Les Enfoirés : Official website
« It all started when Coluche came to my dressing room :
Everything was already there : the strength of Coluche, the strength of the idea, the seduction of both, and the impossible that becomes possible.
And everything is still there. Except for him. »
Jean-Jacques Goldman
It is thus that Coluche formed the first group of Enfoires with the performers of the song of the Restos : Jean-Jacques Goldman, Yves Montand, Nathalie Baye, Michel Platini, Michel Drucker et Catherine Deneuve.
Thanks to the popularity of Coluche and all his mates, the Restos du Coeur gained the support of the media and became known to a very large public. The death of this clown with the big heart did not demobilize the troops.
In December 86, the artists were gathered in a TV show dedicated to the Restos upon the invitation of Véronique Colucci, the comedian’s wife.
And they did it again in 1987, 1988…
Stemming from their wish to go a step further in their support to the Restos, five Enfoires decided to go on tour in 7 large cities and donate the profits to the association.
Jean-Jacques Goldman, Michel Sardou, Johnny Hallyday, Véronique Sanson and Eddy Mitchell, accompanied by Michael Jones, toured France during winter 1989-1990.
Following this, an Enfoires concert began to take place each year with an increasing number of celebrities.
However, if the location changes, the spirit remains always the same : being festive before anything else.
“It’s nice to see so many artists give some of their time for solidarity” says Muriel Robin. Alain Souchon adds : “While it is true that almost everything is manipulated, there are things we cannot ignore, and the Enfoires are one of them. We are simply around fifty artists who put ourselves on a voluntary basis at the service of the needy in order to stay faithful to Coluche’s message“.
The Enfoires happily come together each time and fully dedicate themselves so that these shows are really successful. It is a well-accomplished mission !
In 2000 and 2001, tours were relaunched in order to include spectators from the countryside.
Around twenty concerts were held in 18 different cities during two years.
The “decentralisation” operation continued in Marseille in 2002, Lille in 2003, and Toulouse in 2004.
In 2005, they returned to Paris with a stop in Clermont-Ferrand. The troupe is as loyal and motivated as ever.
“To me, the Enfoires are as important as my parents’ birthday” says Mimie Mathy.
Each year, the event represents approximately the quarter of the association’s profits. The theaters are always full and the show attracts a record-breaking audience, in addition to high sales figures for the CDs and DVDs.
“I believe there’s a place for all the competences in the Restos du Cœur : we need engineers, painters, plasterers, cooks, people who take care of accounts, people who sing. Me, I’m part of those who sing.“.
And of course, Coluche is always there during the shows, in the heart of all the participants, and in a photo above the stage, supporting his Enfoires.
