Catherine Ringer was laid to rest this Saturday in Montmartre Cemetery, Paris , five days after her death at the age of 68. Several hundred relatives, artists, friends, and members of the public accompanied the Rita Mitsouko singer for her final farewell. At the heart of the ceremony, her son Raoul Chichin followed the coffin, guitar in hand, and played with several musicians, notably "Marcia Baïla ," one of the most famous songs of the band formed by his parents.
The ceremony was organized with the intention of preserving the family's privacy. No public notice had announced the precise time of the funeral. Nevertheless, the information had circulated, and many fans gathered near the cemetery. Catherine Ringer now rests beside Fred Chichin, her partner, the father of her three children and fellow member of Les Rita Mitsouko, who died in 2007.
Raoul Chichin accompanies his mother's coffin, guitar in hand.
Music accompanied Catherine Ringer to her grave. Raoul Chichin appeared behind the hearse with his guitar, surrounded by musicians. The son of Catherine Ringer and Fred Chichin notably played "Marcia Baïla ," a song that has become inseparable from the history of Les Rita Mitsouko. Prince's " Mountains " was also performed during the musical tribute.
The choice of "Marcia Baïla" carries particular resonance just days after the passing of Catherine Ringer. The song was written as a tribute to the Argentinian dancer Marcia Moretto, a friend of the singer, who died of cancer at only 36 years old. Catherine Ringer herself succumbed to a particularly rapid cancer, a story recounted in our article dedicated to the tragic history of "Marcia Baïla . "
Vanessa Paradis, Étienne Daho, Matthieu Chedid and Alain Souchon were present.
Many figures from the music and film industries traveled to Montmartre. Vanessa Paradis , Étienne Daho, Matthieu Chedid, Alain Souchon, Marc Lavoine, Nolwenn Leroy, Vincent Delerm, Liane Foly, and Caroline Loeb were among those who attended the funeral. Josiane Balasko and Marina Foïs were also present to pay their final respects to Catherine Ringer.
Marc Lavoine had a special artistic history with her. The two had recorded Qu'est-ce que t'es belle in 1987 , which became one of the defining duets of French song in the 1980s. Nearly forty years later, he was there to pay her a final tribute.
Catherine Ringer now rests near Fred Chichin
The choice of Montmartre Cemetery reunites Catherine Ringer with the man who shared the essence of her artistic and personal life. Fred Chichin had rested there since his death on November 28, 2007, at the age of 53. Catherine Ringer and he met in 1979 before forming Les Rita Mitsouko together and having three children, Ginger, Simone, and Raoul.
After Fred Chichin's death, Catherine Ringer continued to sing and keep their repertoire alive while developing her solo career. A few days before his funeral, we also rediscovered an interview with Catherine Ringer and Fred Chichin conducted by Thierry Ardisson in 1993 , in which the couple discussed life, the stage, and death.
Five days after his death, a final musical farewell
Catherine Ringer died in Paris during the night of September 14-15. Her family announced her death, stating that she had "succumbed to a sudden cancer on the night of September 14, 2026." She was 68 years old.
Since the announcement of her death, tributes have poured in for the woman whose voice remains associated with Marcia Baïla , Andy , C'est comme ça , Les Histoires d'A. , and Le Petit Train . Her passing was reported as soon as it was announced in our article dedicated to the death of Catherine Ringer at 68.
This Saturday, at Montmartre Cemetery, her family and loved ones bid her farewell with music. Raoul Chichin accompanied his mother, guitar in hand, to her final resting place, near Fred Chichin. After the ceremony, admirers approached the grave to lay flowers.
