Edith Piaf given a new lease of life by singer-actress Anne Carrère. Catch her at Le French May

Carrère started listening to famous French cabaret singer Piaf when she was just three years old. In her debut Hong Kong performance on Wednesday, she will be reviving her spirit

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Piaf! The Show features French singer-actress Anne Carrere, who will performing at Le French May 2018. Photo: Jennifer Taylor

Published: 6:49pm, 17 Jun 2018Updated: 10:23am, 19 Jun 2018

Singer-actress Anne Carrère may have started listening to Edith Piaf at the age of three but it was not until she saw the movie La Môme (which was released internationally as La Vie en Rose in 2007) that her passion was triggered for not only the French legend’s songs but her personality.

“The first song I remember is L’Hymne à l'Amour, but I did not have any passion for the artist [at the time], I was three or four years old,” recalls the 32-year-old, who will be making her debut in Hong Kong on Wednesday in a performance for Le French May, reviving the spirit of Edith Piaf.

“I got to know her through this film, I discovered a woman and an incredible artist,” says Carrère.

In 2014, director Gil Marsalla offered Anne Carrère the role of Edith Piaf in Paris The Show. Photo: courtesy of Le French May

In 2014, director Gil Marsalla offered Carrère the role of Edith Piaf in Paris The Show, a touring production that features mostly post-war music by some of France’s most prominent singers.

As her fan base broadened – and since Piaf’s songs have always been popular in the US – Carrère and Marsalla decided last year to take a risk and perform at Carnegie Hall in New York, where Piaf visited 60 years ago. The gamble paid off: PIAF! The Show was a success.

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Says Carrère: “The room resounded with applause and standing ovations. We won our bet and we were happy.”