In about ten years, Guillaume Aldebert, known as Aldebert, has established himself as an atypical singer. After a more classic first part of his career, he decided to focus on the theme of childhood. the adventure childishness began in 2008. Since then, its four volumes have sold more than 750,000 copies, making it the family musical reference. He who did a lot of odd jobs in his youth, then a training in photography, today flourishes fully in music. Because all “these mishaps”, as he sums them up, helped him write songs afterwards. Aldebert, who even teaches schoolchildren barrier gestures, thus evokes both his universe and his latest project in an interview granted to Tele-Leisure.
“I venture into all types of music”
Télé-Loisirs: Why did you decide to switch to song for young audiences?
Aldebert: It came quite naturally. before the adventure childishness started in 2008, I had five albums of slightly more classic songs. In that repertoire, many songs spoke of childhood like Carpe Diem, Head in the clouds, Back to School. I also worked in a primary school in the early 2000s as an animator. For all these reasons, I wanted to realize myself in an album for young audiences in 2007. What was initially a first attempt, a parenthesis, never closed because I found myself artistically with childishness.
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Who are your childhood idols?
I had several, my musical journey is quite colorful. My parents listened to a lot of French song, jazz and classical music, especially Beethoven, Mozart, Brassens, or Ferré. As a teenager, I switched to rock and metal. I built myself musically with my guitar, my first bands. Then I listened to a lot of jazz and world music. All these crossroads serve me to childishness, because I venture into all types of music. This gives me a significant space of freedom that you can’t necessarily have with the French song called “for adults”.
“My audience is made up of three generations”
Where does your inspiration come from?
Many of my songs are inspired by my children, their way of seeing the world. While writingchildishness 4, I met a family made up of two dads. I was sensitive to their story, and how they had their daughter. So I wrote a song about gay parenting which is the subject of a duet with Calogero (double daddynote).
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How would you sum up your universe?
Maxime Le Forestier, one of the first guests on childishness, told me that I was not at all a singer for children but a singer for parents or a singer about childhood. I thought that was fair enough. My audience is made up of three generations: children, parents, and grandparents. This connection interests me when I have them in front of me on stage. At home, unlike others, parents bring their children.
“My son sings his song in front of 5,000 people on weekends, and on Mondays he is at school”
How do you explain that artists from such different backgrounds often join your projects?
Artists often come quickly because they know it’s not a classic young audience song. And I install them in an arrangement that suits them. Thomas Dutronc sings with me in a piece with gypsy jazz sounds and Oxmo Puccino in a more urban song. The song suggests a guest, I’m not writing for an artist.
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Your son Charlie sings with you in the song The big trip. Did the idea come from you or from him?
Above all, I don’t want to push my children on stage! Charlie had asked me about death, birth. However, this title constitutes a dreamlike answer to these existential questions. So I suggested that we sing it together, even on stage, and he wanted to. He has already done several Zeniths elsewhere. He sings his song in front of 5,000 people on weekends, and on Mondays he is at school. But he remains very zen on it!
