Review
Publication date : Monday, December 11th 2006 - 23 073 views When the Admiral sets the Zénith ablaze
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Admiral T is a safe bet, in the studio of course, but above all on stage, by far the place where he conveys the most intensity when he picks up the mic. He demonstrated it once again on Friday night, in a near-full Zénith that he was headlining.
 No doubt about it, the Admiral is due a promotion. On Friday night, the Guadeloupean toaster set the Zénith on fire. It was to be expected, after his much-noticed performances as support for Sean Paul in 2003 (already at the Zénith), at Bercy during the Garance reggae festival 2004 or at the Olympia on 24 May this year.
But a show like this one has to be earned. An hour and a half of waiting outside the Zénith, in the rain. Less so for the clever ones, who were lucky enough to catch the opening act, led by Saël.
For everyone else, no appetiser. First a (too long) interval, just to bring an impatient Zénith to the boil. 9:11 pm: a murmur spreads through the pit: "Admiral! Admiral!" A booming voice then shakes the crowd: "Bad man sing againnnn!" "T" bursts out, four dancers at his heels. Two fire fountains shoot up, but the hall is already ablaze. Choreography in support, Admiral T launched into Debrouya, and hardly anyone noticed the acoustic problem. Ghetto, "Sound system: the Guadeloupean leaps about, proud of his intro. Never mind the dull rumble escaping from the speakers. Suddenly the sound is let loose, the decibels finally spit out. The show can begin.
The Admiral touch
 And Admiral T knows what he is doing, skilfully mixing reggae, dancehall and gentler rhythms (zouk, salsa...). The stage is his garden. He pampers his audience (who know all his lyrics). Nothing is left to chance. The concert is scripted; you notice it, but you do not see it coming. In the end you laugh at having been fooled by that rascal Admiral T, never in the same outfit twice during the concert but always with a smile at the corner of his lips. He takes malicious pleasure in doffing his cap to put on a sombrero, before seducing the Zénith with a salsa version of Sucre d'Orge. In cooling off by drinking the flesh of a coconut carefully hidden at the foot of the drum kit, the better to launch into Retour au pays natal. Or in strumming the first chords of Fos a peyi la on the guitar to lift the atmosphere. That is the Admiral T touch. As a result, every lament, every message is loaded with meaning.
 But the toaster from Boissard does not stop at these subtle stagings. The singer is above all a citizen. Not a lecturer, simply involved. After a poignant Docté ka malad, Admiral T declares, serious: "Don't forget: today is the 20th edition of the Téléthon. Make your donations!" On the heels of a hair-raising medley (Rendez-vous, Gwadada c'lov, So Strong, Pull up), he does it again. On another front, that of politics. "We will soon be in 2007. And in 2007 come the presidential elections. Those of you who are not registered, I invite you to do so. So that they don't choose for us. So that it doesn't go the way it always does." Then freestyle, the vocal machine gun starts up: "They want to jet-wash my family and my friends with a Kärcher, it will cost them dear..." We will also remember his "anti-violence" tirade and his message of peace, notably concerning homosexuals, after Lanmou epi respe.
Apotheosis
If he plays the big brother for part of his audience, he does so with his guests too, whom he has a gift for putting at ease and showing off. Quite simply by handing them the keys to the shop, so he can catch his breath in the wings. The ruse goes unnoticed, since the said guests, talented, slot perfectly into this multicultural landscape. Saël first, who settles in with his pal on "Mets-nous à l'aise", then charms the Zénith alone with a soothing www.loving you (without Bounty Killer, of course). The zouker Dominik Coco also joins the party, sings his duet with Admiral T Douvan nou kai, then Gwada solo. On the other hand, no Diam's, Rohff or Kassav, who appeared on the recent "Toucher l'Horizon".
True to form, Admiral T cast himself as an emissary of Caribbean culture. Into this festive tableau he slipped traditional dances, a poem in Creole, percussion (even he joined in!)... His musicians, never overwhelmed by his jerky, disconcerting flow, and the blazing performance of an impressive "beatboxer", also deserve a mention. The evening ends in apotheosis on the anthem Move together. Confetti, fireworks, all the players in this unprecedented concert (in every sense of the term) came back on stage behind the Guadeloupean, in a carnival atmosphere. The finale drags on, as if to prolong the party a little more. Blank sheet in hand, Admiral T rattles off the dedications, notably to Vincent Cassel, present in the hall, or to Joey Starr, Kool Shen, Frédéric Piquionne... The crowd returns the favour: "Admiral! Admiral!" Just reward for a job well done.
Report written by François-Xavier Rougeot
Photos réalisées par Karl Joseph
Tags : Saël (17), Admiral T (89)
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