A Parisian Conversation With Sofiane Pamart

Sofiane Pamart is a name that has long been on the lips of French music lovers, heralded for his innate ability to harbour a truly unique sound. His time spent studying classical music at the Conservatoire de Lille, coupled with years of cutting his teeth in the French rap scene have seen him develop a sound that seamlessly drifts in genre, cascading from rap to hip-hop. Hailed as ‘The Piano King’, he is an artist with a burgeoning discography of limitless promise, a sonic reminder that even during the most claustrophobic time in our lives it’s never been more important to express oneself.

I was lucky enough to head to see Sofiane in the flesh, playing at the iconic the Salle Pleyel in Paris. After spending the day enjoying the capital, we head to the immaculate venue, that’s standout acoustics lean heavily on the modernist architect Le Corbusier, with an interior that resonates that of a church to send listeners to celestial heights. As we arrive into the venue there is a big graphic of Sofiane draped along the wall, that fans queue to take photos with. The sold-out night marks a real occasion for Sofiane’s ever-growing fan-base, for many of them this is their first time seeing ‘The Piano King’ live.

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It’s surreal that the sold-out night is only his fifth live performance, amongst those was a standout show at Montreaux Jazz Festival. This upwards trajectory positions Pamart as an artist with serious influence, his sound is an outright rejection of the stuffy, elitist and often inaccessible image of classical music we’ve become used to. His ability to rip up the rule book is what makes his persona and music so profoundly accessible, which is reflected in the sheer diversity of people who’ve come to see him in Paris. I sit amongst older couples, groups of teenagers, parents with their children, all collectively bound in their sheer amazement of Pamart’s stellar sound.

We finally take our seats amongst 2,000 others, all equally awash with anticipation. The moment finally happens when Sofiane graces the stage. He is dressed to the nines, with a colourful kimono that resonates a peacock, marking a chanteuse style that transfuses into his musical performance. After a minute’s applause he finally sits down to play, you could hear a pin drop. He brushes his kimono aside, boldly raising his right arm, then begins to play.

He delivers a performance that encapsulates the past, present and future of piano music. There are peaks and valleys that see Pamart traverse amongst the body of his work, delivering a performance that cements his artistic ascension to piano royalty. His spell bounding show is delivered with a cinematic backdrop, Pamart catapulting the audience into his world. Whilst he has rejected, and in-turn exceeded many of the trappings of classical music, he has transferred the favourable aspects into his artistry and live performance. Maintaining elements like complete silence before songs and bowing to the applauding audience position Pamart as an artist championing the saying of ‘look back, don’t stare’.

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After the show, we are taken to an afterparty in the swanky 16th arrondissement, an area that’s home to foreign embassies and renowned museums, including the Fondation Louis Vuitton and the Palais de Tokyo with its contemporary art. Pamart, not drinking, makes sure to say thank you to everyone in attendance till the latter hours of the nights. Whilst the grandiose setting is truly immaculate, it’s worlds apart from Pamart’s humble demeanour. I briefly talk with him to arrange our interview the next day, Sofiane suggests Bo Man, his favourite café in the city.

The following morning, I try to shake off a weary head with a double espresso, I lift my head to a fresh faced Sofiane donning a pair of shades and an eccentric hat. Our conversation goes straight into his performance the night before, you can see his face glow-up as he tries to recount his thoughts of the night. Sofiane shares in perfect English: “I have my own perception, but that’s only one. Yesterday I was really in the emotion of each piece, truly forgetting everything else around me. I really felt in the flow of things last night… after a big show I think you need some days not to recover, but fully take on board what has just happened. There are so many messages, so many memories, it’s impossible to capture straight away.”

From talking to Sofiane, it’s clear the elation of last night is taking time to process. It marks a special moment not only for him, but French music lovers, who like much of the world have been deprived from the luxury of live music for so long now. “Last night really felt like celebrating freedom, something we were lacking so much is suddenly here. I think the fact we’ve been deprived for so long made the event even more special. It was a big feeling of freedom, like something we can really all share.”

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The profound feeling on the night was one of anticipation, it was a night that Sofiane and his musical following had been so desperate to happen. Talking about his preparations and feelings ahead of the night, he says: “because I’ve been releasing a new album, I didn’t really have the time to be stressed, everything has just been such a rush recently. As an artist, that’s a moment you totally feel. Having all of that energy was truly amazing, I felt it so much yesterday.”

Much of his live performance on the night centred around his new album ‘LETTERS’, released earlier this year. The writing process for the standout album saw Sofiane travel around Asia, absorbing his surroundings like a sponge, translating them into his music. “With the album I travelled through Asia, in each of the countries I was in I had a piano waiting for me… Each time I had an emotion or thought I was able to jump straight on the piano… when I travelled, I was influenced by things like a sunset, someone I meet, that spark of spontaneity. I was also massively aware of the fact that as beautiful as all of these places were, I was going to leave them at some point, which was a massive motivator”.

Pamart’s tireless work-ethic is abundantly clear, the running theme of our interview is what is yet to come, what the next gig, or the next song is. “I think this is something I think about my career too. I think urgency and being limited on time is a real motivator. We always think we have time, but we don’t. That’s a real motivator for me. I admit at times this might not be great, but I always want that feeling of anticipation. The extreme fast life is something I love, but the balance is that I make sure I go away at the right times.”

I risk shifting the conversation from the present to the past, which gladly Sofiane is happy to discuss. “I grew up in a place where there is no music industry. I had to learn how to stop staying to close to home, I was so loyal to where I was from that it felt like a betrayal to leave. But it was one-hundred percent the right decision, even my friends who stayed at home are so much happier for me and themselves. The moment you do it, it’s incredibly difficult, but it truly is for the best.”

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Stepping out of his comfort zone is something Sofiane has become a master in, his most notable one was subverting from his path to become a solely classical musician. “It’s a decision I had to make to evolve, changing from one way to express music to another, is the same as changing the way you express life… It was a decision I had to make; I didn’t understand the way of classical. They love theory, older composers, interpreting, but it really wasn’t for me.”

Rather than imitate the work of others, Sofiane is on a mission to build a legacy and discography that is truly unique “for me it’s about writing my own story, not retelling someone else’s. I was going to lots of rap gigs, the passion was unbelievable. It was about instinct, raw emotion, using music to find solutions to their day-to-day problems. It made me realise there was no boundaries, working with different genres, musicians, to unpick the different layers of my life.”

The steps he’s taken them have taken him on a journey we all dream of, the exciting thing is, it feels like it’s only just the start for Sofiane. He shared: “I can’t wait to take my show around the world, I really love trips abroad, it helps me understand how important it is to not live in the eyes of one person. I’m particularly excited to go out to places like South America”.

The hour-long conversation ends on his plans for the next year, “I want to keep things sincere, to stay true to me.” The combination of being so incredibly talented, whilst having such a humble demeanour is truly revelatory. All hail the Piano King.

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Words: Josh Crowe
Photo Credit: Romain Garcin

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