RIP, Gabriel Yacoub

 

Very sad news to share today. I very recently learned of the death of French musician Gabriel Yacoub, who was most famous for being the front man of  traditional Celtic music band Malicorne. 

Personally, I was a big fan of Malicorne. I really became a big fan of them in the very early nineties, probably around 1991 or so. The album that I got into was "Les cathédrales de l'industrie." I got into that album at about the same time that I really got into Pink Floyd's 'The Wall." And so, even though they are very different bands with very different styles, and those albums are radically different from one another as well, to me they almost go together and remind me of that particular time in my life. 

It's strange, because I happened on this news in the hopes of possibly catching one of his shows. I would check in periodically to see what live shows he might do. He had not done many - if any - shows since the coronavirus pandemic. But then there was a link suggesting that he was going to tour North America, and I got excited, since it seemed that he had not done that since way back in 2003. He did a show in Philadelphia that year, and I just could not get out of my new job to go see it. It was a regret, but I had always intended to go see one his shows, and kept checking.

Then, I ran into this very sad news while clicking on the link for the North America tour. Needless to say, it was stunning and sad news.

My family really seemed to enjoy his music. Sad as I am to hear that he passed, and that I will not get a chance to see him perform live, it also is a time to remember his artistic contributions, and to be thankful for them.

Granted, he is not particularly well known in North America, at least outside of French Canada. But he was a great artist, and will be missed.

RIP. Grabiel Yacoub. 4 February 1952 – 22 January 2025.