The Jewish singer taking over France
Marc Fichel is a manager in the Rugis market by day, and a musical sensation by night
With a record already in stores - including several Hebrew lines - and over 1 million views for his single "C'est ma vie dans les halles" ("This is my life in the halls") on youtube , Fichel quickly moved from the historic concert halls of Paris - which he sold out - and decided to come to Tel Aviv. Why? Because he's Jewish, but also because
So Fichel might not sell vegetables anymore - he's been promoted to be the oversees export manager - but the market is the market, and managers don't get preferred treatment. "I wake up at 3 AM every morning, start work at 4 and finish around 3 PM", he tells us, "If you work in the Rungis market, you do everything, even if you are a manager: You unload the merchandise from the truck and box it with the guys. It's part of the job".
Would you trade the French market for an Israeli one?
"I was in Shuk Hacarmel, it's a little messy but nothing like ours. In any case, we are in contact with Israelis since they save their top produce for export, so we buy potatoes from them for a month and a half each year. I'm in charge of exporting potatoes, garlic and onions to Europe, and during certain times of year the Israelis compete with me. I remember the competition for the British market, when the Israelis offered to sweeten their deal by adding a camera".
"In any case, in our market there's no ban on Israeli products, unlike the Belgian one, for example. The Israelis to mark which products are from over the Green Line, but no one here cares. Muslims buy products from both Morocco and Israel - business is business".
Fichel performs one of the songs on his latest CD, "Piano voix" (Piano Voice) with the French-Israeli singer Nourith, and it includes a text in Hebrew. Fichel also makes a point of appearing in all concerts supporting Israel and charitable activities in Jewish communities - and no, he is not afraid of being associated with his Judaism. "Most of my family lives in Israel, I'm a French Jew, and I won't denounce it. I'm proud of who I am and where I come from, proud of my family", he says. "Politics are politics and music is music. I've never gotten a threat, on the contrary - I have many Muslim friends who want to introduce me to Arab musicians so I can sing with then in Arabic, like I sing in Hebrew".
"I started singing 5 or 6 yers ago", Fichel explains, "I never wanted to be a singer or learned music, but I always wanted to compose. I uploaded my songs online and looked for stars to sing them. My friends claimed my voice was unique and that I should upload my own versions of the songs, and I tried that about four years ago. The buzz was out of this world. A funding website called 'kiss kiss bang bang' discovered me and within months we had enugh money to record an album. A song I've written, 'blackberry's depression', was #1 for a month and I found myself in the company of very famous singers who I could never have dreamed of meeting. I also met my producer, Dana Molcho, who produced this album".
"I've performed in amazing venues since and had articles written about me in the papers and on TV. It's a great adventure, but I don't know what will happen in six months. I enjoy what's happening now, but I continue to work hard. My father taught me that I shouldn't get excited about what hasn't happened yet".
"I enjoy hearing myself on the radio when I'm working in the market. Sometimes I get a song in my head during work, so I sing into my phone. I don't tell myself 'sit down and write', when it comes, it comes, and when I'm lucky it comes often, so I record it and then put it away. To be able to wake up at 3 AM and after work go and sing you need to be either crazy or Jewish - and I'm both".
Are you inspired by your day job?
"The Rungis market is theater, all you need to do is sit down and watch. I wish I had time to do that. It's like I say in my song: 'People talk, yell, hate. There are colors, there are smells', and also people from all social statuses, rich people and poor people, but everyone's working, getting up in the morning and respecting each other. There are no religions there. You can work with everyone. There's only one value: Money and work. How much does this cost, for how much are you selling this, did I make money, did you make money. It's a nice example of peace. You might fight about money, but never about religious or ethnic differences".
Do you follow the Israeli music scene?
I love Rami Kleinstein and Rita, I also loved the music Ninet was making. But the one that really fills me with special emotions is Shlomo Artzi, despite him not being the youngest man. I'll never forget his duet with Patrick Bruel. If this article will lead to him agreeing to sing with me, it would be amazing, a dream. I promise to give him a hug and a kiss in the cheek".
