La DH found Angelica, the singer from Belgium, Christian Vidal: I sold more than Michel Sardou at that time.

My happiness is you. Day by day and forever, Angelica. My happiness is you. Night after night and for a lifetime, Angelica. If the name Christian Vidal doesn't ring a bell, many still remember his hit "Angelica." At 73 years old, despite some hearing issues from his music career, this Belgian singer, a star of the 70s, will perform on May 5 at 5:00 PM at the cultural center of Odeghem. Tickets range from 36.5 to 41.5 euros.

These performances are organized to support Rotary Bruxelles and the non-profit organization "La Maison Bleue" in Jette. Christian will be performing alongside Morgan, a well-known backing vocalist for Claude Barzotti, who gained fame for her participation in Eurovision 1992 with the song "Nous, on veut des violons." "I've never sung with her before, but we will be performing popular hits in both English and French," says Christian, who has previously performed at events like "Midi Première" and "La Chance aux Chansons," but not on Michel Drucker's show, as it's harder to get an invitation there.

At the concert, "Angelica" became a true classic? "Definitely, Christian Vidal is 'Angelica'. It was my first big success. Back then, we called them 'records' instead of 'discs'. We would say, 'How many records did you sell?' With my first single 'Un peu de sympathie', I sold 18,045 copies on the Vogue label, and that was already pretty good. Then I was offered 'Angelica'. And that's when we surpassed the mark of 1.6 million copies. I topped the charts in Japan, the Netherlands, and other countries. It was a very successful track. I sold more than Michel Sardou, who had just released 'La maladie d'amour'. This success launched my career, and it continues to this day!"

Doesn't it annoy you that you are often associated only with this song? "No, what bothers me is that I didn't write this song myself, but my friends Armat and Albin did! They don't talk about it much, but this hit has become quite a good business for them (laughs)! A new house, a pool, and so on. But I would have preferred to write 'Born to be Alive' by Patrick Hernandez (smiles)! He still lives off the income from his hit, but I don't, although it allows me to appear on television, including on France 3 and with Michel Pruvot on 'Sur un air d’accordéon' (WEO), and to keep working. That's not bad... The 70s were a completely different era. Back then, we sold records, but now you have to work hard."

What do you think about the music industry today (streaming and so on)? "It's in decline. And I'm completely clueless about technology, Facebook... I just can't get along with computers. And I don't understand how artists are paid these days. When you have a track on YouTube, you don't get paid... I'm totally out of the loop on how it works... I can't imagine where the money goes... In the past, if you had a hit, you knew for sure that you would receive royalties or copyright payments. But now it's all unclear."

Career and projects

You also founded the singing school "Petit Podium" in Brussels, wrote the novel "The House of Astral Journeys," and were involved in theater (for example, at "Meridian").

Withdrawal from participation in tours

In the 2000s, you were offered to participate in the "Age tendre et têtes de bois" tours. Why did you decline? "I had issues with a jealous guy... There were many of them. This guy, Michel Orso, also performed a song called 'Angelika' and was one of the key participants in the tour, so I was told it could be complicated... I went to him and found out that he wasn't singing 'Angelika' on stage, but only Bécaud's songs! I understand him, my 'Angelika' was much more popular than his version... So he didn't like me (laughs) and created a few obstacles. But it doesn't matter... If I didn't participate in that tour, then it was meant to be."

Thoughts about retirement

Today, are you thinking about retirement? "I would like to stop by the time I'm 75, win the lottery, and go on that long-awaited vacation... (laughs)! But at 75, I really do plan to quit. I don't want to chase after gala events anymore. Otherwise, we stretch the rubber band so much that it eventually snaps. It's better to leave while people still enjoy seeing you."

Social initiatives

Christian Vidal ©D.R. Concert in support of "La Maison Bleue" "We have just celebrated 5 years of our existence, so we continue to develop," says Lauren Vranck, the head of the institution where twenty adults with intellectual disabilities live. The life center that initiated this project previously only accepted people for daytime care. The problem is that the people around them are aging or passing away. They didn't know how to care for them. The center decided to create a roof for them. Our goal today is to provide people with the best living conditions."

The proceeds from the concert of Cristian Vidal and Morgan will be used to expand the facility. "Our space is insufficient to accommodate 20 residents and other people who come during the day," laments Laurent Vranck. "We plan to invest in new premises. But you, like me, know how high real estate prices are in Brussels... We hope that thanks to the profits from this concert, we will be able to welcome more people."