After having secretly prepared the first opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Paris 2024 Organising Committee unveiled on Thursday 5 September the electro-made-in-France theme of the final show which will close the Paralympic events at the Stade de France on Sunday 8 September. Twenty-four artists, pioneers, actors and descendants of the French touch divided into four scenes for approximately one hour of show.
By the way, Tony Estanguet (president of the Paris 2024 organising committee), Thomas Jolly (artistic director), Thierry Reboul (director of ceremonies) and Victor Le Masne (musical director) have not said anything about the musical and choreographic performances that will mark the first part of the afternoon. We only know that disabled musicians should start the festivities, between tribute to athletes, national and Paralympic anthems and extinguishing the cauldron.
But, in the presence of several of the artists scheduled for this Sunday (Jean-Michel Jarre, Kittin, Martin Solveig, Ofenbach, Irène Drésel, Tatyana Jane, Agoria…), the quartet explained why and how they had decided “Party with those who have been making the planet dance for years”.
If this electronic touch colored many moments of the first ceremonies (Kavinsky, Myd, Barbara Butch, Cerrone…), it seemed important that our “most exported musical genre” transforms this theatre of sporting exploits into a dance floor, in front of an international audience.
“The Journey of the Wave”
A choice whose historical significance is underlined by Jean-Michel Jarre, true godfather of this music scene and pioneer of great electronic shows: “This music was born a century ago in France and Europe. It comes from the heritage of classical instrumental music. The first composers of the genre were nourished by impressionism and surrealism. »
Victor Le Masne recalls that in 1924 the Frenchman Maurice Martenot (1898-1980) began working on what would become the Martenot waves (first presented to the public in 1928), often considered the first synthetic instrument. An ancestor that gave the musical director the idea of a “wave trip” uniting all these artists. The wave serving as a red thread for the passing of the baton between each of the twenty-four musicians.
Among veterans, some measure the progress made since the 1990s. “When I think about the number of times I’ve ended up at the police station after a rave or party, I can’t believe I took part in this ceremony.” laughs composer and DJ Sébastien Devaud, better known as Agoria. While young Tatyana Jane marvels at being able to play on the same stage as Martin Solveig, her “childhood idol”while welcoming the way the programme will mix underground artists and international stars such as Kungs, The Avener and Ofenbach.
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