Oete, kesako? A poet who has had his p taken away, but not his panache. Like his stage name, this flamboyant 24-year-old Picard leaves no one indifferent. Each of his concerts has the feel of a hurricane, between 70s disco and 80s pop, with disco balls, weapons and glitter – the title of his first album, released a year ago.
Since then, he has been playing constantly on our decks, with titles as catchy and danceable as “la Tête plein”, “Corps & Ego”, “Defence” and “Cobra”. His coming to Paris Paradis, the Parisian festival in the Parc de la Villette (Paris 19th century) was self-evident. Especially since this funny bird will play on the Islands stage this Sunday, September 9 at 5:40 p.m.
A meeting was necessary to discover the world of this boy who cites among his heroes Barbara, Anne Sylvestre and Daniel Darc – the late singer of Taxi Girl – who covers on stage “Let me dance” by Dalida and “Idées noirs” by Bernard Lavilliers and Nicoletta, while using ultra-modern keyboard sounds.
It took place in mid-July after his two appearances at the Francofolies. He knows La Rochelle. It was there that he conceived his album and participated in the spring at the very educational and renowned Chantier des Francos.
“I was completely out of step with those around me”
We find the 24-year-old young man in his dressing room, made up, tattooed, bangs and earrings: “I come from Maulers, a small village of 250 inhabitants in Picardy. I grew up in a working-cl family, between two brothers. I have always needed expression, art and culture and I have done everything to seize them. At five years old, I was already doing theater in the next village. I already wanted to be a singer! »
In his evangelical Protestant family, which goes to church every Sunday, he feels apart. “I was completely out of step with those around me,” he admits. I watched fashion shows on TV, I loved Zazie, Lavilliers, I danced at balls to the songs of Niagara and Mylène Farmer… I discovered Daniel Darc late through someone who told me that I reminded him of him. I love people who have something so dark and bright at the same time. »
He started music late. “This was not practiced at all in my campaign. I waited for my first salary as an animator, at 17, to buy a guitar and start playing on it. The first one I learned was Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door. And I made my first song three months later. It’s at the bottom of a drawer…”
“My songs have to be effective, make you want to dance”
He grew up in the 2000s – “With music that I didn’t like at all,” he says –, studied to be a specialized educator, graduated in 2020 and was requisitioned for the Covid-19 pandemic in a children’s home.
“Teenagers in crisis, it was quite violent,” he remembers. At least not for me. That’s when I decided to go into music. In September 2020, I made my first sound, I released it in December, I put it in story and three days later I was signed by Roy Music. I have always been ambitious. Yesterday, I sang for ten minutes on the main Francos stage between two artists, in front of 15,000 people. If I can come back in two years, I’m up for it. I want to go to the end. »
By his own admission, Oete is not a very prolific artist. “I was raised on hits on the radio and my songs have to be effective, make you want to dance,” he summarizes. The writing was clearly theutic, an emancipation for me who came from the depths of Picardy, which was very phobic, racist and FN. We had to make songs… I only write about very instinctive things, like Freedom darling in 2017 after the Paris attacks or Thank you for living, in piano-voice, about those who inspired me. In 2020, I went to Paris, where I finally have culture within reach, where I live surrounded by artists. I love feeding on that. »