The Japan Times - Fans celebrate Celine Dion's Paris return with giant karaoke

Paris has come down with a serious case of Celine Dion fever ahead of the 58-year-old's first full concert on Saturday since revealing she was suffering from a rare neurological disorder that forced her off stage.

Those who missed out on tickets for the French-Canadian chanteuse's 26 upcoming shows are finding other ways to join the frenzy -- including giant karaoke parties where fans can sing their hearts out, even if they won't get to see their idol in person.

Some were more on pitch than others.

"We're all singing terribly out of tune, and we're proud of it," said Sebastien Bonnet, 41, sporting bedazzled star-shaped sunglasses and sparkles dotted across his cheeks.

Bonnet was among some 2,600 fans who piled into the Grand Rex, a landmark theatre in central Paris, for a sold-out mass singalong organised by L'Ecran Pop.

Inside the Art Deco venue, fans snapped up Celine Dion-themed swag, from pink hats emblazoned with "My Heart Will Go On" to golden microphones that quickly ran out.

But the main attraction was the chance to sing their favourite hits at the top of their lungs.

- 'Getting me ready' -

Even before the live karaoke show began, her songs drifted through all three floors of the venue, drawing fans into impromptu singalongs.

Those who were slightly more in tune got the chance to join the band on stage after auditioning earlier in the evening.

Chiara, a 31-year-old singing teacher, and Antoine, a 23-year-old professional singer, took on the beloved French-language classic "J'irai où tu iras" (I'll Go Where You Go) before a fired-up crowd.

"The atmosphere tonight is amazing -- it's getting me ready for the concert," said Chiara, still buzzing after stepping off stage.

And while fans enthusiastically tackled songs from across Dion's catalogue, her French-language hits proved particular crowd-pleasers.

Her English songs "aren't really my thing," said Patricia, a retiree from Paris's western suburbs -- a sentiment shared by her friend Rose and several other attendees.

For many in the crowd, the night was about more than just singing along.

One of the event's co-organisers, Clement Henaut, has been a fan for as long as he can remember, growing up with Dion's music as a constant soundtrack to car rides with his mother.

He has since crossed paths with the singer twice.

"I even gave her a kiss on the cheek," he said.

-'Sad for a month'-

But when tickets for Dion's comeback went on sale through a lottery system, Henaut and some of the team behind L'Ecran Pop came up empty-handed.

"Like everyone else, I tried to get tickets during those dreadful days," he said.

The disappointment helped spark the idea for a karaoke night aimed at fellow fans who had also missed out on the real thing.

Corinne Abitbol, a pensioner in a gold sequin dress who came to sing with friends from choir, knew the feeling.

"I think I was sad for at least a month," she said, although the evening's festivities "make up for it a bit".

For one of Abitbol's fellow choir members, Angelique Reuard, the night offered a chance to revisit the music and memories of her adolescence.

"It's about reconnecting with that time in my teenage years," she said.

Beneath the sequins, singalongs and nostalgia was also relief at seeing a star return to the stage after years in which many fans feared she might never perform again.

"We missed her," said Carole, a 51-year-old primary teacher who attended the soiree with a group of colleagues.

"Celine is a phoenix."

S.Ogawa--JT