“We don’t change”, even after six years away from the stage: it is with this song that Celine Dion kicked off a series of concerts near Paris on Saturday September 12, an unexpected return for her fans around the world and a symbol of her resilience.
Visibly upset, the 58-year-old Quebec star had to stop singing momentarily out of emotion during this first title, in front of some 30,000 spectators gathered at the Plenitude Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, the largest indoor venue in Europe.
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Cover image: Celine Dion in Paris © Reuters
“It’s definitely tears of joy, I’m so happy to see you,” she told the audience, after blowing them kisses.
“I believed in it”
That’s it, we’re here! It was a promise. I am standing on stage, in this city that I love so much thanks to your support, your love. Thank you, thank you so much,” she added, as the crowd shouted her name.
“I clung to a faint ray of light in the distance, deep in the mountains. I believed in it, I believed in it. And there it is, the sun is there, the sun is in front of me. So, this evening, I want to sing for you, sing for myself, sing about life”, she concluded, before slipping in a few words in English for her non-French-speaking fans then continuing her show.
Wearing a black strapless dress, she took the stage 50 minutes late. Mostly female, the crowd of fans wore sequin dresses or tops, glittery cheeks and t-shirts bearing the image of the star or in a nod to her hits.
Since she left Las Vegas for France at the end of August, the singer with more than 260 million albums sold has been rehearsing for this reunion.
Also read“If you love her, you move”: in Paris, Celine Dion fans make the trip for their idol
Appearances leaving his Parisian palace
For two weeks, she also transformed the countdown to the start of her residency into a sort of unprecedented first part: almost daily appearances, exchanges with admirers capable of waiting for her until the middle of the night in front of her palace… Without forgetting the avalanche of derivative products, from T-shirts to macaroons.
With these concerts, Céline Dion finds herself facing a new major challenge, after overcoming the death in 2016 of René Angélil, her impresario, father of her three sons.
After the cancellation of his last tour in March 2020 due to the pandemic, his desire to return to the stage was thwarted by stiff person syndrome. This incurable neurological disease has been poisoning his life for around twenty years, but it was not diagnosed until 2022.
At the mercy of a new violent episode of paralysis, she then delivered alarming news about her health, then slipped away to get treatment.
It was therefore a complete surprise when she reappeared, two years later, on the Eiffel Tower for the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics with a rendition of Edith Piaf’s “Hymn to Love”, which elevated her to the rank of icon.
A scrutinized performance
The announcement in the spring of this new residency – 16 concerts by mid-October, 10 in May 2027 – produced by the American giant AEG Presents sent his fans into turmoil.
But getting a ticket was like an obstacle course, with prices reaching several hundred euros, considered prohibitive by some.
See alsoElisabeth Reynaud: “Céline Dion has conquered absolutely everything, the result of enormous work” Saturday’s show will begin to raise questions about Céline Dion’s ability to still be able to perform her successes, three evenings a week.
The first female artist to fill the Stade de France in 1999, she nevertheless knows how to prepare for the performances that her repertoire requires.
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Cover image: © France 24
“My Heart Will Go On” (“Titanic”, 1997) and “I’m Alive” (2002) are among the essential English-speaking hits.
French-speaking fans are more in favor of “Pour que tu m’aimes encore” and “J’irai où tu iras”, two classics from his album “D’eux” (1995), created with the complicity of Jean-Jacques Goldman, his favorite songwriter. Two unreleased tracks were also released in 2026, a prelude to a new album.
With AFP
