Paris (AFP)

"For me it's a return to school": the rapper Chilla, who has been playing the violin for 12 years, is delighted to find a philharmonic orchestra for the 4th edition of Hip-Hop Symphonique, Tuesday at Paris.

The principle of this concert-event is always the same, to invite rappers - besides Chilla this year Ninho, Rim'K and SCH - to ask their flow on the notes of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Radio France, at the auditorium of the radio house (8:30 pm).

It is a clash of cultures on paper: a pure product of the hip-hop world, with its microphone but without its usual DJ, in front of a set of about sixty musicians between strings, wind instruments and music stands. But not for Chilla.

"Yes, the orchestra, I know, from the age of 6 I started the violin and I did for 12 years," says the 25-year-old rapper AFP. "An auditorium I know by heart, the direction of a conductor too.For me, it's a return to basics, a homecoming, a return to school", adds the one who in his youth has attended the Conservatory in Annecy.

- "Unique experience" -

Chilla, who then "chose rap in an optics of opposition to this classical (musical) education, this rigor that did not suit me any more", longs for "to be there".

"It's a unique experience, so exciting," continues Mareva Rana, his real name. Will she have a small advantage over the other rappers? "The others may not be impressed, say maybe in unknown territory, on land known to me (laughs)".

In four editions, she is the second rapper to officiate after Wallen last year. "It's nice," she says. Being the only woman on the micro side of the show, she does not make a mountain: "I'm used to, when I find another woman (rapper, on a stage) is that something happens, it's that it is an all-female platter (laughs) ".

To coordinate hip-hop and symphonic, it is Issam Krimi, 39, at the origin of the concept, which will ensure as each time the artistic direction and orchestration. The man with several hats, he will be once again on the keyboards of his band The Ice Kream, between jazz and gospel, third component of the show.

- Chansigné concert -

"As I often say, I'm schizophrenic and polyglot, I do not have the same language with rappers, The Ice Kream and the Philharmonic," he describes to AFP. "We do not speak the same language but we say the same thing, I'm not there to distort hip-hop, we make symphonic hip-hop, I'm the guarantor," he insists.

What kind of atmosphere does this old roader expect? "The public of hip-hop is the best in the world, it is always the rendezvous", he slips first while the places, free, left immediately when the opening of the box office.

"The big surprise of the last edition is that the + Philhar + has risen! All the musicians got up to play the last title, he says amused.I told myself + it is not possible. + From where I am placed, I do not see the whole scene, so I turn around and there I see them and I let go + ah ok, you are all standing + (laughs) ".

He also describes "the after", the private evening after the show, between the participants: "There was no longer that feeling of people who come from different backgrounds, those who are score beasts and those who do not read music but have an incredible ear and attitude ".

The concert, supported by the Adami (collective management of the rights of performers) will be chansigné, that is to say translated musically into sign language, and broadcast live on the Mouv 'and the mouv.fr.

© 2019 AFP