There's one band to be called controversial because listining to it makes me thoughtful about the fate of the lead singer and raises deep-going moral questions. It's Noir Désir, their compositions are rock solid arrangements with pretentious lyrics. Sung by Bertrand Cantat, a charismatic idealist, a globalization critic and kind of white hope - not only - for the French social revolutionaries' pre-generation.
Cantat judged guilty of murder committed with indirect intent to Marie Trintignant in an Lithuanian hotel in 2003 beating her several times severely <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertrand_Cantat>. Judged in 2004 for eight years he served half of his sentence witnessing in 2010 the suicide of his ex-wive <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/6967410/French-rocker-questioned-over-ex-wife-suicide.html>. Quoting French newspaper Le Figaro from Jan 10, 2010, Kristina Rady described her ex-husband as 'incorruptible as well as honest' *. Attempts to return back on the stage brought as well the supporters of his music as also the campaigners and the victim's family on plan.
So far the controversy.
Cantat, the performer of perspicatious songs like 'Homme pressé' (Man In Hurry) from the above mentioned 1996 album hitting the nail now, 15 years later when he describes the daily militant of the inhumanity ('militant quotidien de l'inhumanité') who has men down on his feet, eight billion potentials of enslaved cretins ('les hommes a mes pieds, huit milliars potentiels de cretins asservis'), the same Bertrand Cantat who was able to produce such powerful verses has taken a life. An ultimate, irrevocable deed. Not easy to forget while listening in this moment to 'Comme Elle Vient' (When She Comes), a clever reference to the (right) extremists' seducers <http://lyricstranslate.com/de/comme-elle-vient-it-comes.html>.
Drawing a cut between Cantat's personality and his performance leaves a formidable discography of his band Noir Désir <http://www.noirdez.com/> as an outstanding act writing music history in the 80's and 90's. On the other side a man whose temporarily loss of control can not be forgotten but certainly forgiven. Admittedly the hardest challenge in the charts of forgiveness which will overcome the anger, extinguish the last spark of revenge and might be granted if Cantat is aware of the deed regretting it honestly and admitting all offers of professional help to find back into life so we are one day able to forgive him in the form of accepting that it happened no longer accusing how. This process has started already during his imprisonment and may continue even some years from now on.
Never before became music through a personal act from the performer such a moral question. Usually the personal fate causes self destruction through highly addictive drugs (Elvis Presley, Bon Scott, John Belushi) or tragic accidents (James Dean, Aaliyah). Other artists have been morally downgraded after a PR desaster like performing at dictators' birthday parties etc. But homicide? Strong stuff. Why? Because it sounds somehow disturbing to reply with the words 'we're listening now to the music sung by a convictable murderer' especially in the appearance of puberting minors for example. Explaining them immediately afterwards 'hey kids: truly this is n o t cool! This is nothing to be anyway heroized or adored, ok?' Sorry, daddy wet blanket's on the doormat ..
Yes, Cantat has committed a deed comprehensibly condemnable. But also, yes, Bertrand Cantat has left us a great repertoire of songs from a time before he ended Marie Trintignant's life. As Kristina Rady's also cited that she 'tried to explain Cantat that what happened at Jul 27, 2003, cannot alterate everything he did before.' * 'I'm Lost (But I'm Not Stranded)' was one his few english hits. Tragical irony regarding nowadays the prophetic refrain. Forgiveness includes also reliance. Maybe Bertrand Cantat will find one day back into the society, into it's general acceptance, on the stages, performing new songs. Sad enough that his career (and Noir Désir's existence) ended so abruptly after that night in a hotel room in Vilnius.
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