Pale roses, yellow dahlias, red daisies ... The huge wreath of flowers deposited by Salvatore and Nicole Adamo is magnificent.
Beside, we notice other beautiful compositions.
One co-signed Hervé Vilard and Nicoletta.
Another sent from the Basque Country by Françoise and Mariano Lacan, the family of Luis Mariano.
There is also that of the former King of the Belgians Albert II and that, in the shape of a heart, made of powdered roses, sent by
“your friend Line”
(Renaud, editor's note).
Annie Cordy, who died of illness in her villa
Dolly
in Vallauris on September 4, at the age of 92, adored flowers.
She would have liked very much.
To read also: Annie Cordy: we saw the documentary of the last months of her life
It is 2:30 p.m., this Saturday, September 12 and the crowd begins to gather on the heights of Cannes-La Bocca.
Annie Cordy's funeral will take place in two stages.
A ceremony open to all and in the open air, on the Butte Saint-Cassien, to be able to meet in strict compliance with sanitary rules, with a maximum capacity of 500 people.
Then the burial reserved for relatives and family, three kilometers further on, in the Abadie cemetery.
The beautiful flowers sent by Salvador Adamo.
Jean-Pierre Pasqualini
The Butte Saint-Cassien is a stone's throw from the Mandelieu aerodrome.
"Whereas Annie hated planes and trains!"
»,
Smiles our special correspondent, Jean-Pierre Pasqualini, director of programs of Melody (*) and friend for more than thirty years of the missing singer.
Under the twilight of the trees, two large portraits of her dominate a stage set up for the occasion.
Smiling, she looks at the audience.
In "Michou" blue on the left, in a tuxedo on the right.
And around, dozens of large bouquets of white flowers.
300 people made the trip
In the VIP area which contains around fifty chairs, we notice Hervé Vilard who got off by plane from Paris, just like Dave.
Michèle Torr came by car from Aix-en-Provence where she lives.
Charlotte Julian, Roland Magdane, Gérard Louvin, Daniel Moyne, Christian Morin are there too.
The press secretary of the mayor of Cannes distributes four A4 sheets with the photos of the guests, including those of Patricia Coquatrix, the daughter of Bruno Coquatrix, founder of the Olympia, and the communicator André-Paul Ricci.
Some are surprised at the absence of Sheila, Petula Clark, Line Renaud and Michel Drucker.
But with the masks, it's not easy to recognize everyone ... In total, more than 300 people made the trip.
At 3:04 p.m., silence fell.
The small coffin, covered with roses, lisianthus and white lilies, is placed on the stage to the sound of
Three musical notes
, one of his last songs released in 2012. Michèle Lebon known as Mimi, the dear niece of Annie Cordy, the one who lived next to him, sits behind the microphone, her voice charged with emotion:
“You are my example of modesty, discretion and generosity.
You amazed me with your wisdom, your common sense and your incredible lucidity.
We will not forget you and we are very many.
Passion is strength, that's your motto.
I make it mine now.
"
Bye bye Dolly
A few minutes later, after having heard
If God exists
, it is the turn of Emmanuelle Guilcher, deputy director of programming for France 2, to speak:
"She knew how to make us laugh and also move us
".
She then recalls
"that Annie Cordy had attended the wedding of the century, that of Prince Rainier of Monaco and Grace Kelly in 1956."
Then resounds a recording of
Hello Dolly
sung a cappella by the great lady.
Claude Lemesle, former president of Sacem and former lyricist of Annie Cordy grabs the microphone:
“You were not a careerist.
Throughout this artistic and human adventure that you have lived, you have sung and interpreted many of us, francophones, authors, composers, authors, composers.
Your repertoire has been a living kaleidoscope.
There were all the colors of life in what you sang.
"
The songs
I want
,
The machine to sing
,
If I were the sun
follow one another, just like the speakers of David Lisnard, mayor of Cannes, the singer of musicals David Alexis (
Avenue Q, Priscilla, Oliver Twist
...) .
Surrounded by his compatriots Vincent and Bruno Taloche, Belgian comedian Virginie Hocq managed to make people laugh before collapsing in tears.
The public too.
The
Artist's
notes
resound and the little coffin leaves.
The public ceremony ends with
Nini luck.
Under the sun, the funeral convoy travels three kilometers to arrive at the cemetery of Abadie II.
Only family and relatives including Hervé Vilard, Charlotte Julian and Fatia, Annie's housekeeper, can cross the cordon rouge.
Dave and Michèle Torr preferred to slip away.
The thermometer climbs to 35 degrees.
“
Annie made the summer come back,”
someone slips.
The Cooreman family cellar (Annie Cordy's real name) is at the end of allée N.
“Like Nini la Chance”
, remarks Jean-Pierre Pasqualini.
This is where Jan and Maria rest, her parents and her sister, Mimi's mother.
Bruno, her beloved husband, is buried at Père Lachaise in Paris.
For sad family problems, Annie Cordy had to resolve not to rest with her dear husband.
After a minute of meditation, each one throws a white rose into the vault.
It's finish.
Mimi thanks everyone for coming.
Goodbye the Artist.
(*) The Figaro group owns 6% of Melody