On to the music, really? Friday evening, on France 2 and live from the musical Seine, take place the Victoires de la musique. But after three years of the Covid crisis, the music world is still recovering. And the ceremony which celebrates artists, emerging or established, is also shaken by controversy. Not enough women among the Victories of Honor, a starving place left to rap, a program disconnected from new uses…
As he completes his three-year term as president of Les Victoires, Stéphane Espinosa wants to believe in the crucial importance of this ceremony. For 20 minuteshe analyzes the repercussions on the world of music of three years of health crisis, and on the way to bring out new talents.
What do the Victoires represent in the landscape of contemporary music in France in 2023, in your opinion?
I think Victories are still just as important, maybe even more so than before. It’s a lot of things, Victories. A photograph of current music, an award ceremony, but above all, it’s a great live concert in prime time on television. And that makes Victories unique.
Do you think Les Victoires has a public service mission?
Without a doubt. Especially for artists nominated for Revelations. For many of them, it’s their first appearance on TV, and often, a passage to the Victoires is a career accelerator, a way of getting noticed by new audiences, of moving on to a higher dimension. I’m still quite happy with the nominees for this year’s Revelations because all genres are represented: electro, chanson, rap… There are singers in English and in French. There really is quite a broad spectrum. I hope this is a sign that the measures we have put in place are effective.
What measures?
We worked on the council of voters, for more diversity. There was a renewal of 50% of voters, and a multivote system. The voters no longer make a single choice but establish a trio. I think it allows a greater diversity of artists to be exhibited.
Still, with Stromae, Angèle and Orel San among the most nominated this year, it feels a bit like attending the same ceremony as last year.
There are cycles. Some artists who were said to be subscribers to Victoires, like M or Benjamin Biolay, are not there. There is a renewal. But the presence of Stromae, Angèle and Orel San for two years in a row also shows that the market has changed. Today, the exploitation of albums can be very long. With the Covid, tours have been postponed, albums have been worked on for longer. We sometimes have new artists’ albums coming out when the tour of the previous one is barely over.
Do you think this is a new norm?
I don’t know. Who can know? We talk about a return to normal but people forget that last year again, we were masked for the ceremony… The public returns to the concert, it’s true. But not all concerts. We should talk about it with turners, but I have the feeling that things have changed a lot. Some artists with not very large but very active fan communities manage to fill rooms very quickly. For others, it’s harder… In this context where the stage is more fundamental than ever, the Victories play their part.
Last year, on stage, SCH made a speech to denounce the absence of rap artists who nevertheless have a very large audience. Ninho complained about not being named. This year he will receive the Victory for the most streamed album… Does rap have a place in Victories?
Of course. SCH’s criticism was legitimate and understandable, and it had an impact on our thinking. We want this ceremony to be the mirror of creation in France. Me, I am a producer and I know that the proportion of rap artists that we produce is very important. Things are also changing in Victories and for some, that’s not enough. Everyone has their own vision of diversity according to their musical tastes…
There is another lack in the charts. Since its creation in 1985, the title of honorary president, this year held by Calogero, has never fallen to a woman. And among the 26 Victories of Honor, this year given to Serge Lama, there were only four for women.
We tried to have an honorary president, there were attempts but so far, it hasn’t worked. I hope that the person who will succeed me will succeed. I think this title is important, it allows us to highlight artists who have left their mark on music in France and who want to transmit something.
A competing ceremony, Les Flammes, has been launched and will be held in April. With more room for women, rap, and streaming platforms… Do you think that’s a good thing?
Without a doubt. At one time there was the Constantin prize, there is also the Joséphine prize. It is an emulation. The Flames are trying something new, that’s good. We need ceremonies in tune with the world of music as it is today. For example, with the Covid, there has been an acceleration towards greater digitalization, as with everyday life for that matter. Our ways of listening to music have evolved, the way of discovering artists too, concert habits too. There is for example a whole new generation, which was between 18 and 20 years old during the Covid, and which today has the slab of concerts and discoveries. This is still good news!