Hello, everyone!
As I promised to bring you all two interviews this weekend, here is the second one... This time with Uruguayan artist German Bense that is sharing here a bit of his career story in Bossa Nova. Singing a music style more famous for its Brazilian contributors, German learned from the best, and played and sang with the best in Uruguay and Brazil.
German is always involved in many projects and never stops composing. It can happen in any place at any time, and he is always ready for his inspiration. Besides playing and singing, German also composes in many languages. Love and the many aspects of the woman nature are always main subjects of his compositions as it is always in all Bossa Nova...
Owner of a soft voice and lots of talent, German also has his compositions recorded by other artists. Recently it was Venezuelan artist Indira Briceño that recorded the song Barco sin Puerto which is becoming a new hit.
Since Bossa is one of the main musical styles in Brazil, it was a great opportunity for me to discuss a bit about its views in other countries. German knows a lot not only about music but the history behind it. For me, it was a great delight to interview him. I hope you also enjoy it as much as I did.
Bengal: Hi, German, thanks for taking the time to share a bit of your story with us today. Can you tell us how everything started?
German Bense: Thank you, Bengal! The beginning.. my family doesn't have tradition in music. Although my mother used to play the guitar as an amateur and my father the piano, the profession of musician was never welcome at home.. Many problems arised when I decided to become a professional musician. My definite relation with music begins when I started my lessons with the conductor Juan Lamas, and he is the one that taught me the jazz and bossa nova.
Bengal: Which instruments you play?
German: My instrument is the guitar but for many years I worked playing the electric bass. Besides these two, I studied piano but never acquired the necessary technique to play it professionally. Yet, the piano is a very important instrument for me. It is a wonderful tool specially when I prepare musical arrangements.
Bengal: You have many poetic compositions, when did you start to write? Do you have a formal training in music?
German: I started to write with my guitar when I was 20. At the age of 13, I started to study the piano at the Kölischer Conservatorium directed by the great Uruguayan concertist Luis Batlle Ibañez (brother of Jorge Batlle, former president of Uruguay). For a 13-year-old rebel kid, the rigid discipline of the conservatorium was too much and I stayed there for only 2 years. However, during these 2 years I discovered the instrument and learned a lot of theory.
Bengal: Why Bossa Nova? This is a very Brazilian style, so how come a Uruguayan artist ends up writing, playing and singing Bossa Nova?
German: My teacher of guitar and harmony, Juan Lamas, was the responsible for teaching me bossa nova. Qhen I started the lessons with him, Lamas was the biggest reference of Bossa Nova in Uruguay. He was friends of Vinicius de Moraes, Dick Farney, Leny Andrade, among others. In fact, he would go on tour with Vinicius de Moraes every time Vinicius would visit Rio de la Plata. And besides, Juan Lamas was one of the first South American musicians that played bossa nova in Europe, almost at the same time Sergio Mendes arrived in the 'old continent'. Juan Lamas wasn't a composer but saw in me the conditions for a composer, and he was the one encouraging me to write. Unfortunately, I wasn't writing much in the beginning of my career and the conductor passed away without knowing much of the work he inspired so much.
Bengal:: Part of your work is in Portuguese that isn't your native language. How many languages do you speak? Do you compose in all of them?
German: My main language is the Spanish, but I also speak Portuguese and English. I studied the Italian and the French at school but I forgot great part of them (specially French). I started composing in Spanish, but after the year 2000 - and I don't know the reason for that - I started to write the songs in English, and then in 2002, in Portuguese.
Bengal: You write and sing beautiful poems about love and about women. Are these your inspirations? How is the process of composing for you, do you follow a specific technique?
German: I think since the beginning, love and women are an indivisible part of bossa nova, and I'm not the exception, although I discuss other themes in my songs that might not be related to these topics, Herois Rabo de Palha, Our silent world. My process of composing usually starts with the melody. I always have with me an old tape recorder. When the muse comes, I mean, when the melody appears in my voice and guitar, I record. Sometime later I listen to all these precarious recordings and that's when the lyrics show up and the songs born. I can add lyrics sometimes to a music I recorded 2 or 3 years ago. Sometimes, I can write the full song within few hours, but that's not the usual. And besides, I have many melodies composed to the lyrics of other musical partners. I really enjoy to add music to lyrics that are not mine, it's a different challenge.
Bengal: How is the combo Uruguay and Bossa Nova? How is the reception of the Brazilian music in Uruguay?
German: Since the end of the 60's in Uruguay, a new musical wave heavily influenced by bossa nova and MPB [Brazilian Popular Music] was born. The responsible for this wonderful fusion between bossa and the candombe [Afro-Uruguayan music] was the great Uruguayan composer Eduardo Mateo. Since I started to compose till the beginning of the 90's I was part of this wave. The only difference to the majority of my Uruguayan colleagues is that I've discovered Bossa Nova before meeting Mateo's body of work. As I said, I've met MPB through my master Juan Lamas. Thus, the influence of bossa in my music comes directly from the sources. Of course, I appreciate Mateo's work and learned a lot from it, but my background, specially from the harmony point of view comes directly from bossa nova. For you to have an idea of the influence of bossa nova in the Uruguayan music, I'll tell you a tale. Sometime ago, I was looking for some of my old arrangements that I recorded on tape. I was listening to the songs when I found a treasure. It was Jorge Drexler and I singing with two guitars to a potpurri of bossa in a home recording session, preparing some of the shows we did together in the beginning of the 90's. He starts singing Morena Boca de Ouro with a wonderful beat of bossa and a perfect pronounciation of Portuguese, then I sing Vivo Sonhando and finaly we sing together Jacinta, a nice samba by Eduardo Mateo.
Bengal: And how is the market for a Uruguayan artist singing Bossa in Uruguay and in Brazil? Nowaways, do you think the market for Bossa Nova is more opened or not?
German: In Uruguay, the market for Bossa Nova is definately non-existent. Decades ago in my country, Bossa Nova was listented to and highly appreciated, but this tradition is lost. While in Brazil, things are not so easy for the Bossa Nova artists, but I just can talk about it based on the references some of my Brazilian colleagues said. Curious enough, Bossa Nova nowadays has a great audience in Europe, maybe much bigger than in the majority of South American countries.
Bengal: You have performed many times in Argentina, though. How is the reception there?
German: Argentina, together with Chile, are the countries where Bossa Nova is more appreciated in the continent. Although, having my music online since the year 2000, it was just a matter of time to be contacted to play out there. And that's how it happened. In the end of 2005, I was invited to be part of this Yahoo! discussion group Bossanovaenargentina [in Spanish]. Rosana Teladi, the founder and moderator of the group is also the organizer of the Encontros de Bossa Nova em Argentina, annual event in Buenos Aires that started back in 2005. And in April 2006 was the first time I played in Argentina. Since then, I keep playing and continue to be linked to the bossa nova movement in Argentina, much more linked there than to the musical movements in my own country.
Bengal: Which are your influences, German? You played with many known names of Bossa Nova. How these partnerships start?
German: Tom Jobim, João Gilberto and Chico Buarque are my main musical references. About my partnerships, I already mentioned Drexler, and.... the thing is that I played with many of these known names when nobody was known actually... [laughing]
Bengal: Which was the most significant moment of your career so far?
German: I have many significant moments and it would be difficult to highlight one, but I think the most important moment of my career didn't pass yet, and I think it will be when I finally can play for the first time my Bossa Nova in Brazil.
Bengal: Tells us about the albums you participated and the works you have. Which is the difference from your last work, Love song in vain, to the others?
German: I participated as a guitar and bass player in many works with Uruguayan musicians, and it was sometime ago. I have 5 published albums - Después de todo and Quimera are Uruguayan Popular Music (1989-1990), Opus bossa nova (2001), Deafinados como eu (2002) and Love song in vain (2005). The biggest difference of my lastest work to the previous ones is the more jazzistic style in relation to the arrangements and the interpretation of the songs.
Bengal: I think it's very interesting that you publish the parts of your music online. How is the reception it has?
German: I think that to publish the parts, and everything related to the songs, is very important in the projection of an artist, specially in the case of the independent artist as myself. The internet allows today many ways to reach not only the general public, but also other artists, and I think everyone should use this technology as a very positive tool. The reception of my audience is very good indeed. Remember that many of the "famous" artists are selling their songbooks - I offer mine as a gift... ;)
Bengal: You mentioned the Bossa Nova artists singing in Europe. Do you know Aline de Lima's work?
German: Yes! Unfortunately I never had the opportunity to meet her in person, but I know her through MySpace. It would be nice to have her on tour in South America, and even nicer if one day she could sing one of my songs.
Bengal: Thanks for this interview, German. It was a pleasure to talk to you. Anything else you want to share with us?
German:: I always thank Brazil and its musicians for the fact they created Bossa Nova. This year in Brazil, Bossa Nova is celebrating its 50 years of life as it is. It would be really nice if we could do all that is possible, specially here in South America, to revive the style, and show the beauty and the poetry of this music to the new generations of the world. It would be nice that the events celebrating the 50 years would be organized in a way to bring together the Bossa Nova artists of all latitudes to create a new releasing platform so this music can continue conquering the hearts of many people for more 50, 100, 200 years more!
For more information on German Bense, check the links below:
German Bense's Official Website
German Bense's MySpace
German's music in the voice of Indira Briceño
Hello, everybody!
I'm happy to bring you my latest interview: François Corbier! Author, compositor and interpret, Corbier started his career in cabaret years ago, and his name in France became synonym of an engaged artist with an anarchist side that keeps true to his principles. From cabaret to TV shows, Corbier never stops creating. He is a charming rebel with lots of talent to share. Since my French is a bit rusty, my dear friend François from Rennes helped me with this task. This interview just shares a very brief moment of this man's story. If you have the chance, don't miss him on stage... You will discover much more and be completely charmed
Bengal.
Bengal: Tout d'abord, Corbier, un grand merci de prendre le temps de partager un peu plus de votre expérience et de votre histoire avec nous. Pour commencer, pouvez-vous nous parler un peu plus de vos antécédents dans le monde du spectacle? Comment tout cela a-t-il commencé? A quel moment avez-vous commencé à chanter et jouer de la guitare?
François Corbier: Je suis arrivé dans ce milieu par chance et surtout par la guitare que mon frère Jean Pierre s’était offerte au moment de partir en Algérie faire l’andouille pour le compte de l’Etat Français… J’avais 15/16 ans et comme je m’ennuyais de mon frère, je lui ai piqué sa gratte et je me suis mis à apprendre à faire des accords, puis à écrire des chansons. Lorsque mon frère est revenu de son service militaire, je lui ai chanté mes chansons pour avoir son avis. Comme il n’en avait pas, il m’a proposé d’aller voir un professionnel pour lui demander ce qu’il en pensait… Alors nous sommes allé voir Georges Brassens qui passait à cette époque dans un music hall. Il nous a aimablement reçu dans sa loge et je lui ai chanté mes chansonnettes. Il m’a conseillé et encouragé à poursuivre dans cette voie… et je l’ai fait !
Bengal: Faites-vous partie d'une famille d'artistes, ce qui aurait pu influencer votre choix?
Corbier: Mon père chantait. Il le faisait en amateur. On m’a toujours dit qu’il avait une très belle voix. (je n’en ai hélas pas hérité…) Il semblerait qu’il ait écrit quelques chansons, mais je ne les connais pas. Je ne les ai jamais entendues. Mon père est mort sur scène lors d’un spectacle. J’avais à peine plus de deux ans et mon frère sept. Je n’ai aucun souvenir de lui, mais je suis persuadé que si mon frère et moi nous avons fait ce métier c’est en grande partie parce que notre maman et mes grands-parents paternel nous en ont parlé toute notre enfance. C’est là le seul rapport familial que j’ai avec le milieu du spectacle.
Bengal: Beaucoup de vos fans vous ont découvert pour la première fois lors de votre expérience télévisuelle avec Récré A2, puis avec le Club Dorothée. Comment cette participation vous a-t-elle été proposée? Après 14 ans à la télévision, quelle est valeur principale que vous en conservez ?
Corbier: Je suis entré à la télé en 1982. Cela s’est fait par hasard. Madame Jacqueline Joubert, qui en son temps avait été la première speakrine de la télé française, m’a vu chanter mes petites chansons dans un théâtre de chansonniers. C’était à Paris. Le personnage l’a amusé. Elle m’a proposé d’écrire chaque semaine une chanson pour consoler les enfants de leurs misères… La séquence s’intitulait « Les Petits Malheurs ». J’ai fait ça de 82 à 87. Puis j’ai suivi l’animatrice principale de cette émission et de 87 à 97 j’ai travaillé pour le groupe AB Prod qui vendait notre travail à TF1. Je conserve d’excellents souvenirs de toute cette époque. J’ai rencontré des personnes épatantes, j’y ai bien gagné ma vie, j’ai voyagé, et je travaillais avec des personnes agréables, que demander de mieux. Ma seul réserve sera de m’être rendu compte trop tard que je m’étais, volontairement et tout seul, enfermé dans un système facile qui m’a tenu éloigné trop longtemps de la scène et des réalités de ce métier. J’ai travaillé 15 ans à la télé et j’ai mis dix ans à m’en remettre. Néanmoins je ne regrette rien.
Bengal: Comment fut la transition entre le monde du cabaret et le travail pour les enfants?
Corbier: Le plus naturellement du monde. Mon métier consiste à écrire des chansons. La différence entre une chanson pour adulte est une chanson pour enfant est infime. Seul le vocabulaire est un peu différent. Là où dans une chanson pour adulte je me permettrais de dire « merde », dans une chanson pour enfant je dirais plutôt « zut, ou flûte »… mais on peut globalement traiter des mêmes sujets. Il y a d’ailleurs des parents qui, bien que n’ignorant pas que je ne chante plus pour les enfants, viennent avec leurs petits et jusqu’à présent je les ai toujours vu s’amuser. Comme leurs parents. J’ai un ami qui à écrit à ce propos : « Corbier ne fait pas un spectacle pour les enfants, mais ça ne doit pas les empêcher de demander un autographe à la sortie… »
Bengal: Quel fut votre rôle au sein de l'équipe durant cette période ? Vous chantiez, dansiez, jouiez la comédie? Avez-vous des antécédents dans d'autres domaines, tels, le monde du cinéma ou le théâtre par exemple? Avez-vous, pendant le Club Dorothée, continué à chanter en dehors du cadre de l'émission, ou aviez-vous tout arrêté? Si vous avez continué, donniez-vous des concerts? Ces deux activités étaient-elles conciliables ?
Corbier: Holà tout beau !… Je chantais certes un peu. Parfois. Pas tant que ça. D’ailleurs en 15 ans de télé je n’ai enregistré que cinq 45t.deux titres... Je jouais la comédie oui, mais si vous m'avez vu danser, c’est un coup de chance. Même ma femme ne m'a jamais vu faire un truc pareil ! Je suis bien incapable de danser. Je n’y entends rien. Je trouve formidable ces personnes qui parviennent à se trémousser au rythme d’une musique, d’une chanson. J’en suis bien incapable. Je ne manque sans doute pas de rythme, mais je fumais beaucoup et pour danser… J’avais eu l’occasion de jouer la comédie dans un Club de Vacances, notamment pour faire plaisir à André Roussin de l’Académie Française, qui m’avait vu chanter et m’avait dit à l'issue de ma prestation : "Mon garçon tu es un comédien !" Alors sous sa direction, j’avais joué une piécette en un acte de Jean Tardieu : « Un mot pour un autre ». C’était sur un bateau qui se rendait à Buenos Aires… Puis j’ai rencontré à Agadir, où des amis comédiens m’avaient invité à jouer en leur compagnie une pièce dont je ne me souviens de rien…, Claude Rich qui à l’issue de la représentation m’invita à le rejoindre au bar. Il me prit dans ses bras en me couvrant de compliments... « Tu es un comédien magnifique ! Il faut que tu joues ! »… Comme je n’y entendais rien, j’ai préféré continuer à gratter ma guitare, mais il se pourrait que je sois passé à côté de ma vie… va savoir… Pour revenir à la télé, lorsque j’y suis arrivé, c’était pour chanter. Uniquement pour ça. Très vite on m’a demandé de jouer la comédie. C’était facile. On improvisait sur un canevas très serré. On ne risquait donc pas trop de se tromper. Je me suis mis à jouer avec mes camarades. La télé est rapidement devenue envahissante. Néanmoins j’ai continué à faire de la scène jusqu’au 31 Décembre 1987. A cette date, les émissions de télé m’ont trop accaparé et j’ai du faire un choix. J’ai posé ma guitare et je me suis « investi » dans le boulot de comédien-animateur pour enfants
Bengal: Pouvez-vous nous parler du combat que vous menez pour tenter de revenir sur le devant de la scène, après l'avoir quitté pendant autant d'années?
Corbier: C’est un combat difficile et quasiment perdu d’avance. Je ne suis plus un gamin. Les producteurs, je les comprends d’ailleurs, ne se précipitent pas sur un type de 63 ans pour lui offrir un contrat en or… Mais, comme je n’ai rien à perdre et que j’aime encore monter sur les planches je continue d’écrire et je me dis que si mes petites chansonnettes trouvent un public et bien, je n’aurais pas tout à fait perdu mon temps en les proposant à celles et ceux qui veulent bien se donner la peine de les écouter.
Bengal: Dans une émission télévisuelle sur une chaine française, vous exposiez, au printemps 2006, les nombreuses difficultés rencontrées, notamment au cours de l'année 1999 ; quand nous avons préparé l'interview, vous avez signé un de vos courriels « Corbier, the singer living again »; pouvez-vous nous expliquer cette formule?
Corbier: En fait j’ai signé de cette manière pour m’amuser. Je ne parle pas Anglais, j’allais pas très bien, mais ce serait un mensonge. Je ne parle pas du tout ! Il se trouve que je signe toujours mes courriers, courriels et mails par la formule : « Corbier le chanteur anthume ». Ce mot « anthume » n’existe pas dans la langue française mais il le pourrait. Il est construit comme son contraire « posthume » de deux racines latine « post – après » et « hume, de humus – la terre » posthume = après le retour à la terre : mort. Anthume c’est « ante – avant » et « humus – la terre » donc : avant le retour à la terre, soit : vivant. Comme je ne sais pas dire ça en Anglais j’ai fait ce que j’ai pu… En 1999, il y a eu la tempête. Je venais de déménager. J'avais quitté une maison très confortable de la proche banlieue parisienne, que je ne pouvais plus entretenir, et j'avais acheté avec les trois sous qui me restaient une misérable bâtisse, dont les fenêtres et les portes battaient de l'aille, et dont le toit s'envola la nuit de la tempête. La pluie s'engouffra et entrepris de pourrir tout ce qu'elle trouvait à sa portée... L'assurance considérant que la masure était en piteux état avant la tempête refusa de nous offrir un toit neuf et la pluie continua son oeuvre... Enfin, il y a trois ans, en 2005, j'ai pu obtenir un prêt du Département pour refaire un toit et fermer à nouveau ma maison aux intempéries... Pendant toute cette période, je n'ai pas travaillé ou quasiment pas. Plus ou si peu de contacts avec la presse, avec le public, avec la scène... Rien ! Sans mes amis et ma famille, je pense que j'y aurai laissé la peau...
Bengal: Si vous n'étiez pas heureux lors du Club Dorothée, pourquoi y avez-vous participé pendant aussi longtemps?
Corbier: Je n’y étais pas réellement malheureux. J’y gagnais confortablement ma vie. Je voyageais, je faisais l’andouille et l’insouciance était de mise. Je connais des jobs plus difficiles. Je n’y faisais pas ce que j’aurais aimé faire, mais c’était supportable. Enfin ça l’a été jusqu’au moment où ça ne l’a plus été du tout. Je me sentais dépérir, je buvais de plus en plus et surtout mes employeurs et les responsables de l'antenne ne faisaient rien pour me permettre de me sentir mieux. Alors après qu’on m’eut fait raser la barbe, après qu’on m’ait caché derrière des plantes vertes pour me dissimuler aux regards des enfants qui auraient pu avoir peur... pensez donc un type avec des poils blancs ! Quelle horreur !... Après qu’on ait amputé mon salaire du quart sans avoir eu l’élégance de m’en avertir, et rangé ma guitare au rayon des accessoires, je me suis dit qu’il était temps que je fiche le camp… C’est ce que j’ai fait.
Bengal: Et, dans un registre plus personnel, quel était la réaction de votre famille durant cette période?
Corbier: Lorsque j'ai quitté la télé, que le boulot n'est pas venu, que j'ai commencé à "vider ma cave", que la pluie s'est mise à courir sur les murs, ma famille s'est resserrée autour de moi. Il n'y a pas eu une seule désaffection dans mon staf familial ni chez mes amis. Tout le monde m'a soutenu. Je n'en dirais pas autant de monde professionnel. Je connais même quelques salauds qui ne méritent pas qu'on leur fasse la moindre publicité en citant ici leur nom, même si c'est pour les conchier !
Bengal: Que ressentez-vous aujourd'hui lors de vos concerts lorsque vous rencontrez tous ces jeunes adultes qui étaient émerveillés par vous et votre travail lorsqu'ils étaient enfants?
Corbier: Je suis heureux de pouvoir rencontrer le public dont je me suis tenu éloigné pendant toutes ces années. En général on ne me parle pas lors de ces rencontre de ma période télé, car je n’accepte généralement de me déplacer que pour faire mon boulot d’aujourd’hui et pas pour entretenir chez ceux qui viennent me voir le syndrome de Peter Pan, et ça se sait, mais il n’empêche que c’est souvent très émouvant de voir tout ces visages, encore jeunes, tendus vers moi pour m’offrir un peu de ce qu’il leur reste d’enfance.
Bengal: Avez-vous des projets télévisuels aujourd'hui? Ou d'autres projets ?
Corbier: Des projets oui. Télévisuel non. J'ai fait un trait là-dessus. Je suis content qu'on m'y invite encore de temps en temps pour chanter ou raconter, mais je n'ai plus aucune envie d'y retourner pour faire encore le pitre, recevoir des tartes à la crème et des seaux d'eau sur le nez. J’ai, en revanche, l’intention avec mes amis musiciens de faire en 2008 un quatrième album. J’avais prévu de le faire cette année, malheureusement ça n’a pas été possible pour diverses raisons dont la plus probante est le manque de fric. Je n’ai pas de producteur, pas d'attaché de presse... Dans ces conditions rien n’est jamais simple… Si quelqu'un veut tenter l'expérience de me produire un beau disque, qu'il ne se prive pas de me contacter. Je suis ouvert à toutes propositions !
Bengal: Parlez-nous un peu plus de vos albums depuis « Carnet Mondain », le premier opus de votre nouvelle aventure en solo? Quelles en sont les thématiques? De nombreuses chansons révèlent une certaine mélancolie, voire un certain pessimisme, alors que d'autres sont plus engagées, traitant de l'actualité...Y-a-t-il un fil conducteur entres-elles?
Corbier: Il se pourrait que sous mes aspects rigolards, je sois une sorte d’indécrottable pessimiste. C’est sans doute pour cacher cette nature que je fais des chansons plutôt souriantes, mais parfois le rire se brise un peu et reste coincé dans la gorge... Mes albums ne sont pas des romans. Pas d'album concept. Chaque chanson est indépendante de la suivante comme de la précédente. Je fais en sorte d’y conter mes humeurs... Les choses qui me touchent, qui m’énervent, me font mal. J’essaie de faire de cette matière brute des petits instants souriants et pas trop sots, en espérant que quelques personnes voudront bien entrer dans ces univers et qu’elles retrouveront en m'écoutant, un peu du plaisir que j’ai eu à les écrire. Les thèmes sont souvent les mêmes. En fait il y a peu de grands sujets. La vie, l'amour, la mort. Et il faut jouer avec. J'introduis là-dedans ma vision politique et religieuse et tant pis si ça choque. Je ne le fais pas pour ça. J'écris en m'efforçant d'être sincère et puis je n'ai plus trop de temps devant moi pour m'amuser encore à tricher.
Bengal: S'agissant de votre dernier album en date « Tout pour être heureux », pouvez-vous nous parler des musiciens qui y ont participé ? Est-ce les mêmes musiciens qui vous accompagnent lors de vos concerts avec musiciens ?
Corbier: Je travaille sur scène avec trois amis. L’un est flutiste. Il s’appelle Gérard Geoffroy. Il joue aussi avec Idir. On peut l’entendre dans le film La Chèvre (Depardieu, Pierre Richard) c’est lui qui joue le thème de « la chèvre » à la flute de pan. Avec moi il joue, en plus des roseaux, de la basse et du charengo. Il y a un bassiste, guitariste : Patrick Balbin qui bossait à la télé lorsque j’y ai débuté. Il s’occupait des éclairages. On est devenu copain. On ne s’est plus quitté. Patrick fait aussi le guitariste rock and roll chez Gérard Lenormand. Il y a enfin, Eric Gombart, un guitariste acoustique tout à fait remarquable. Professeur à l’Ecole Atla il joue aussi dans un groupe : Les Superpickers. Pour vous faire une idée du talent de ce garçon, je vous invite à vous rendre sur son site : www.myspace.com/ericgombart et à vous procurer son dernier album. Ce sont eux qui jouent sur l’album « Tout Pour Etre Heureux ». D’autres personnes se sont ajoutées lors de l’enregistrement. Un percussionniste, des enfants, un accordéoniste, un bassiste fretless… un pianiste, et de nombreuses personnes de mon village m'ont prêté leurs voix… Et je n'oublie pas celles et ceux, venues parfois de très loin comme Nicole Rieux qui a fait d'Avignon le déplacement jusque chez moi en Normandie, avec sa 2CV et sa jolie voix, pour être là ! Pour me faire plaisir. C’est pas de l’amitié ça ? Pour le prochain album je crois bien que nous ne serons que tous les quatre. Flutes, basses, guitares. Pas de choriste, et hors le percussionniste, pas d’élément extérieur à notre petite formation électro-acoustique.
Bengal: Quelles ont été vos influences pour cet album? Ecrivez-vous les paroles où la musique en premier?
Corbier: Mes influences sont toujours les mêmes : Brassens, Perret, Béart, Renaud, Dylan, les vieux bluesmen, Mississipi John Hurt, Eric Clapton, Lennon… J’ai du mal à me détacher de ces univers. Une petite mélodie simple, agréable, et des mots, des mots, des mots ! Pour cerner au mieux ce qui me parait valoir la peine d’être dit. En règle générale, je compose les paroles et la musique en simultané. La musique me sert surtout à scander les pieds (les syllabes) et les vers. Puis lorsque j’ai terminé le texte, je laisse reposer parfois pendant plusieurs semaines. Un jour je reprends la chanson et je refais une mélodie un peu plus aboutie… et c’est là que ça commence à merder… Quand la nouvelle mélodie est faite, neuf fois sur dix les mots ne sont plus en place, alors j’adapte le texte à cette nouvelle mélodie, et quand le nouveau texte est fait… je dois souvent retoucher la mélodie… Il n’est pas rare que ça dure un an, deux, en aller retour, jusqu’au moment où le tout me semble cohérent… J’aime bien lorsque le texte est triste faire une mélodie plus joyeuse… Ça évite à l’auditeur de sombrer tout de suite dans la déprime… Ça fait mieux passer la pilule… A propos de l’album Tout pour Etre Heureux, des personnes qui se l’étaient procuré (par des moyens légaux…) m’ont avoué qu’elles s’y étaient reprise à plusieurs fois avant de s’apercevoir que j’étais « toujours aussi saignant »… J’ai pris ça pour une sorte de compliment d’autant qu’elles avaient acheté l’album avant de venir me voir en concert où elles m’avaient fait, en souriant, cet aveu…
Bengal: Corbier, un grand merci de nous avoir accordé de votre temps et d'avoir partagé votre talent, votre gentillesse et votre sincérité. Souhaitez-vous adresser un dernier mot à nos lecteurs?
Corbier: C’est moi qui vous remercie de vous intéresser à moi. Ça me touche et ça me flatte. Continuez à le faire… Je reçois parfois des mails d’amis Américains qui m’écrivent en Anglais… Comme je ne comprends pas ce qu’ils attendent de moi, je ne leur réponds pas... Je dois avoir auprès de ces personnes une réputation lamentable, alors, si vous les croisez, ces Américains, dites leur que je suis quand même un gars sympathique, ça les rassurera certainement et ça me fera plaisir.
For more information on François Corbier and his agenda of shows, please visit:
Corbier's Official Website
Corbier's MySpace
François Corbier on YouTube
Hello, cats!
Welcome to my latest interview...
I am a not so innocent victim, fallen prey to the seductive lure of traditional (and not so much) Irish music, thanks to the multitask man, Marc Gunn. Hyperactive, Marc can't stay still. His mind boils with hundreds of new ideas every week, and we are lucky because he actually pursues part of them and shares the great results with us! Marc is a musician with passion for his Irish origins and the Scottish and Celtic influences. Thus, expect great humor, mystery and romance in his compositions, exploring his creativity with any topic in mind.
Besides composing, playing and singing, Marc also writes about his adventures traveling and playing in many different corners of this planet. His easy reading style of writing is addictive... Alas, I am now completely hooked on his blogs. As if it isn't enough, Marc still finds time to run many Podcasts on Irish (and related) music.
Bengal: Hi, Marc, thanks for finding the time in your crazy agenda to talk to us.
Marc Gunn: I'm always happy to find time!
Bengal: Marc, can you tell us a bit about your heritage?
Gunn: I am an American of Scots-Irish heritage. My Gunn family arrived [to the US] in the early-mid-1800s from a place unknown at present. But I really wasn't raised with the musical tradition. My dad was big into folk music growing up, and he took me to a few Highland Games, but for the most part, I didn't discover the music until I started the Brobdingnagian Bards in 1999.
Bengal: So, how did this involvement with Music start?
Gunn: My entire family is musical to some degree. My mom plays the piano. My dad plays every folk instrument under the sun, it seems, especially the banjo. My brother plays a bit o'guitar. My sister, flute.
My desire to be a full-time musician began in 1992. I had become an Amway distributor. They asked what my dream was. I said, "music". My Amway life didn't last long, but it solidified my desire to be a musician.
I fumbled around among a few different bands. Then while practicing at the University of Texas at Austin, someone invited me to perform at a Ren Faire. Having long been a D&D [Dungeons & Dragons] geek, I said, "Woohoo!" Asked Andrew McKee to join me and we started the Brobdingnagian Bards. The next couple years were spent in total immersion in Irish folk songs.
Bengal: Which instruments do you play?
Gunn: I play the autoharp almost exclusively. I used to play the guitar and have dabbled with some of the folk instruments I've swiped from my dad, like the banjo, hammered and mountain dulcimers, and now I'm playing the bodhran a little bit. But the autoharp is still my main instrument.
I love it too. The autoharp is simple to play and great for singing. But you can do a LOT with it once you know the basics.
Bengal: When composing, where does the inspiration come from? Do you have a method you use to prepare yourself?
Gunn: Inspiration is random for me. I should sit down and write daily. As I said, I have a problem staying on top of all the projects I do. But really, that's okay. That's sort of the life of an artist. You do lots of different things.
However, when I do write, I like writing with the autoharp in hand. It helps me create the mood and melody and then I can fine tune the story and lyrics apart from the autoharp. It helps me to get started usually.
Bengal: You play with your band, the Brobdingnagian Bards. Which places outside US have you guys been playing lately? Which are the most interesting and strangest places you have ever been to?
Gunn: The band is at the present moment touring exclusively in US. I occasionally tour Europe solo because I have family in Italy and love the fact that I can pay for my trip by playing music. That's Awesome!
However, that is changing some. Last summer, we [Brobdingnagian Bards] led a fan tour to Ireland and played in a couple o'places. Though I think the most shocking thing to happen was in Blarney this summer when some guy sat down in the park we were playing. He listened to a couple o'songs then asked, "Are you Marc Gunn?" All our fans busted up laughing and it turns out he was a fan of my Ren Fest Podcast.
As for most interesting gig, that would either be DragonCon, where we have our biggest audiences packing rooms, or the hostel I played in Italy last summer in this ancient Italian villa. Brilliant!
Bengal: You compose, you write, you photograph, you publish, you educate, you promote, you have a band, you have blogs, web pages and podcasts, did I leave anything out? How do you find time to administrate all of this and still go out with your band on tours? By the way, how many podcasts do you have at the moment?
Gunn: It's my AMAZING time management skills. [with a sarcastic expression]
Good question! Fact is I don't publish things daily. I have a hell of a time keeping up with everything. I'm a bit ADD so I bounce around to a LOT of projects. But none are done on a solid regular basis. I just can't keep up with things that way. So I just accept that things happen when they happen. I work a lot and write and hope for the best. And it works out. Ultimately, it's a lot because I've been doing it for YEARS! And it just adds up. :)
But I admit I have trouble keeping up with them.
I have six podcasts – the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, Renaissance Festival Podcast, Pub Songs Podcast, Cat Lovers Podcast, MarcSongs Podcast, A Brobdingnagian Minute.
Bengal: Marc, with all this experience you have, what would be your advice to someone that just started in the business and is realizing that it's not that simple to 'make it'?
Gunn: "Making it" is all a relative term. I believe it is not too difficult to make a living as a musician IF you are willing to work for it. Great music is only a portion of what you need to succeed. You also need to learn how to market and promote yourself and be persistent in doing it.
More than likely, you will NOT get a great record contract. So don't expect it. Instead, make it on your own and when the labels come knocking the contract will better all around for you and anyone IF you even want it.
As for me, I have little desire for a contract. I already have a busy label, Mage Records, which takes up a LOT of time and energy. And passing it on to someone else isn't that great an idea.
Bengal: Why cats?
Gunn: Cats. Well, that was an interesting story. I was raised with pet Pekingeses actually. But as I started touring more, my then fiancée LOVED cats. She wanted one while I was away. So we went to the pound and adopted Jasper. It wasn't long before I fell in love with cats too. They are intelligent, sweet and loving... and independent too. I love everything about them.
After performing at DragonCon in 2002, I believe, I was talking with a friend on the phone and my cat Tiziano climbed in my lap. I grew up parodying songs thanks to my dad's influence, so I started singing "Wild Rover" and meowing in the chorus. Next thing I knew I had my first cat song and an -- idea that should seemed to purrfect Irish drinking songs for Cat Lovers. Turns out I wasn't alone either. A LOT of people LOVE the CD!
Bengal: And the question everyone wants to know: in the Irish drinking songs for cat lovers, which one influenced the most - the drinking or the cats?
Gunn: [laughing] It was the cats that influenced it the most. The CD is mostly about cats. In fact a lot of the lyrics aren't even about alcohol. That's just the general theme.
Bengal: Any other information you want to spread out there?
Gunn: Help people. One of the best lessons of marketing I learned was to help other people. And do it selflessly. It's the law of the universe that the more you help others, the more it'll come back to you. Don't EXPECT it to come back, but it will. You just have to have faith. Tough, but believe.
Oh! And I do plan to release "More Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers" in 2008.
Bengal: Marc, thanks for your time. It’s been great to talk to you. Have a great Valentine’s Day and success in your next album. I can’t wait!
If you enjoyed this chat with Marc, you don't have to be in love to enjoy his latest CD, "A Tribute to Love", when he releases the album on Valentine's Day!
Valentine's Day Lunchtime Concert and CD Release Party
February 14, 2008
Things Celtic @ noon
1806 W. 35th Street
Austin, TX 78703
Marc Gunn, and news about his band, his shows and projects, can be found regularly at the following links:
Marc Gunn
Brobdingnagian Bards
Marc Gunn Podcasts (list)
Album Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers
Bards Crier Music Marketing and Promotion Ezine
Celtic MP3s Music Magazine
Hello, everyone!
Let's start the New Year with a so expected interview. Many readers asked and here it is: Benoit Bourque.
Bourque is the person that introduced me to the Quebecois Traditional Music and Dance. Before that, I had no idea of Québec and its rich culture. Then, I discovered the talents of so many artists such as Genticorum, Bernard Simard, Le Rêve du Diable, and many more. In this sense, I have much to thank him.
I first met Benoit Bourque in Texas (2005) and his stage presence, charisma, contagious energy and dance steps instantly thrilled me. He charmed the entire audience! Bourque has loyal followers since the beginning of his career while playing with many bands such as Advielle Que Pourra, Matapat and Le Vent du Nord. I could meet many of his fans through these years while learning more about Québec history and arts.
Bourque co-hosted the Canadian Folk Music Awards last December, and today we talk about his present and future. Without further ado, here is our interview:
Bengal: Hi, Benoit! Thanks for taking the time to talk to us.
Benoit Bourque: Merci, it’s always a pleasure.
Bengal: Benoit, can you tell us a bit about your artistic background, how you started in music and dance?
Benoit: I come from a musical family: my dad played trumpet, my brothers (4) and sisters (3): saxophone, trombone, guitar, keyboard, recorders, ukulele. We all sang different kind of songs (traditional, pop, etc...) I start playing the guitar at first and very little keyboard to switch to clarinet when I was about 8 years old. Later, at the age of 13, I started to dance to meet girls. [laughs] At first I learned International traditional dances to finally focus on Québec dances and step dancing.
Bengal: An early talent! Is there anyone else from your family playing, dancing or singing professionally?
Benoit: Nobody in my family made a living with arts: for my parents, music was a hobby so my mom said [to me] for years: ''Did you find a REAL job?'' [laughs]
Bengal: And your family now, the children? Are they following the steps [pun intended] of the father?
Benoit: They all touched music: Mathilde (27) piano, Vincent (25) has played electric bass, guitar and DJ, Jasmine (22) has done very little violin but always love to sing, Antoine (17) is the only one who really study music (in college): he plays piano, tuba and piano-accordion.
Bengal: Why Quebecois Traditional music and not another style?
Benoit: I always loved to sing the traditional songs from Québec: this has been my start from my family. When I started the dance at 13, it became a natural thing to do trad.
Bengal: Why step dance and not other type?
Benoit: I do step dancing what we call in Québec: gigue. The first time I have seen it was with a big guy who was doing simple steps but he really looked so light!! [laughs]
Bengal: Surely you can do the same! Coming from a big family that could play all sorts of musical instruments, you might have learned many. Which instruments do you play, Benoit?
Benoit: I play bones, spoons, button accordions, guitar and some mandolin, recorder, bohdran and piano.
Bengal: How do you see the Quebecois Traditional Music expanding frontiers?
Benoit: I think that Québec trad is becoming slowly but surely one of the new fashion in the folk milieu in North America. It's comparable to Cajun music 25 years ago.
Bengal: You have a vast knowledge of the musical history behind Quebecois Trad and you have been part of this environment for a while, developing many different types of projects, and surely meeting many of the artists in this milieu...
Benoit: I surely don't know all of them but I know many, many of them. It's hard to know all of them especially that we have now more and more young musicians who do it.
Bengal: One of your talents, present in many projects, is composition. When did you start to compose? Do you have a method for that, what inspires you?
Benoit: I started when I was a teen with my friends... a few compositions on guitar... most of those songs were funny songs. In 1982, I wrote La Valse Matique while I was on an asthma attack (I was feeling romantic). [Benoit is the only artist I know that would compose under an asthma attack!!] I don't have a real method but I often start the composition on one instrument to switch to another one to keep going.
Bengal: Recently I had the opportunity to meet Marc Benoit, former Eritage, that told me about many of the shows, the TV experience and the recognition in Québec. How was your experience with Eritage?
Benoit: Marc Benoit was the standup bass and guitar player in the band. I enormously enjoyed my 6 years with them and I quit because of the family... Carole, my wife, was pregnant of our 3rd child. I started to discover the Canadian folk milieu with this group, and the USA one with Advielle Que Pourra and Matapat.
Bengal: Recently you announced your MySpace page where everybody can have access to your future shows and activities. Can you tell us a little about these future plans?
Benoit: In fact, I have so many projects that I cannot talk about it now. Some of the gigs are solo, some duo, some trio but I have bigger projects to come. For the first time in my life, I started to put on my solo show and I have a 50 minutes ready by now. At the moment, I’m also working on music therapy with the elderly.
Bengal: Benoit, last December you co-hosted the CFMA. How was that experience? You are one of the previous CFMA winners yourself, how does it feel?
Benoit: I have been many time a Master of Ceremony for different festivals but it is first time for an award ceremony. I felt like a fish in water: the folk milieu is mine for so long and I love this milieu. One of the tension that I had with Matapat and Le Vent du Nord was their huge ambitions!! They both wanted to be the best. This is not the folk approach but the pop approach. I prefer much more the folk approach.
Bengal: Which artists you admire the most?
Benoit: All of them who are committed to social changes: we need much more peoples who are left wing thinkers.
Bengal: Which was the most gratifying moment of your career so far?
Benoit: In 1988, when I was in Moscow: peoples were extremely friendly and intense: it was almost a dream.
Bengal: And can you tell us the funniest thing that ever happened on stage?
Benoit: One of my friend who is a good fiddler but speaks slowly: once he felt down his chair (one of the legs found a hole in the stage floor) but very slowly.
Bengal: Benoit, thanks for your time and all the entertainment!
Benoit: Merci! The pleasure was mine!
If you are interested in more information about Benoit Bourque, you are welcome to visit his official MySpace where you can also listen to some of his compositions.
Bengal.
Photo by Baptiste Grison
Hello, everyone!
Recently I visited Quebec and enjoyed the Quebecois Traditional Music - QueTrad - live! One of the artists I had the opportunity to see on stage more than once is Bernard Simard. I can't resist a talented artist playing acoustic guitar with a silky voice behind it, and that's how I discovered Simard's works. For more than 20 years now, Bernard Simard has been cultivating a loyal following from Quebec till Europe. His talents in QueTrad could appeal to just about any music fan. Simard has been recording since 1983 when he was a member of La Bottine Souriante. He lived for 9 years in France, mixing styles and expanding his influences, and now he is back home with his new album Spectacle Solo. Find out more about Bernard Simard in the interview below...
Bengal: Salut, Bernard! First of all, thanks for taking the time for this interview, we all appreciate. How are you?
Bernard: Salut, Bengal! I also appreciate and I'm fine, thanks. I'm interested in Folk music so I understand the same interest in others.
Bengal: Bernard, can you tell us a bit about how your involvement with music started? Is it an influence that came from your family?
Bernard: I have two brothers and one sister. One of my brothers plays the guitar and sings. He released three albums featuring his own compositions. My sister also sings and plays the guitar while my other brother works at Radio-Canada. My father used to play when he was alive… There were guitars everywhere in the house when I was young so... I started playing when I was twelve years old. Between twelve and seventeen I was working on the guitar and learning songs by Beau Dommage, Harmonium, Claude Dubois, Robert Charlebois, Diane Dufresne, Charles Aznavour, Gilbert Bécaud, Genesis, Yes, Pink Floyd. In fact I was listening to a lot of progressive rock between fifteen and eighteen. My family has no background on Quebecois traditional music but enjoyed the most popular tunes, like everybody else did. My father’s style was more like Tino Rossi and Luis Mariano.
Bengal: That sounds a nice mix of influences. Did you always play QueTrad or did you play any other style before?
Bernard: In the beginning, I started playing chansonnier - french and english. I played for the first time in a bar when I was seventeen. I just began playing the Quebecois traditional music about the age of twenty-two.
Bengal: Do you play other instruments? Apparently it's very common to see musicians playing more than one instrument in QueTrad what is not that common in other styles.
Bernard:: I play a bit of piano and I really need to practice one of these days… I'm not a tap dancer but I do the podorythmie [seated foot percussion], although not in this new solo show. I have enough to do with the words and the guitar…
Bengal: For sure. I understand that, in QueTrad, usually the musician has the traditional lyrics, poems, stories from the past and then composes on top of this material. Sometimes, one has the tunes from the past and then composes additions or just new arrangements for the instruments playing it. How is this process in your case, do you have a method? Does the inspiration come from the lyrics in front of you, or are there external factors that contribute?
Bernard: I always work with the words and the music. Usually the tune comes from a friend or from a tape from the archives of the Universitè Laval. I usually imagine how I can make a personal interpretation of the song. If it sounds good in my mind, I can imagine how I’m gonna work it and usually that works well. Sometimes I don't really find the way to arrange the tune but it stays in my head, and six months later I find a new path. The music needs to be nice and rare, and the words need to be interesting historically, or maybe it's a nice love story or something that makes one laugh. There are stupid songs in trad music and it's not an obligation to sing a song just because it's traditional. I just go by what's calling me. I had a grant in 2005 from the Conseil des Arts et Lettres du Québec to do a research on new songs at the Université Laval. The project was for six months. That was part of the work for the album [Spectacle Solo].
Bengal: I understand you lived in France for quite sometime. Why did you leave Canada to move to… where in France?
Bernard: I was in Brittany. The reason of the move: love!
Bengal: Of course… Love is the biggest inspiration! Well, tell me about your bands there - how Gwazigan and Cabestan started?
Bernard: An Irish Pub opened its doors one day and decided to have jams every Tuesday. The owners of the place, Chris and Rosie Short and Anthony McCartan, are three musicians and had a band called The Churchfitters [the band still continues but with different members]. I used to go there and, one day, Chris proposed to me (or I proposed to him, I don't really remember) to create a duo. I chose the name [Gwazigan], we tooked pictures, practiced a lot and found gigs. Later Raphael Chevalier joined us with his fiddle and we were three. Rosie joined us to replace Raphael who was working hard with another band. Finally, Rosie and Chris had to quit because The Churchfitters was working a lot too. So I've decided to recreate the band, bigger and with others musicians that I meet in others jam sessions in Britanny. We were five and we taped the second CD of the band in Quebec at the Studio du Chemin 4. We were also starting to work a lot but it was time for me to come back to Quebec. Reason of my return: love! With Cabestan we had the same way of work. It was a friend of mine, Christian Desnos, who proposed to the band to take me in with them. I called one day to invite him to a party at home and he said: Hey! It’s so funny that you are calling me today. We were just discussing that we need a new singer and guitarist in the band. I will call the guys and I’ll call you later. He called me in the evening and I was in the band. I had a lot of fun with these guys!
Bengal: I really enjoy your work with Constantinople. How this idea started?
Bernard: At the beginning, it was supposed to be just a show with three members of Les Charbonniers de l'Enfer. In the end, they were not free for the day programmed for the show and they proposed me to Constantinople. We prepared the show together, it's Contantinople who was preparing most of the arrangements, and we did one performance. The year before, Constantinople won a price and they were using Radio-Canada's studios to record a CD. [Winners of the Discovery of the Year Award from Opus Gala in 2003, Constantinople have been the Ensemble in residence at Radio-Canada for the 2004-2005 season.] They decided then to make an album of the show we performed. So the idea came from them.
Bengal: You are a very experienced musician, with works in more than 40 albums. What made you decide for the solo album at this point?
Bernard: After I left Le Vent du Nord and after Trio à Quatre died, I had the choice between starting a new band, again, or doing something by myself. It was imperative to make a quick decision anyway. My feeling was to have a break of bands, especially of creating one. Anyway, the budget for an album was less in [Spectacle] Solo than with a band.
Bengal: Do you miss working with the bands? If so, what do you miss the most?
Bernard: I miss playing music with soloists but occasionally I'm playing with friends, in shows or for dance-related events.
Bengal: Do you think the QueTrad music is crossing the boards of PQ into the rest of Canada and international lands more than it used to do in the past or not?
Bernard: I think that in the United States people are interested in our music since a long time. I'm playing Quebecois traditional music for 25 years and I used to play this style in the States with most of theses bands during these 25 years. I also know that older bands - before I arrived in the world - used to record and play in the States. There are always waves on the sea but the water is always on the same move.
Bengal: Any plans for a new album coming soon?
Bernard: Nothing decided yet. But [there will be] another one for sure, in studio - solo or with my band I don't know.
Bengal: Thanks, Bernard, for taking the time for the interview. It was really a pleasure! Any last words for our readers?
Bernard: Yes! If you like my music tell to your friends please. If you don't like tell to your enemies!
For more, check the following links:
Bernard Simard Official Homepage
Bernard Simard's MySpace
Gwazigan
Cabestan
The Churchfitters
Constantinople
Tino Rossi
Luis Mariano
Les Charbonniers de L'Enfer
Le Vent du Nord
If you are interested in some videos of Bernard's shows, check You Tube.
Press photo. Alexandre, Yann and Pascal. [L to R]
Hello, everyone!
I’m finally bringing to you my interview with Yann Falquet from the Canadian group Genticorum! Yann Falquet (guitar, Jew's harp, vocals) joined Alexandre de Grosbois-Garand (wooden flute, electric bass, vocals) and Pascal Gemme (fiddle, feet, vocals) to start Genticorum back in 2000. Since then, the band conquered audiences, critics and awards.
I completely agree with many reviewers when they say that Genticorum can sound traditional but they are very original. One can clearly understand this statement after listening to tunes like Les cousinages, Bonnet d'âne and Round-point. I can’t find words, that the media didn’t use already, to describe the talents of this band. They are acclaimed by many and it’s easy to know the reasons. They have conquered audiences with their vibrant style, energetic vocals and the originality of their repertoire. Malins Plaisirs (2005, Roues et Archets/Fusion III), their last album, won the Canadian Folk Music Award 2005 in the Best Ensemble category and was nominated for the JUNO (Canada) and the Felix (Québec) Awards in 2006. [These are the top Canadian awards in music]
They got me the first time I’ve heard Cascou! Their rhythm is so contagious that there is no need to understand French. However, if you do speak French, you will love the hilarious stories and love adventures described in the lyrics!
During a quick stop on the band’s agenda, I had the opportunity to talk to Yann over the phone. He is a very friendly person and told me interesting details about the band’s projects and what the future reserves.
I hope you enjoy it!
Bengal.
Interview
Bengal: Yann, let's start with the name of the band. Forgive my ignorance in this but what the word Genticorum means?
Yann: Well, actually, it’s a good question. It doesn’t mean anything. That’s a word that comes from a traditional song. It was sang by Pascal’s granddad.
Bengal: That’s interesting. I would never know that...
Yann: [laughing] Actually, it’s a Latin word… there is a couple of words I think that are like what people would hear here at the church… The church [service] was said in Latin, so people would use these words just because they heard them in the church without knowing what they mean.
Bengal: I’m originally from Brazil, so when I hear the word Genticorum, it always reminds me the word gentle.
Yann: Yes, it’s good cause even though it doesn’t mean anything, people associate it with some ideas. It could be gentle, it could be… it sounds a little bit like gentilhomme, which is gentleman, and corum, [as in] quorum, has an agreement on people. Well, anyway, doesn’t really mean anything but people can have ideas.
Bengal: You, guys, made the choice of playing Québécois traditional music. Why not other styles?
Yann: Why? Well, why... because we all love that music… I think the three of us played many different styles before we started to play Quebecois Traditional Music. Although Pascal, the fiddler, and Alex, the flute player, had some people in their family playing traditional music, so they were exposed to it when they were younger… explored different styles and then later they decided to return to it professionally. Myself, I’ve been through a different style of music, and when I heard some recordings of it [Québécois trad], I just thought it was a great style of music with lots of potential... things to do with it, that… then we realized the three of us have a strong interest in this kind of music and decided to play it. Our goal at first was not… we didn’t have the idea we would be playing all over… we just thought… we were just playing because we like it. And at one point we realized we could do it in the [United] States and in Europe as well, and it’s great.
Bengal: Genticorum is playing Québécois folk beyond Canada’s borders; the music is spreading all over the world. Do you see any difference on how your music is perceived in other countries, by different audiences, especially when different languages are involved and people might not speak French?
Yann: Yes, I would say the difference is mainly between French Canada - so the province of Québec - and the rest of Canada, which I would put in the same category as the United States, and also England… places where people mostly speak English, that’s where we play most of the time, so when we play in Québec, people have heard that kind of music before. Sometimes, some people will like it a lot and they will be a fan of that kind of music, and other people just associate it with something that is folkloric, something that is old. So we have to make them rediscover that kind of music. Maybe they will think it’s like their grandparents music… for them it’s more like... they discover something they know but discover in a different way. As for when we play in a English part of the world, there’s where we are mostly… I don’t know… maybe we have an exotic flavor because [we] come from somewhere else… they don’t have any idea of what we do, they never heard it before, they might associate it with something that is Celtic so they have some references but it’s new, so it’s a fresh… it is fresh for people, which is nice too.
Bengal: In your albums there are many original tunes. Where the inspiration comes from? Do you have a method for that?
Yann: Ah… well, the person who does most of that in the band is Pascal. He played and learned hundreds of traditional fiddle tunes. So… at one point he just started to write tunes that sounds like… yeah, they could be traditional but I guess a big part of it, is having played hundreds and hundreds of traditional tunes and have listened to lots of different fiddle players.
Bengal: So basically great part of the songs is completely original?
Yann: The music is all original although the lyrics, what we sing are all traditional.
Bengal: Genticorum is playing around the world. How important it is to be successful outside Canada?
Yann: I see it… I don’t know, it’s hard to say… I guess different artists, playing different kinds of music, have different expectation. I think for us, we knew that there were already Québécois bands playing in the States. They play in the English Canada a lot, so for us it was kind of a path that we could follow and we were expected to do that. But to play in places like Malaysia and Egypt…and also some Scandinavian countries, that was new for us and we played there. There are not many Québécois bands who have played there before, so it’s a great feeling to do that but it’s… I would say it’s a great bonus but it’s not something that we expected to do at first, and we might not do it a lot in the future because it’s a lot of… it's complicated to organize [everything] but it was really fun… and it’s a good opportunity for us to travel and visit the world.
Bengal: Can you tell me the most exotic place you performed?
Yann: I would say the most exotic was probably Sarawak, [at the Rainforest World Music Festival 2006] which is a province of Malaysia, on the Borneo Island.
Bengal: Do you have time to visit these places you go for a show?
Yann: We never have enough time! Although, sometimes one of us or some of us will decide to extend our trip a little to visit [the place], but most of the time we don’t have the time to do that… we have to go somewhere else, so we visit lots of places for a short time, and that give us a good idea of places we can go back for vacation… maybe someday. [laughing] You don’t have to publish that.
Bengal: Pascal is in China now, right?
Yann: Yes, he is doing a tour for the Canadian Embassies and Consulate. [Pascal Gemme performed last week for Chinese students in Beijing (link) and today in Guangwai]
Bengal: Do you or anyone else in the band currently have individual solo projects? If so, how do they fit into the band’s agenda?
Yann: We had more solo projects in the past... I would say we have less and less. Pascal works on the blog but that’s something he does when he has some free time. He can do it when he is on tour [if] he has an internet access. It is just something he does whenever he can. We all work a lot for the band with all the organizing stuff. We don’t have any big musical project that is going parallel [with the band].
[Pascal does a really nice work on his blog. I do recommend a visit! Bengal.]
Bengal: Many times, the bands in Québec participate in festivals with many other groups. For me, it’s like watching a big family. How is the contact between Genticorum and the other Québécois bands?
Yann: You said it right. There is something of a big family and I think it's because there are not too many people who are really interested in traditional music from Québec. Everyone who has a band, they all have a career but they also meet a lot in the parties and they meet for music sessions. Everybody have to play with everybody. We like to be together a lot and to play. The more we travel outside of Québec, the less we see each other.
Bengal: Your latest album, Malins Plaisirs, won a Canadian Folk Music Award in 2005 and was nominated for the JUNO Awards and the Felix Awards (ADISQ) in 2006. How such awards can influence the life of the band?
Yann: No, actually there is no big change but certainly is very good for… It helps I think for the recognition of the band… more people will hear about the group because of those prizes. So it’s a great privilege that we have, but a band can really have a good career without winning an award. It was good to won but I’m not sure to what point it helped us to have more concerts.
Bengal: Can we expect a new album coming soon?
Yann: Yes, we are already working on the new tunes and… [adopting a tone of suspense] we hope that it will be out in the early 2008...
Bengal: Yann, can you talk a little bit more about it? [insisting] How it will differ from the last ones?
Yann: Well, it’s pretty much in the continuity of the band… It’s always the three of us and no big changes in the instruments. One change that we are pretty happy about it - Alex, who plays the flute, is also a fiddler and he is becoming an accomplished one, so we might have some double fiddle on the next album, which we are very excited about it. We started to do that in the shows. You all will like it a lot!
Bengal: Yann, thanks for your time!
Yann: Thanks for the interest in the band!
More information
If you want to know more about the band and their albums, check the following links:
Genticorum official website (access the latest news about the band)
Genticorum MySpace website (listen to some of the songs from their most recent album and follow the evolution of their calendar of performances)
Roues et archets (here you can buy both the albums from the band)
You can hear to excerpts of Genticorum's songs in some websites of companies that are selling the band's albums online.
Hello, everyone!
Last week I had the chance to interview new singer/songwriter James Carrington. Many of you already know his name if you watched the TV series Smallville last October. Great part of the song Ache played at the end of the episode. After that night, thousands of viewers completely stunned by the tune started a search for the voice behind it. James Carrington’s website got over 130,000 hits and the new fans were looking for his Only for you CD single.
James Carrington was born in Epson, England in 1973. Music was always a part of his life since he grew up in a musical family. He is a LAMDA trained actor and originally formed the band Little Giants in 1999, before writing some great new material for his own solo career. James did many gigs in the London-New York circuit. He also had some TV experience while playing a role in the TV show Regency House Party back in 2004.
About the photo: This is James partying his way into the New Year!
Interview
Bengal: Hi, James, before we start is there anything that you wish the press would or wouldn't ask you? :) [Indeed, I'm not the press]
James Carrington: About my personal life I guess... I'm quite open though so don't mind too much...
Bengal: When did you first realize you wanted to be an artist?
Carrington: Always wanted to perform and started as an actor. But was only when I was 26 that I realized I could write songs and that's when the bug got me and has never let go!
Bengal: Does anyone in your family have a musical background?
Carrington: All of them. My sister [Rebecca Carrington] is a cellist and comedian, my mother a pianist and teacher and my dad [Simon Carrington] was in an internationally renowned a cappella group called the King's Singers for 25 years and performed over 3000 concerts and made 70 recordings with EMI.
Bengal: Are there any specific artists that you admire?
Carrington: Two at the moment I have huge admiration for. Damien Rice and John Mayer. Always loved Paul McCartney for his melodies..
Bengal: Who are your influences?
Carrington: I guess the ones on my MySpace site... Damien Rice is someone who keeps me on my toes as he has found a new level I think for singer songwriters..
Bengal: You had a band before. How was that experience?
Carrington: Good and bad... I loved the gigs and learnt a lot but I am much happier on my own. Less political and easier all round!
Bengal: Do you have a particular method to your songwriting? What inspires you?
Carrington: No method. Inspiration can strike at any time and it's important to have something to hand in case it does. For instance I was looking at a venue last night in London and suddenly felt a song coming on so I asked the venue manager to give me a few minutes alone on the piano in the hall!
[That's really cool]
Bengal: In US the song Ache caused a lot of sensation, especially after it was played in the TV series Smallville. How did Ache impact your life so far?
Carrington: Hugely... Up until that point I was plodding along trying to get noticed and suddenly within 4 days my website had taken over 130,000 hits! I am incredibly grateful.
Bengal: You have experience as an actor and did TV before. Do you plan to do more acting in the future?
Carrington: I would definitely consider doing something if it seemed appropriate. I was approached about a film called August Rush and would have taken the part if they had given it to me.
Bengal: How important it is for a British artist to be successful in US?
Carrington: So important. It's the Holy Grail. [It's] the biggest market and the hardest to break.
Bengal: You will be recording an album in 2007. Are you signed to a label here in US? Can you tell us a little bit about this album?
Carrington: At the moment I'm signed to a small independent in the UK who have been supporting me. I would like to get a major label in the US to distribute it... I am hoping to start recording it very soon in Los Angeles. It will be full of melodies and poignant moments!
Bengal: Have you ever been to South America? How do you like Brazilian music? I'm originally from Brazil so I have to ask, in case you know a little bit of Brazilian music.
Carrington: I adore South America and went traveling there in 1992 for 5 months... desperate to spend more time in Brazil as only had 10 days there... the music is awesome, the women............oh my gaaad!
[ One of my favorite parts of the interview! :) ]
Bengal: Anything else you would like to tell your fans? :)
Carrington: Thank you so much for supporting me at this early stage and I hope to be getting some great material to you soon...
Bengal: Thanks a lot for your time, James, and lots of success!
If you enjoyed this interview, let me know. You are welcome to leave comments and critics. James will have a show coming up this week in London, and my dear friends from Canada, stay tuned because James Carrington might be going to Toronto for a show mid-February!
Bengal.
Links
And for you all out there, there are much more information about James Carrington in the following links:
1. James Carrington's official website - here you can read more about his career so far and listen to some of his new songs.
2. James Carrington's MySpace - here you can listen to his tunes and get some of the latest news.
3. Interview on Smallville fan site (new)- here you can hear to the interview done sometime last week I guess.
4. Another interview with James Carrington.
Bengal,
listening to Reach...
PS.: Do you have any critics? Comments? What do you think about the posts? Do you enjoy this space? Please, let me know. This will be always an incentive to continue and to improve this blog. Thanks!
