Interview with comedian Cauet on Reunion Island

The setting is ideal. Set along the lagoon, Cauet, the presenter and also comedian, DJ, producer – in short the Jack of all Trades of PAF – has just returned from a helicopter flight over the island.

The setting is ideal. Set along the lagoon, Cauet, the presenter and also comedian, DJ, producer – in short the Jack of all Trades of PAF – has just returned from a helicopter flight over the island. He who “likes it when it’s quiet” is on Reunion Island for a double spectacle: the ending of the tour of his one-man show “Cauet on stage” and a DJ set. With two events to cover in three days, would it be as calm as he claims?

There are some years Cauet was on Reunion Island to DJ on the outdoor stage of the Ravine Saint-Leu. Seven years later, he is back with two shows. How is his return to the island?

“It is a pleasure! It is a destination that I like coming, to paraphrase Franck Ribery,” says Cauet with a mischievous air. Seriously, what pleases him particularly here is “the friendly people.” And if his coming to the island is rare, it is due to lack of time in general and thus only on vacation, he says. But Cauet remains confident, saying “The day we will have invented teleportation, you will see me more often!”

How was his past interaction with the general public of Reunion Island at the time and what is he expecting of his double show this year?

In a word: “amazing” he recalls. “The atmosphere in the gully Saint-Leu was really crazy. This outdoor location for a one-man show is amazing, there is something magical.” That night, there were 4,500 people who had traveled to see Cauet at work and “it was delusional” if he recalls.

Cauet decided to end the tour of his one-man show “Cauet on stage” on Reunion Island. How did he make this choice?

The Reunion Island fans are instrumental in his coming to the island. After receiving many messages like “you never come,” “why do you not come to see us,” Cauet decided to listen to his public and to grant their request. This year it is the stage of CinรฉPalmes which hosted the comedian. “We played all over France, as well as Morocco, Tunisia, Belgium, and Switzerland. Each time it was delirium everywhere, so I hope that here, too, it’ll be a laugh!”

What did you get up to do during your stay on Reunion Island?

Three days to visit an island is not much. Never mind! Cauet boarded a helicopter to discover Reunion Island as seen from the sky. A good compromise that allowed him to appreciate the different landscapes of the island in record time. “I love the helicopter, and here it comes into its own in places like these – it’s magic, itโ€™s wonderful!” he said full of enthusiasm. “It’s amazing; even the circuses are wonderful, it’s very green. It’s beautiful! I wanted to see the Piton de la Fournaise; we bought the fire starters, we tried to restart it, but it didnโ€™t work! We blew on it but nothing… ”

Did you know? If Cauet says “the helicopter was magic” itโ€™s because he almost became a pilot: “I have 35 hours of flying under my belt, Madame.”

On Reunion Island for three days, what is the place on the island you favored, Cauet?

If this time it was “a little better known, the cool side of Saint-Gilles,” the next time, it will be towards the “interior [of the island], a little more complex version” I would like to discover. Packed with a slightly more immersive experience in the heart of Reunion Island nature, Cauet lowers his voice: “I would like to just be dropped off halfway somewhere, I want to walk a bit but… Really, one day I would like to well, go a little more in those directions that look very beautiful.”

Cauetโ€™s sharp tongue is well known. Does he know a few Reunion Creole expressions?

“They tell me too many words in Creole, and I do not remember actually!” He reveals. After careful consideration, Cauet admits he knows “maรฎtrise le mi aime a ou qui est pas mal et les tantines.” Between “I love you” and “girls,” the essential phrases are covered!

Why would Cauet advise his friends to spend a holiday on Reunion Island?

“There are islands where you get bored, islands where one lands on a sunbed and sometimes there is nothing else to do. And Reunion is not it,” he explains. Beyond the rich mixed culture of the local population that he enjoyed during his walks, he felt in Reunion “an incredible sense of security. I never felt bad, I always found nice people with a friendly look.”

In any case, “If they want to come relax, enjoy the sun, and at the same time enjoy the beauty of the island, Reunion is truly amazing.” All is said!

And if Cauet had a single word to describe Reunion Island, it would be?

“Green,” he lets loose without hesitation. “It’s very green, a lot greener than you think” and to the extent that he has even imagined the set of the King Kong film when flying over the island aboard the helicopter, itโ€™s as you are told – Reunion Island lets your emotions travel!

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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