Bernard Lavilliers

Bernard Lavilliers hits the road again in 2027 and will stop at the Zénith de Rouen on 12 February 2027. A singer-songwriter shaped by travel and tales of ports, he has blended French chanson since the 1970s with rock pulses, Brazilian rhythms, Caribbean colours, reggae and touches of jazz. His deep voice carries songs of wandering, of cities and social realities, with a storytelling sense that runs throughout his work.

On stage, Lavilliers moves between classics and more recent numbers, extending the vein opened up by his album Clair-obscur. Expect a tight lineup in which the rhythm section converses with the brass, taut guitars rub against percussions with a travelling feel, and the arrangements give the words room to breathe. Between nocturnal ballads, loping tempos and rock outbursts, the concert unfolds a panorama of his sonic landscapes, from Saint-Étienne to Latin America, via Kingston and imaginary ports.

A major figure on the Francophone scene, Lavilliers has built a repertoire as much marked by the imprint of world music as by a direct, straightforward writing style. In Rouen, this material takes shape in a set conceived for the stage, energetic without frills, where the lyrics lead the dance and the grooves open the way.