again in the near future?
G.Y. No. First, a clarification: the album actually dates back to 1986. This album is a sort of farewell. At the time, we decided to end this experience because we felt we had concluded a conversation. Since we are relatively ambitious, we absolutely didn't want to retreat into a shell, repeat ourselves in the name of illusion or success. Each of us wanted to move in other directions, towards new adventures. This decision was made peacefully by the entire group. So, at the time, we wanted to end on a high note and try something new: to move away from the traditional repertoire and towards a repertoire of original songs. I have excellent memories of this album. I have no desire to artificially recreate a wonderful artistic and human adventure.
A.R. One last question: what is your relationship with your sister Maria today, artistically speaking? What are your current projects?
G.Y. Maria wanted to step away from the stage, but without abandoning the music world. She works on world music for a major record label (Virgin).