“This mix of feelings flavored with herbs gently makes me smile and eventually makes me sick. I hate couples that remind me I’m alone! I hate couples, I just hate them! My heart, my love, my love, my heart.” A verse and the chorus from Anaïs’s hit song on every station remind those unaware of Anaïs’s singing. She is beautiful, she sings well, she is humorous, very humorous. She is simple. Almost the perfect woman. On Thursday night, she charmed many men but also many women. Anaïs offered her heart and her love to the audience in Nice.
“It really is classy to be here”: Anaïs, natural, in jeans and t-shirt with guitar in hand, is happy to sing in the Cimiez arenas despite being feverish and suffering from a cough. The audience acts as an antibiotic and the same audience thanks her for bringing freshness in the midst of a heatwave. An imitation of Céline Dion here, an imitation of the sea sounds, wind and waves included there, Anaïs does more than sing, she animates her concerts. She brings her personal touch, triggering smiles like flashes throughout her “show.” We never tire of it and always want more. Anaïs mischief. Anaïs accomplice. Anaïs delight. Anaïs thank you.
Juanes is the star of the moment. His “Camisa Negra” could be considered the summer hit of 2006. There was a crowd, a big crowd, to see the Colombian and his “Latin Lover” sway on the stage of the Nice Jazz Festival. Women in “hysteria” mode imagining catching the eye of the new “Ricky Martin,” and men in “skeptical” mode, jaded by the fact that a simple guitar, a commonplace tattoo, a rehearsed smile, and three words of Spanish suffice to provoke blind idolatry. Electric guitars get excited at the end of the song to blend into a rock sound for songs with deeply dance and disco rhythms. The style is popular. This style works, and we let ourselves be taken in, aided by pretty girls nearby amusing themselves by imitating the Colombian artist’s butt movements. A hot show for the pleasure of both eyes and ears.
Juanes and Anaïs brought their personalities and musicalities to the Nice Jazz Festival like all the other artists present at this major event. There is one week of shows left. One thing is certain: with Juanes and Anaïs, the Nice Jazz Festival is off to an excellent start.
