Comedian Gad Elmaleh Reveals Musical Roots, Plans Claude Nougaro Tribute Album

By deciding to release an album covering some songs by Claude Nougaro, the comedian is giving substance to an old passion that has never left him, and at the same time, paying tribute to an artist who has cradled his childhood. Gad Elmaleh confided that the first thing he bought when he could have money was a piano, a Steinway. "At home, I also have guitars," he says.

The album paying tribute to the career of Claude Nougaro will be available on November 20 and Gad Elmaleh has apprehensions about the fate that will be reserved for him by music lovers.

In a long interview given to the Journal du dimanche, published on October 18, 2020, he specified that this project had been anchored in him for many years and he thanks life for allowing him to realize a childhood dream. "As a kid, in Casablanca, I didn’t think I would be a comedian or an actor, I dreamed of being a singer. I took piano lessons, a bit of percussion too," he confides in the columns of the newspaper.

The Toulouse singer Claude Nougaro was the mixture of everything the comedian could have desired in a singer. "I was touched by Nougaro, because I found what I was looking for: jazz, poetry, stories. Over time, I bought everything: studio albums, concerts, compilations, special editions... His death was a shock," he recounts, overwhelmed by sadness.

By tackling such a legend of French music, the Moroccan is aware that music lovers will not give him any gifts on November 20 if this cover album is not up to the talent of Claude Nougaro. Moreover, after his concert during which he presented some titles from the Toulouse singer’s repertoire, the reviews flowed from all sides. Chouchou will read more after November 20, the same source specifies.