Singer Ali.

-

Jules Faure

  • Eight solo artists, three duets and a trio are in the running for 

    Eurovision France, it's up to you!

    , the French selection for Eurovision which will be broadcast on January 30 on France 2.

  • Ali is in contention with the song 

    Paris tells me

    .

  • “It's a sincere song, above all.

    I'm telling my story, ”explains

     the artist from Lebanon

    to 

    20 Minutes

    .

This year, twelve songs can hope to represent France at Eurovision Song Contest in May.

But there will only be one elected.

They will be decided on the evening of January 30, on France 2, within the framework of

Eurovision France, you decide!

presented by Stéphane Bern and Laurence Boccolini.

Until then,

20 Minutes invites

 you to discover every day the artists who, solo, duo or trio, are involved in the competition.

For Ali, this participation in the French selection is a baptism of fire.

Paris dit me 

is the very first musical experience of the 29-year-old artist who, coming from Lebanon, delivers a declaration of love to the French capital.

How did you come to music?

This is the first time that I express myself musically.

I was not predestined to be a singer.

From Lebanon where I come from, we are more encouraged to be an architect, lawyer or doctor, to secure our future.

I studied interior design and once I graduated I wanted to follow my dreams.

I left Lebanon, I went through Italy and I settled in Paris, which adopted me, which opened its arms to me.

That's why I wrote this song.

You wrote this song with the band Hyphen Hyphen, how did it go?

I am friends with them.

This project was born from experiments between friends.

We were singing together for a laugh and they said "But actually, you sing!"

?

They were touched by my story, so we decided to tell it in music, to do something together.

We settled down, we started to write, to record and we ended up with this title which is for me so important.

And here I am, a

Eurovision France

finalist

.

For a first speech, what better than the stage with the biggest audience?

What are the assets of "Paris tells me" for Eurovision?

It's a sincere song, above all.

I tell my story, I talk about what France is, about what

my

France is: a country that welcomed me, that opened its arms to me and allowed me to be what I am really, to make my dreams come true.

Today, we need to share messages of love, of hope.

What can we expect with your performance?

Drama!

(

Bursts out laughing

) Just kidding.

I'm a pretty visual person, who likes to tell stories, so it's going to be a scenography that will illustrate everything I sing.

If I say "Eurovision", which song or artist do you spontaneously think of?

The very first that comes to mind is Conchita Wurst with

Rise Lise a Phoenix

[2015].

I found it incredible, chic, elegant, vocally impeccable.

As if by chance, it won (

laughs

).

Apart from your participation in "Eurovision France", do you have other projects?

Every Sunday, I do covers on my Instagram account to give an overview of my musical universe.

Lots of great things are to come.

What is certain is that this is only the beginning of the adventure.

  • Music

  • Eurovision

  • Television

  • France 2

  • Culture