He is the patriarch – the “daron” would rather say to him – of the most famous family in Belgian showbiz (with children Angèle and Roméo Elvis, for those who have been disconnected in recent years). To his longtime wife, Laurence Bibot, he dedicates a song today. But beyond the private base, above all, Marka is a 100% Belgian artist, who, in 40 years of music, thinks that perhaps he has “partly succeeded” in his career. Endearing, well in his time, he refuses to a little more than 60 brooms to become an “old fool” and has fun casting a spell on us with his “Belgian Voodoo” with blues accents…
There are subjects on which, in the current era, it is more difficult to question ourselves, in the face of which we are perhaps a little more “reactive” at 61 years old?
If that happens, with my wife, we discuss. And then, over time, there are less important things. Afterwards, it’s also true, as in the song “We can’t”, there is this side “we can no longer say this or that”. But I want to believe it’s for a good cause. And indeed, there are changes in mentality. As proof, this football player who came out. Even 5 or 6 years ago, those who did it had their hands full. There, he was applauded by the whole stadium. Afterwards, there will always be people who disagree, but there is still an awareness. In this stadium, there are surely people who have a brother, a son or a friend who is gay. But I also find that we should always be able to laugh about it.
Do you still laugh as freely as 30 years ago?
No, but it depends with whom. There is the private and the public. And even in private, I have children who are from another generation, I can’t say everything and anything in front of them. And for all my friends who have children, it’s the same thing. In fact, we are in a period of transition. Being rabid and not saying anything at all is the best way for there to be clashes between people. So, we have to be careful not to say anything and everything, but we also have to be able to laugh and that people laugh at themselves. On the other hand, people who start giving their opinion on the internet, I don’t understand, who cares? I’m not interested in hearing everyone’s opinion.
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>>> The full interview with Marka can be found this Saturday in your MAX magazine and on max.sudinfo.be.