Ekzhibition 104

Description

L’exhibitionnisme est sans doute le qualificatif qui s’accorde le moins bien avec la personnalité de Khalil Chahine, l’un plus discrets et talentueux des compositeurs français. Et le choix de ce titre pour son neuvième album, malgré le sortilège du K, illustre parfaitement ce qu’il pense de cette foire aux vanités qu’est le métier de l’artiste.
It is, on the contrary, in the softness and balance that the 9 compositions of the album settle into the hollow of our ears, which, without breaking with its predecessors nourished by symphonic orchestras and strings, stands out in more than one way. They are still there, the strings, luminous and sensitive under the fingers of a quartet formed by Analuna Chahine, Christophe Cravero, and the Brunard brothers, but it is here the winds that prevail.
Stéphane Chausse, as a talented multi-instrumentalist, deploys the majesty of his playing, whether he takes up the clarinet, flute, or saxophone, or even the Ewi, this "electronic wind controller."
And one is surprised from the first track, to be suspended to the vibration of his clarinet, in unison with a mandolin and a violin.
Vers le Symorgh, the second track of the album, perfectly illustrates the personality of this musician who, perpetually, seeks to understand the world. The bird of knowledge in Persian mythology, which nests in the tree of knowledge, replaces here the emblematic falcon of the previous albums and puts its benevolence at the service of humanity. It is undoubtedly the most "Chahinien" title of the entire album, which is reminiscent of a certain "Mektoub" from 1989.
"Mescaline," a hypnotic melody plunges us into a sea of sensations from a tumultuous past, like the welcome healing of an old pain.
Khalil reunites with excellent companions, Icheme Zouggart on bass, Mathieu Chazarenc on drums, and trumpeter Claude Egea for an enlightened collaboration.
The surprise mainly comes from "Tranquilla Moça," a tranquil movement that evokes the obviousness of love, sung by the Portuguese Salvador Sobral, whose voice, a touching blend of grace and inspiration, weaves like a healing water over the words of Jenna Thiam, conveying what "Écrire avec de l’eau," an aquatic ballad where the guitar flirts with saturation, implies. Khalil Chahine excels indeed in the composition of songs.
This ninth opus confirms what has been playing out for many years, the talent of an artist who reveals his intimacy and his feelings about the world only through his music. Viktor Lazlo, 25/01/2022