Supporters' anthem, Starmania, covers, the XXL summer of Jean-Pierre Savelli
With the World Cup, hosted in États Unis, Mexique, and Canada, approaching, Jean Pierre Savelli returns with an anthem designed for supporters, a...
Between a supporters' anthem, a vibrant tribute to Starmania, revisited re-releases, a new funk single, and summer tours, he confirms that he remains an artist anchored in popular culture. Always on the move, always generous, he continues to make crowds sing, from Var to national stages. 2026 promises to be a year where his voice, more than ever, will bring all generations together.
With his humor, his passion, and his popular energy, the Toulon artist proves that he has lost none of his enthusiasm. He answers questions from La Gazette du Var.
Jean Pierre, you are releasing "Ohé Ohé Allez la France", an anthem intended for supporters for the 2026 World Cup. Why this title?
Jean-Pierre SAVELLI. (He smiles.) Because I am a repeat offender!
I lived in Paris for 50 years, I experienced the atmosphere of PSG, and in the 80s, I wrote the anthem of Sporting Club de Toulon with Rolland Courbis. In 1998, I also signed the female supporters' anthem, the year we became world champions. So for this World Cup, I wanted to make a true popular song again.
A simple, effective chorus that you remember after one listen. And besides, I love it.
Is the track already available? JPS. It is online on all streaming platforms. And the single will be released in about ten days.
Musically, how did you build this anthem? JPS. I wanted something very direct, very "stadium stands".
And for that, I put the guitar at the center. Not a well-behaved guitar, a real rock guitar, with a riff that grabs you right away. I worked with a guitarist who plays heavy, a bit of a hard rock sound, very energetic.
The goal was that from the very first seconds, you feel the stadium atmosphere: the rhythm, the tension, the desire to sing. The guitar carries the whole track, it gives the momentum, it pushes the chorus. And since the melody is super simple, supporters can pick it up immediately.
(He laughs.)
It's an anthem, it has to pop. I even made a second accordion version, because I started this instrument at 6 years old. And then DJs will surely get hold of it. I've already sent the track to Jean Roch, an iconic figure of Tropezian nights. If anyone can launch an anthem for June parties, it's him.
Is the idea really for the supporters to make the chorus their own? JPS. As soon as they hear "Ohé ohé, Allez la France", they'll start singing.
It's very commercial, very unifying. The music video highlights the supporters, the American stadiums... I didn't want to put myself forward.
It's not a "me-me-me" video. If the stands adopt it, we've won.
"Le jour se lève sur Starmania", an XXL show JPS. It's a huge project with our association. It is "Le jour se lève sur Starmania", an adaptation I did with my wife Sandry.
Here again, 14 essential tracks, re-orchestrated, and these are not the 1978 versions. They are modern, dynamic versions. The backing vocals are recorded by the students themselves in my studio; it empowers them tremendously and everything will be sung live.
More than 60 students on stage: singing, dancing, musical cohesion... Starmania is a repertoire that speaks to everyone. We also invite readers of La Gazette du Var to come see us at Live du Zénith, on Sunday, June 28 at 4 p.m.
Covers, re-releases and musical journeys You are also re-releasing "Besoin de rien, envie de toi" in two versions. JPS. It's a re-release.
The single was released in 2013 with Joanna, an incredible singer. She is the daughter of Clémence Bringtown, the iconic female voice of La Compagnie créole, a legendary group of the 80s. Joanna has a real career: Caribbean stages, pop collaborations, musicals, and an impressive stage presence.
She lives in Toulon today with her husband, the high-level keyboardist Alain Antonelli. She recorded a Creole version, "Bisous de vous", and a Spanish bachata version, "Te Necesito, Te Deseo", written by Julio Iglesias's lyricist.
Both tracks are online.
A new funk single and non-stop productions JPS. My single is coming out in June, it is called "J'aime quand tu danses". It is a song I wrote in 1980, really before the duo.
I completely reworked it, rearranged it differently. This time, I went for a funk side, a style I have rarely done, maybe a bit in the years 80-81. The track has nothing to do with the original version: now, it is very danceable, very rhythmic.
We did the vocals in my studio, with musicians. We had a blast. It was truly a pleasure to rework this track, to give it a new life.
DJs love it. It gets me out of my usual melodies a bit, and I took a lot of pleasure in doing it again. Some of my productions are on my YouTube page: youtube.
com/@jpsavelli. I am self-producing, like many of my friends from the 80s. We make mini videos, teasers...
That is enough to get noticed today.
A summer on stage Will you also be on tour this summer? JPS. We are playing on July 13 in Bormes-les-Mimosas with my 70s-80s show: Medleys Fugain, Delpech, Dassin, Christophe...
We sing to the original tracks, with two female singers, one male singer, five dancers, and a DJ. We will also tour in the Alpes-Maritimes, the Gard, the Vaucluse, and even the arenas of Cap d'Agde (he laughs), without the bulls, I reassure you.