“To kill time”: Adib Alkhalidey back with a musical album

Continuing to receive accolades for his new comedy show, Quebec tabarnakAdib Alkhalidey is back with a second musical album, To kill time. For the multidisciplinary artist, music is “a remedy against the chaos of existence”. The newspaper spoke with him.

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We first know you as a comedian. How important is music in your life?

“When I make music, it’s impossible to stop. I imagine there’s something obsessive about it that’s a bit like what I have in screenwriting, or in stage humor, or in directing. I practice enough different art forms to recognize the feeling of flow, which I love. Music falls into that category now. The advantage that music has over all art form areas is that I can spend 12 hours alone in the studio. I don’t need someone laughing at my music or crying. There’s something utterly lonely about creating music that’s a blessing. »

Your first album was released under the name Abélaïd. Your new one is under your real name. Are you ready to expose yourself more to the public?

« Absolutely. It’s above all that I bring everything under the same banner, everything to the mother house. [rires] It mixed the world a little [d’avoir un nom d’artiste]. My producer told me that two years ago he was looking for my music. He typed “Adib”, he found nothing and he gave up. I said to myself that it might be better to just tell everyone: I do music, comedy, fiction, directing, screenplay, directing. That’s what I do. If you see my name go by, it’s one of those things. It’s art, actually. »

There are many comedians in recent years who have released albums. What attracts comedians so much to making music?

“I think humor and music are two branches of the same tree. I think it’s hard to accept that. There is something inherently tragic in humor. And there’s something fundamentally playful and candid about the music. I feel like it’s like the ying and the yang of each other. »

Are you planning to do musical shows with your two albums?

“Yes, we discussed this last week with La Tribu [sa compagnie de disque]. The pandemic, it allowed me a little not to think about it too much because we did not have the right dispositions to get started. But here, we have reached a point where I am already working on new songs. The style that I want to explore on stage is starting to show up. And I also have many people who write to me to find out when they will be able to see the show.

On the side of humor, your show Quebec tabarnak received a very positive response from critics and audiences. How do you live it?

“It’s like the most beautiful thing. Sometimes, in life, the most beautiful things that happen to us are things that we didn’t want. I didn’t dream of that kind of resonance because I didn’t know it existed. Me, I thought I was doing humor and that the goal was to be funny. But finally, I realize that the goal is to discover something with the world. It’s so strange. I have a way of creating a comedy show that is directly related to people’s reactions. I spend a lot of time in comedy clubs listening to how people react. I want to say that this show was written by the people of Quebec.

Do you have a lot of performances scheduled in 2023?

“Actually, the tour is going to end in early March. After that, I pull the “plogue”. I have other things to do! [rires] I will have done between 60 and 70 shows. It’s not much. At the same time, I already have the feeling of having been at the end of something. […] I have other projects that hold me by the neck and tell me: it’s my turn! It’s sad, but my favorite activity is moving on. I love that ! Whenever I mourn, I remind myself that everything is fleeting. It’s better to give everything you have right away because you never know when you can’t do it anymore.

• Adib Alkhalidey’s new album, To kill time, is available. He will also present his comedy show, Québécois tabarnak, on January 6-7 (Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Montreal) and January 19 (Salle Albert-Rousseau, Quebec). For more info: adibalkhalidey.com.