A week of "humanity and creation"

The arts have a knack of connecting people, no matter their background or walk of life, and last week's series of concerts at the Caux Palace, organised during this year's edition of Les Émergences musicales Montreux-Riviera 2024, was no exception.

On Tuesday, 3 December, the young French singer Anne Sila kicked off the concerts with poetic texts, subtle humour and charisma, ballads and jazz, and a mesmerizing voice. The finalist in the French edition of 'The Voice' in 2015 and winner in 2021 of the 'All Stars' version, Anne Sila took the audience in the fully-packed Caux Palace theatre on an artistic journey about the ups and downs of life which left nobody untouched.

Welcoming artists to the Caux Palace also means giving a platform to the unexpected and to reimagine and see the world from a different angle!

French folk/jazz singer and songwriter Cali's concert at the Caux Palace theatre on 4 December was an evening full of surprises, cleverly orchestrated by the talented and passionate entertainer who, accompanied by outstanding pianist Steve Nieve and a guest appearance by Anne Sila, captivated his audience and had them dancing and singing along right from the start.

Cali, who emerged as one of French pop's biggest new stars with his song "C'est Quand le Bonheur?" (When is Happiness?), is actively engaged in supporting many humanitarian causes. He helped set up the L'Amour parfait association, which raises funds to support a range of local and national charities, has been a patron for foundations helping the poorly housed and homeless, and took part in the digital campaign #EnsembleSurInternet, to fight against all forms of discrimination and hatred on the Internet.

On the last day of the Emergences musicales 2024, the Caux Palace opened its doors to the public for two extraordinary moments.

At the Caux Palace theatre, a "place which breathes songs", Francis Cabrel, one of the greatest French-speaking artists, offered the audience the unique opportunity to ask questions and discuss key moments in his career as a songwriter and singer. Expertly moderated by journalist Katja Baud-Lavigne from Swiss magazine L'illustré, Cabrel spoke about the beginnings of his career, moments of doubts and inspiration, finding one's calling as a musician and the role of music in today's world to help people dream in spite of difficult circumstances: "A beautiful song...and the world changes!"

The evening continued with a musical firework, prepared by the nine young artists who had been working together all week to compose and write twelve brand-new songs for the final concert.

Pierre Smets, director of La Saison culturelle de Montreux which produced the Émergences musicales 2024 in collaboration with Francis Cabrel's association Voix du Sud, underlined the importance of teamwork for young artists to help "break artistic solitude" in a complex profession and working together, beyond all differences, in a safe and judgement-free space.

Talented French singer/songwriter Gauvin Sers took over the last part of the evening after a week of "humanity and creation". With humour and warmth, he presented a collection of songs in a "place charged with history for (...) reconciliation" and highlighted the importance that music is about "believing in a better world, in spite of everything and no matter who we are."

Thank you to all the artists who work tirelessly for positive change! The Émergences musicales 2024 might have come to an end, but at the Caux Palace, we now look forward to our upcoming Caux Arts and Peace Encounters (12 - 14 May 2025) which will be uniting artists from around the world in their commitment for peace and reconciliation.

Stay tuned for more and find out more about our new Caux Arts and Peace Encounters programme building on the significant artistic heritage in the service of peace of the Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation.