Celine Dion prepares her concerts in Paris and the INA broadcasts a documentary on her career

Since Céline Dion's arrival in Paris at the end of August, the surroundings of the palace where she left her suitcases have never been empty. The Canadian singer came to prepare her series of 16 concerts, which begins Saturday September 12 at the Plénitude Arena, near Paris. Every day, several dozen, sometimes even hundreds of admirers, gather in front of the establishment in the hope of seeing the star and speaking to him a few words. A fervor to which the Quebec artist responds, who does not hesitate to sing with her fans. To mark the singer's return to the stage, the INA is offering a documentary retracing the career of Céline Dion and her links with France.

To understand the love story between France and Céline Dion, we have to go back to the early 1980s. The French public then discovered a teenager with an impressive voice. Quebec producer René Angélil, who discovered the artist when she was only 10 years old, quickly understood that he was facing an extraordinary talent. He then called on a famous French lyricist, Eddy Marnay, to write his first songs. Success was immediate in Quebec, and it did not take long to arrive in France.

A French artist was particularly fascinated by his voice in the years that followed. The singer Jean-Jacques Goldman contacted her. In 1994, he wrote and composed a tailor-made first album for him, entitled D'eux. A collaboration which will prove triumphant and fruitful, since this record is still today the best-selling in history in France and the best-selling French-speaking album in the world. This success permanently anchors the singer in the hearts of the French public. In the process, the artist conquered the American continent and became essential on the international music scene.

Céline Dion and France: the hymn to love is a document from the INA editorial team broadcast Friday September 11 at 9:10 p.m. on franceinfo.