Jeanne Mas: “In my concerts, the theatrical side is part of me”

How was the reunion with the public last week at the Folies Bergères?

They were very nice. It had been 7 years since we had seen each other with my audience, since my concert in Paris in 2014. The audience was very warm. I recognized the faces of fans who have followed me since the 80s. It’s like a family, their support is a real motivation, and their judgment is very precious. I’ve been waiting for these concerts for a long time. I missed the stage a lot.

Will the concert in Toulouse be the same as the one in Paris?

No. In Paris I wanted to sing recent titles, those from my latest album, “Sapore di Amore”. In Toulouse it will be a concert centered on the 80s. I think it will please my audience because I will sing songs that I haven’t done in concert for a very long time.

Your gestures, your very rock look marked the 80s. Do you still have the same style on stage?

I don’t wear spiky hair anymore, that’s for sure. I always play a lot with colors. I bring a bit of green to my hair, as Baudelaire apparently did. My clothes, my hairstyles and even the look of my musicians are elements of the show. This theatrical side is part of me.

Did you keep all your stage outfits?

At the moment I draw from the drawers at my mother’s who has kept everything. I sell unpublished photos, my jewelry, my stage clothes, to support the Brigitte Bardot foundation for the animal cause. I will no doubt bring some of them to Toulouse. It can make people happy and it’s for a good cause.

Are you nostalgic for that golden era of the 80s?

I’m happy with everything I’ve been through. It’s reassuring to have done so many things and to leave a trace of my passage. But I don’t look back on the past. When we live in regret we do not move forward.

Where do you live today?

For the moment, in the United States, in Arizona. I moved there more than ten years ago with my son. I set up activities there in film production, editing, and I wrote and composed several albums. I’ve made 17 records since I started.

You wanted to get away from France?

Above all, I needed a renewal. I also wanted to give my children the chance to explore two different worlds. My daughter Victoria came back to live in France and she became a successful writer. My son Christopher wanted to stay there. He is one of the most famous sound engineers in the United States.

You released a book, “l’Eveil”, on reincarnation. You believe in it ?

I have always believed in it. I am very spiritually oriented. For me we are part of the same group of people who relive the same experiences in new lives. That’s why there are sometimes very strong ties with people, and feelings of déjà vu. These are things that we feel but cannot explain.

Does this certainty give meaning to life?

Yes, because my life today prepares for the next. My goal is to be as open and as generous as possible so as not to have to relive the same suffering. I am very spiritually oriented. This can be felt in my latest album, “Sapore di Amore”.