"In 2008, I could see us with our heads colored/In blue or orange/Depending on what we've eaten," sang Philippe Katerine in 2005. It was in this way – with blue skin, orange beard and full belly – that the French singer-songwriter and actor appeared before the eyes of the world on Friday, July 26, at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games. Not without some controversy, as much for the song he performed, "Nu," a bold and unprecedented hymn to nudity, as for the pagan divinity he portrayed, Dionysus, behind whose beard some thought they recognized the Jesus Christ from the Last Supper painted by Leonardo da Vinci.
The richest man in the world, Elon Musk, took Katerine to task on his social media platform, X, saying it was "extremely disrespectful to Christians," where others were fantasizing about the allegedly hefty fee he'd been paid (€200, in reality). All of which merited a few explanations, which the 55-year-old artist gave to Le Monde, as he digested his lunch and the reactions.
Duck confit. It's wonderful. What's more, it's in season.
I had coq au vin. With wine on the side.
I sent a "cover tape" to ceremony director Thomas Jolly, containing this song I'd just written, "Nu." I said to myself, "This is a song for the Olympics." To convince him, I put forward three arguments: Firstly, the idea of reconciliation: When you're naked, you become harmless, you join hands. No pockets, therefore no weapons hidden in the pockets. Secondly, degrowth: Naked, we stop buying textiles. And finally, a return to the origins of the Olympic Games, when athletes competed in the nude.
He had received many cover tapes, but he chose mine. I was flattered. He had his narrative thread. I had to fit into it. I was an actor, basically. I didn't really try to understand.
He thought of Dionysus and offered to paint me blue. I wanted to be naked, without anyone seeing anything, because I didn't want to shock anyone. So we came up with a subterfuge.
When you make music, you pile up tracks and arrangements. Sometimes you think it's best to be naked, with just your voice and a guitar. It's the most meaningful. It's the same in life. We put on a lot of artifice to speak to others. Artifices that often lead to confusion. Nude is sometimes preferable. I'm not a naturist at all, I'm more of a shy, modest type. So these songs are a response, I imagine, to a personal frustration.
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