At 53, Vanessa Paradis made a remarkable comeback with her latest album The return of sunny days. An expected comeback, accompanied by a series of concerts, including this symbolic festival date. But physical reality caught up with the artist: “very ill”, she had to give up going on stage this Wednesday at Printemps de Bourges.
“She’s at the bottom of her bed.”
The announcement, which fell during the day of April 15, simply mentioned a decision taken “for medical reasons”, without further details. The message, however, emphasized the artist’s disappointment: “Vanessa was delighted with this first festival meeting and is very sad not to be able to meet her audience there.”
It was finally in the columns of Le Parisien that his manager, Laurent Manganas, lifted a corner of the veil:
“Vanessa is very ill, she is on the bottom of the bed, she cannot sing. She no longer has a voice.”
According to daily information, the singer is also “on antibiotics since Tuesday”, which points to an infectious origin.
© Instagram
Possible reasons for a dead voice
Asked about this type of situation, Dr. Gérald Kierzek, medical director of True Medical, mentions several plausible medical hypotheses, common among vocal artists.
Laryngitis
“The most common cause remains laryngitis, whether viral or bacterial,”
he explains. “It causes inflammation of the vocal cords with edema, which makes the voice hoarse, or even completely absent. In these cases, vocal rest is essential.”
These acute infections are often accompanied by other ENT disorders, such as nasopharyngitis or pharyngitis, which aggravate voice loss. “Antibiotics may be prescribed if a bacterial origin is confirmed”specifies the doctor, which corresponds to the information mentioned in the case of the singer.
Overwork
But other factors can also come into play. “Vocal overwork, especially after intensive rehearsals or performances, can lead to edema or even a small hematoma of the vocal cords”he adds. To this can be added irritants such as gastroesophageal reflux, allergies, pollution or even tobacco, which maintain chronic inflammation.
A pathology of the vocal cords, heavier
More rarely, more serious pathologies may be involved: nodules, polyps or cysts preventing the proper vibration of the vocal cords, or even neurological disorders. “But in the case of Vanessa Paradis, this seems unlikely given the acute context and the rapid evolution”nuance Dr Kierzek.
In the meantime, one thing is certain: to find her voice, the singer will have to observe strict rest. A frustrating constraint, but essential to avoid any complications and hope for a quick return to the stage.
For the moment, his other concerts have not been canceled