Mennel Ibtissem Sings “Hallelujah” in English and Arabic
Mennel Ibtissem’s blind audition on The Voice France presents “Hallelujah” in a bilingual vocal arrangement. Moving between English and Arabic gives the familiar Leonard Cohen song a distinct character. The complete official clip keeps this sequence in the audition context.
The official channel preserves the audition and names the song. Its description says Florent Pagny, Mika, Zazie and Pascal Obispo turned their chairs, and Mennel chose Mika. The language shift is audible within the familiar melody.
In a blind audition, coaches first hear the singer without facing them. The voice must establish an identity through phrasing and tone before the visual reveal. The coaches’ reactions remain part of the broadcast setting..
“Hallelujah” gives the introduction a recognizable frame. Its melody accommodates sustained phrases, and the returning refrain offers a familiar point as the singer shapes her delivery. The complete official clip keeps this sequence in the audition context.
The language changes contribute to the arrangement. Different consonants and vowels affect how a phrase feels and reaches the listener, even as the melody remains recognizable. The language shift is audible within the familiar melody.
Watch the performance
The shared melody connects the sections while the change of language adds a new color. Listeners can follow the vocal line even if they do not understand each word. The coaches’ reactions remain part of the broadcast setting..
Mennel’s delivery keeps a personal scale. The performance focuses on voice and phrasing rather than large movements, leaving room for smaller changes in expression. The complete official clip keeps this sequence in the audition context.
The television format adds a sequence of reactions. Each chair turn changes the coaches’ visible relationship to the singer while the song continues. The language shift is audible within the familiar melody.
Those responses accompany rather than replace the musical development. The melody continues through its phrases and returns to the refrain, keeping the audition clear as a performance. The coaches’ reactions remain part of the broadcast setting..
The full official upload preserves that relationship in context. It allows viewers to follow the singing beyond a brief clip selected around a chair turn. The complete official clip keeps this sequence in the audition context.
Intensity can come from a longer note, a change in tone or a carefully placed entrance. The performance can develop without becoming louder at every moment. The language shift is audible within the familiar melody.
Leonard Cohen’s official live recording offers a companion perspective. His delivery provides a point of comparison for the vocal tone and atmosphere of Mennel’s version. The coaches’ reactions remain part of the broadcast setting..
Jeff Buckley’s live performance gives another interpretation of the same composition. Different phrasing and vocal color can shape the song while its melody remains a common reference. The complete official clip keeps this sequence in the audition context.
Listeners can notice how each performer organizes the song: where pauses fall, how a phrase is sustained and how the refrain is approached. The language shift is audible within the familiar melody.
The bilingual setting adds to those choices. The shifts in language become part of the singing, combining articulation with the composition’s established structure. The coaches’ reactions remain part of the broadcast setting..
The audition presents an individual interpretation within a familiar television format. The official recording keeps the voice, song and coaches’ responses together. The complete official clip keeps this sequence in the audition context.
More videos to explore
Leonard Cohen’s Live in London version offers the songwriter’s interpretation and another point of reference for pacing, tone and refrain. The language shift is audible within the familiar melody.
Jeff Buckley’s official Bearsville live video presents a separate reading, showing how the melody can change through another voice and phrasing. The coaches’ reactions remain part of the broadcast setting..
Further reading: Mennel Ibtissem’s audition and original source. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5ORMgl_KPE The complete official clip keeps this sequence in the audition context.
