Julien Dassin performs in New York

Julien Dassin performs in New York
It was a truly amazing concert, an evening filled with music, emotion and nostalgia. I was invited to see Julien Dassin, son of the legendary Joe Dassin and grandson of director Jules Dassin, perform at the Oceana Theatre, where I was the only American journalist.
Dassin is a name, a dynasty, a voice. All this brings us back to the brightest moments of our youth, when we dreamed, fell in love, danced to the melodies of Joe Dassin, not even understanding the French words, but feeling every note with our hearts.
And thanks to the Cherry Orchard Festival, the concert took place both in Manhattan and in Brooklyn, where Joe Dassin was born, and became a real gift - for everyone who appreciates beauty, traditions, memory and the eternal music of love.
Maria Shclover, producer and daughter of the famous pianist, musician, composer Levon Oganesov, understands what will be interesting to our refined and slightly spoiled audience. She guessed right: Julien is not just an artist, he is the bearer of a legacy that continues for the third generation. On stage, he performed his father's songs with amazing external and vocal similarities, touching to tears those who remember the original performances.
Particularly touching was the moment when Julien, thanks to modern technology, performed a virtual duet with his father. This is not just a trick - it is a bridge between generations, between the past and the present, between the love that was and the love that is.
His father, Joe Dassin, an idol of millions, a French singer, composer and musician of American origin, was born in 1938 in Brooklyn, USA. He lived a short but bright life. On August 20, 1980, while on the island of Tahiti, Joe was having dinner with his friend Claude Lemel, his mother and two sons in a restaurant near his recently acquired villa. They had just started to be served dishes when Joe suddenly lost consciousness and fell on the table. Death from complications of a heart attack occurred instantly. He was only 41 years old. He is buried in a Jewish cemetery in Hollywood, California. The burial was quiet, almost secret, with only the closest relatives participating, and the rabbi read the Kadysh – in memory of a man who was known to millions, but buried by a few.
The audience did not let go of Julien and Lorene Devienne with Paris Tour Effel Orchestra. The audience sang along, danced, took pictures, smiled. The wonderful singer and professional musicians accompanying him created the atmosphere of a real French holiday. It was an evening when music became a language understandable without translation.
After Jules and Joe, the Dassin name continues to shine on the posters. Julien was born in 1980 near Paris, grew up in a house built by his father, and seems to have absorbed all the charm and depth for which the world fell in love with Joe. His work is not imitation, but a living connection filled with respect and talent.
Marina Lagunova