The room is packed this Thursday evening in February in Pleyel. After several minutes of waiting, darkness arises. It floods the hall and suddenly silences the chirping of the public which had hitherto risen from the floor to the balconies. A huge face appears overhanging the background of the scene, whose eyes surrounded by glasses are pierced by flashes of light. A robotic voice comes out of nowhere: “Welcome to Sofiane Pamart’s concert”. The scene lights up. Dressed in a multicolored and flamboyant kimono, the artist enters and settles in silence. Then fly away the first cosmic chords of the pianist, and off we go for a journey into the lands of his soul.
For an hour and a half, the public seems to be in apnea, hypnotized by the psychedelic light effects of the scenography and suspended in the melodies of the artist. “Music is an art where you can control time for a moment and when I feel 2,000 people holding their breath waiting for the next note, that feeling is incredible,” he told 20 minutes a few days later on a sunny terrace. On stage, the 31-year-old musician does not say a word, or almost. Outside, he is personable, passionate and modest.
By his side, we would almost forget that this piano virtuoso whose universe borrows as much from classical as from hip-hop, is among the top 10 most streamed classical music artists in the world. And that next fall, he will be the first pianist in history to fill the Accor Arena in Paris.
A story of talent and family
At Pleyel, the musician showed the different facets of his talent: moving compositions and masterful mastery of his instrument. There was also this piece shared with his little sister Lina, a violinist. “It’s my favorite moment, I find her so beautiful, so perfect when she arrives on stage. I am so proud of her and honored to have her next to me. Plus my family was in the audience that night so it touched me even more. It’s a lot of emotions and it tells our whole story,” he says.
Sofiane Pamart grew up on the outskirts of Lille, and it was her mother who encouraged her siblings (he has a little brother and a little sister) to learn music. For him, it will be the piano. “I always felt like it was like an extension of my body. I had the feeling that I looked good and that I had found an instrument that could tell the emotions that I couldn’t necessarily express in words”. He entered the conservatory at the age of seven and received a gold medal at the age of 23. A brilliant career that is the pride of his family. “I managed to do great things very early on, but it’s also because I was valued from an early age. My parents were too proud, every time we met I played a piece of piano, I was the star of my family. I liked that feeling and I wanted to develop it on a larger scale,” he analyzes.
In parallel with a very classical musical education, his love for rap was also very early mixed up, which he inherited in particular from an uncle who was keen on hip-hop. “As a child, I fantasized about those grown-ups who listened to rap and were a bit marginal and rebellious. I did not find this freedom in the classical at the conservatory. I wanted to look more like the rapper, but with my own thing, which is the piano. His dream ? “Becoming the pianist of French rap”.
A place in French rap
Sofiane Pamart then worked with several artists, including Scylla, with whom he recorded two albums, but also Vald, Dinos (on the very beautiful piece 93 measures) or Medina. The pianist particularly remembers a concert shared with the rapper from Le Havre. “He invited me to his first Olympia, I wasn’t known at all, he gave me a setting and gave me confidence. In front of all his audience he said: “A maximum of noise for the one who will become the pianist of French rap: Sofiane Pamaaaart!” No one knew me and everyone cheered me on. I always said to myself that it was possible, but even more so,” he recalls.
The pianist ends up going solo in 2019 with a first album entitled Planet, while continuing to compose for others. Two different exercises where he finds his “balance”. “What I love with artists is that I put everything I know how to do at the service of their universe. It’s a meeting but I really try to blend in with their approaches. It brings me a breathing space compared to when I am facing myself and my inner vertigo”. This also allows him to unite a varied audience, from classical, hip-hop, and even video games (he notably signed the music for the official ad from Assassin’s Creed Valhalla).
“My audience does not fit into any box. I think it’s great because neither do I, and that’s exactly what I wanted! “says the musician. For him, it is also “a desire to have no prejudices about anyone. Everyone is welcome. This is also why I want to be apolitical because I want to talk about human emotions, about what brings us together and not about subjects that can divide people”.
“Dear Audience”
This public, more and more numerous, which fills its rooms and reserves standing ovationSofiane Pamart dedicated her latest album to him, letter, released on February 11. Put end to end, all the titles form a declaration of love: Dear public, your love saved me from solitude forever. Sincerely, Sofiane. PS: I wrote this album in Asia. The album was composed and recorded in different countries, in Vietnam, Japan or South Korea. He has also traveled to Egypt, Cuba and even Lapland where he has performed under the Northern Lights. Journeys that nourish his music and his shows. The artist is also venturing into the world of luxury, where he collaborates with houses like Cartier, and also into the metaverse, recently launching NFTs. The buyers were thus able to listen to his album in advance, and will attend a rehearsal of the famous Bercy in a few months.
But when you’ve received prestigious music awards, federated rap and classical, traveled the world and filled great concert halls, what’s left to do? “It’s endless! No matter what level you reach, you can always set new dreams and new goals, he replies enthusiastically. I’m starting to have in mind to play near a volcano, and why not in space one day? I see myself playing the piano until very late, like my masters, like Henri Barda, who still plays too well at 80. I will have thousands of challenges to overcome until then. »