Interviews – Page 56

MManou Gallo is a woman, an African, and a bass player. As she herself says, it took a lot of hard work and overcoming the astonished looks (at best) of the essentially male and just a little bit black environment of the instrument (but that is changing quickly!). The former member of Zap Mama has been a solo rider for over 15 years now and is living out her childhood dream of holding a bass and playing it.

Gallo will be performing at the new Esplanade Tranquille in the Quartier des Spectacles on July 20th at 7pm, her first time as a soloist in Montreal. This will be an opportunity to get to know this musician, acclaimed by her peers, who will be presenting her most recent album, Aliso vol.1, as well as an overview of her four previous albums. Pan M 360 spoke with her.

Pan M 360: What can we expect on July 20th in terms of musical choices?

Manou Gallo: There will be a bit of everything. It will be a journey into the present and the past. I love revisiting past experiences, especially the good ones! There will be some Aliso, of course, but also pieces from Afro Groove Queen, and some pieces from previous albums. I will pay tribute to Manu (Dibango), Fela (Kuti), among others. I think it will be a great meeting.

Pan M 360: It will also be an opportunity for the Montreal and Canadian public, in general, to know you better. You’re a fairly prominent figure in Europe, you’re based in Brussels and you tour regularly on the continent. But here, except for the years you played with Zap Mama, it is much less frequent.

Manou Gallo: Yes, that’s true. But I’m even happier that it’s happening now because I’ve evolved a lot in my musical game. In my early solo days, I did a bit of everything: percussion, vocals, bass. But now I’m more focused. The bass is the center of my action, my creativity and my language. It’s much clearer in my head, and it shows in my music. And I’m very happy that this is what people will see in me!

Pan M 360: If we want to summarize your musical evolution, is there a common thread? Would it be the focus more and more concentrated on the bass as the engine of your music and your creativity?Manou Gallo: Yes, quite. I am a musician who has struggled for a long time to be able to clearly assume what she wants to do. You may know that I stopped playing for about 8 years (between Lowlin in 2010 and Afro Groove Queen in 2018), during which time I essentially stayed in my basement working on my instrument, perfecting it and mastering it better! I questioned myself, I worked on harmony to be better at it (I was originally a percussionist and I still play bass with a percussive color) and I finally found my essence. I acquired the tools to be able to express myself adequately. But it took time and hard work. I feel like my early career was going in all directions, left, right, all over the place, then the path cleared, the sun came out and now I’m coming in with renewed confidence. I can’t wait to share this with Canadian audiences.

Pan M 360: What is the idea behind Aliso vol.1 (released in 2021)?

Manou Gallo: Freedom. It is priceless. Being a woman and an African in the world of bass, it was a journey of hardship. I had to prove myself, and even twice as hard! Now, I make the music I want to make, according to my desires. I felt like going to visit jazz a little more, so I threw a pitch to Christian McBride, who was kind enough to enthusiastically accept.

Pan M 360: What did you learn from him?

Manou Gallo: Humility. Here is a very great musician, very learned and very humble with me. He respects me totally, and I respect him in return. The difference is obvious with some of the pop stars we see more, who spout off, who are sometimes full of themselves. It’s completely different with the kind of musicians that Christian is a part of. We are in dialogue with each other’s spirit. It’s beautiful and inspiring.

Pan M 360: As a woman and a bass player, do you have any advice for young girls who’d want to start a career like you?

Manou Gallo: I don’t think young women today need advice. When I was young, you had to go out of your way to discover music and get to know bass players. All I had was a cassette player and I had never seen Marcus Miller or Victor Wooten. Today, it’s all there, just a phone touch away on the web! Young people can see Meshell (Ndegeocello) live at any time of the day. Inspiration is available. You just have to want it.

Pan M 360: Still, do you feel that you have a role to play as a female model?

Manou Gallo: Wow! That’s a lot of responsibility! I know many women who are much brighter than me. I’m just a musician. But if anyone ever asks me for advice, I’ll be happy to answer, of course. And I’m always happy to meet a girl who wants to talk to me after a concert, that’s for sure.

Pan M 360: I heard that your grandmother was a cousin of Myriam Makeba? You have rubbed shoulders with her?

Manou Gallo: That’s an urban legend! I don’t know where this story comes from and why it is on the web. It’s even listed on Wikipedia. It’s not true. My grandmother was from West Africa, and Myriam was from South Africa. There was no connection. But anyway, I accept the reference, and it’s not unpleasant at all to be associated with this very great artist, but it’s just not true.

Pan M 360: There, the truth is set straight thanks to Pan M 360! Do you have any musical idols?

Manou Gallo: Difficult question, of course, but I would say three. Marcus Miller for the sound, the melodies. Victor Wooten for the fabulous technique, and Richard Bona for the ease of playing. If I can bring these three personalities together one day in my music-making, that will be wonderful!

Manou Gallo will perform on Loto-Québec stage, Wednesday, July 20th at 7 p.m. It’s a FREE CONCERT!

Yourcenar, une île de passions is the next Quebec opera to be created. On July 28 and 30 in Quebec City, and on August 4 and 6 in Montréal, local audiences will have the chance to experience an intimate view of the life of the great writer Marguerite Yourcenar (1903-1987), author of, among other things, the masterpiece Mémoires d’Hadrien, one of the great novels of the 20th century. With a libretto by Hélène Dorion and the late Marie-Claire Blais, composer Éric Champagne has set out to breathe musical life and psycho-emotional transcendence into the respectful, yet very intimate look at the unique life of this extraordinary woman. Pan M 360 spoke with Éric Champagne to better anticipate what the audience will see and hear.

Pan M 360: With just a few days to go before the opera’s premiere, how do you feel about it?

Éric Champagne: I was calmer at the beginning of the week, but as the days go by, a little anxiety comes up, I must say. But nothing threatening. I am surrounded by an extraordinary team. I am particularly excited about the work of director Angela Konrad. She fascinates me! She was very discreet at the beginning of the process, but now she is the absolute master of the project and I feel that she will bring it to a successful conclusion. And what pleases me most is that she knows how to read music. She is able to say to the singers ‘here, at bar no. such and such, on the D major chord, you should do this…’. Wow! How many directors can do that in opera? What it also means is that she understands my intentions, and the singers feel confident because she speaks their language. Honestly, it’s great.

Pan M 360: How well did you know Marguerite Yourcenar before you started writing?

Éric Champagne: I knew Mémoires d’Hadrien quite well, which I had read several times. It’s one of my favorite books. But when it came to her personal biography, with the exception of the main points such as her entry into the Académie française as the first woman accepted, I knew almost nothing. Obviously, the project forced me to delve into her intimate world and her personal dramas.

Pan M 360: Were you touched by any specific points?

Éric Champagne: Yes, I found great resonance with some of my own concerns, that is, the difficulty of reconciling creative and sentimental life. For her, it was a daily struggle, rarely won. She either immersed herself in her creation and neglected her love life, or on the contrary, she tried to nourish her love life but her work suffered. I also find this reconciliation difficult.

Pan M 360: What do you think was wrong? Why couldn’t she do it?

Éric Champagne: As we sometimes say, she wanted it all. When she had a creative impulse, she plunged into it completely, without half measures, at the risk of major collateral damage. She lived life to the full, always in extremes, unable to sit somewhere in the middle and balance things out.

Pan M 360: How is the opera cut up? On which focal point is it concentrated?

Éric Champagne: The opera is divided into two parts that deal with the fundamental intimate relationships she had in her life: the one with Grace Frick, the main one, the one that occupied most of her life, and the one at the end of her life with Jerry Wilson. There are therefore two acts, the first beginning at the time of Grace’s death and during which numerous flashbacks will be used to illustrate the evolution of this relationship, echoes of Marguerite’s youth, her European wanderings, etc. Then the second act, in linear temporality, deals with Yourcenar’s last years, spent at the side of her young assistant, also her companion. A tumultuous relationship, that one.

Pan M 360: What guided you in finding the musical voice of the work? What thematic, ideological or other pivot did you base the score on?

Éric Champagne: What got me started was an anecdote from her biography. Yourcenar’s real name is Crayencour. From her birth name, she created an almost perfect anagram with Yourcenar (the C is missing). It amused me to think that she had played with her name to create a personality of her own, an ‘other’ identity. From there, I had the idea of playing with the notes as with the anagram. A bit like the composers of the Second Viennese School who inserted hidden dedications thanks to a system of notes associated with letters, I created a scale-alphabet that allowed me to develop motifs associated with Yourcenar, or Crayencour, and then others linked to the other characters of the opera. I felt a link with Marguerite because she liked to play with letters and words, a bit like I did with notes.

Pan M 360: Is the final score more tonal or atonal?

Éric Champagne: It’s particular because it’s ultimately a consonant opera but with few tonal episodes. There is consonance and dissonance, but not in a fixed tonal structure. I also find that it works well because the universe of the work is, in my opinion, very Proustian. We dive into very fine psychology, which allows for a lot of introspection and musical subtleties. In the end, it’s quite hushed and melancholic.

Pan M 360: The ensemble Les Violons du Roy will be in the orchestra pit. What orchestration challenges did this present to you?

Éric Champagne: The main advantage is that I could use the entire orchestra, in tuttis, without fear of overwhelming the singers! With a chamber orchestra like Les Violons, I was able to use the entire palette without fear. The disadvantage is that I have a symphonic mindset in general. There were times when I thought ”here, I’d like to have four horns! ”. So I had to limit myself but without too much difficulty. I felt a bit like Benjamin Britten when writing his fabulous chamber operas. The template is more or less the same, and so is the duration (about 2 hours). Besides, the subject matter was perfectly suited to this reduced format, as I said earlier. Maybe with another subject, it would have been problematic, but not here.

Pan M 360: Were there any particular difficulties in creating the connection with the booklet?Éric Champagne: No, not really. There was a bit of evolution of course, and some adjustments, but otherwise, everything went very well. I discovered that Marie-Claire had a great opera culture! I wasn’t expecting it, I must admit. With her leather look, I imagined that she listened to Marjo or Gerry Boulet (maybe she did too), but I discovered a woman who could tell me about such and such a production of La Traviata in 1979 in Paris, with such and such a director! We connected well. For Hélène, it was not a surprise because I already know her and I know that she likes opera. I would say that at one point when I suggested doing a trio, I saw the reflex of the women of the theatre coming out. They started by saying “three characters speaking at the same time? But how will we understand?’’ To which the composer obviously replied, “In opera, it’s not a problem. The music does the job!’’ But, in general, it was easy and pleasant.

Pan M 360: What are your impressions of the cast?

Éric Champagne: Oh, the singers are fantastic! Everyone is hyper-involved. Stéphanie Pothier, who plays Marguerite, is immersed in the character. She read and reread biographies, and immersed herself in everything she could to understand her psychology perfectly. She knows the role by heart, and works tirelessly because it is an athletic role that she is about to create on stage. She is called upon for almost the entire two hours of the programme. Kimy McLaren as Grace is equally admirable. She dug up a biography of this lady (I didn’t even know it existed!) and drank from it too. It’s heartwarming to see this kind of involvement and to work with artists of this caliber.

Pan M 360: We can feel your enthusiasm. Are you thinking of writing other operas now? What subjects would interest you?

Éric Champagne: It’s funny because I recently made a list of opera subjects that I would like to do one day. Of course, the first thing I realized was that I won’t have enough time in my life to do everything! But the thing that also came out was the fact that I would like to bring to the opera stage subjects that are rarely treated in this medium. For example, fantasy, or detective stories. I sometimes wonder why there is no opera that does science fiction or horror? Why is there no opera based on an Agatha Christie story? It is said that cinema replaced opera in the early 20th century. But films have dealt with all these subjects, and opera has not. Maybe it’s time to take that step, to dare to tackle these kinds of subjects. I’m a Hitchcock fan and I can think of two or three titles that would make excellent operas. I would also like to see our Quebec literary and theatrical works explored more deeply so that they can also be made into operas. There’s a ton of good material.

Pan M 360: May the opera gods hear you and be with you!

Cast and crew :

MARGUERITE: Stéphanie Pothier

GRACE: Kimy McLaren

JERRY: Hugo Laporte

DANIEL: Jean-Michel Richer

A CAPTAIN: Pierre Rancourt

A SINGER: Suzanne Taffot

CONDUCTOR: Dina Gilbert

DIRECTOR: Angela Konrad

COMPOSER: Éric Champagne

LIBRETTISTS: Hélène Dorion & Marie-Claire Blais

SETTINGS: Anick La Bissonnière

COSTUMES: Pierre-Guy Lapointe

LIGHTING: Sonoyo Nischikawa

VIDEO: Alexandre Desjardins

COPRODUCTION: Opéra de Montréal / Festival d’opéra de Québec / Les Violons du Roy

In French with French and English surtitles

Running time:

Part 1: 1 hour

Intermission: 20 minutes

Part 2: 55 minutes

Wesli Louissaint needs no introduction. After several prestigious awards since the end of the 2000s, the singer-guitarist has had one success after another. The producer of multiple Afrobeat hits can count on a Juno award and a Félix, in addition to a multitude of other accolades in the French-speaking world. The Montreal-Haitian artist has been working hard for over ten years to celebrate the enormous diversity of African rhythms. Continuing on his path, he is launching Tradisyon these days, in early July 2022. The album, released on the Cumbancha label, is a love letter to the vast Haitian culture that has nurtured the artist since childhood. Nineteen songs allow the listener to immerse themselves in Wesli’s fantastic world of voodoo and roots rhythms. A great album obviously deserves a great celebration: this one will take place at the Nuits d’Afrique festival on Tuesday, July 19. In the heat of the action, at the Place des Festivals, one will be able to fully appreciate the depth and diversity so important to this ambassador of Haitian culture.

In Wesli’s studio, rain and bad weather seem like non-existent ideas. With contagious happiness, he welcomes PAN M 360 to talk about festivals, music and culture.

PAN M 360: Can you summarize the path that brought you to Nuits d’Afrique?

WESLI: My career was propelled around 2009-2010. Despite the ups and downs, I made a place for myself on the national scene. One could even say on the international scene. But, before this radiation, I already collaborated with several musical groups. I was a producer, arranger, guitarist and so many other things. In 2006, I founded my own label and collaborated with a multitude of artists from all over America. This period in the background of the Montreal industry really shaped me. By learning from multiple experiences, I picked up all the baggage I needed to get where I am today.

PAN M 360: So you’re getting ready for a second appearance at Nuits d’Afrique… Excited?

WESLI: Yes, this is my second visit as a household name… but this is my third time participating. Nuits d’Afrique is where I feel most authentic. I can be a member of the large Quebec community, but also get closer to the other nation that I grew up in. By being at this festival, I feel that I can do one more step for the Haitian community. It’s rewarding to advance this cause. This event always makes me feel like I’m home and that I belong in the world.

It’s pretty exciting to be back in the festival world. With the deconfinement, this will be my second, because a few days ago I was at the Jazz Festival. But since the release of Tradisyon, this will be my first public appearance on a large scale. If you want to compare the two, the Jazz Festival is one of the biggest events in Quebec culture. It’s a gathering moment that really gives us an impressive overview of the music that can be heard in Montreal. Even if I like it a lot, it remains less personal than Nuits d’Afrique.

There, I feel better represented. I feel like I’m in Haiti as much as I am in Canada. It’s much more motivating for me. It’s as if everyone came to listen to me play at home, in my living room! It makes me want to prepare and improve much better.

PAN M 360: So, do you feel a little pressure?

WESLI: Not normally, I never put much pressure on myself. I’ve been doing my job for so long that playing music becomes second nature. I feel calm and ready to get my message out. This art is part of my life, so much so that it has become an inherent and indisputable facet of it.

PAN M 360: For this first Nuits d’Afriquede confirmed since the beginning of the pandemic, you have to prepare yourself differently?

WESLI: Oh absolutely! All post-pandemic music events have to be approached differently! You see how people need more energy. This time has taken so much of the joy out of life. With my show, I want to bring some compensation. If we have lost a lot of energy, I want to give as much as possible! I want the audience to remember the connections they made during the show. With sounds coming purely from my roots, I will work to present a personal and authentic show that reminds us of where I come from.

Musical artists may come from totally disparate cultures, but they are all united by the soul of the music. It’s instinctive and hard to explain, but it’s there. If you will, it’s the ability to know when it’s time to play louder and faster, or to have a quieter performance. With COVID, all musicians notice that the world has a need for music that moves. A need for energy and movement. So I’m preparing for a performance that will fill that need, all with a great Haitian root sound.

PAN M 360: So you will be playing a lot of your new album, Tradisyon. Why this title?

WESLI: Because this new project is rooted in Haitian and African customs that have existed since the slaves crossed over. I wanted to root these practices in song form. At Nuits d’Afrique, we’ll be hearing a lot of tradition! At the moment, I suppose the world needs a little authenticity. That’s exactly what I was looking for with this title!

In any case, it is my authenticity that I want to present on July 19th. Of course, I might make one or two forays into my other projects. I still have to give a little nostalgia to those who supported me for a long time!

PAN M 360: How long did you spend on this album? What did you want to make felt with this project?

WESLI: Tradisyon is a long pandemic project. It is the fruit of several years of work. What came out this summer is only the first part. There is a second volume that I will release in September. In addition to talking about my origins, these two offerings are an exploration of what I experienced during this period. Everything I lived, felt and observed, I put in there.

My previous album, Rapadou Kreyol, is kind of the reason why I went on this adventure. It was an exploration of many of the African rhythms that I feel are a little too neglected by Haitian youth. While I was doing my research, I made many discoveries about the richness of my culture. I realized that I needed more than an album to present the rich immensity within Haitian culture. I said to myself: OK! Rapadou Kreyol is over, but now I need to go even deeper into the authenticity of Haitian culture. I wanted to show the depth of this universe born at the arrival of the slaves. It’s an exploration of rhythms that have been forgotten for generations and also of uncharted voodoo rituals.

I always like to say that I have two hearts. One of them is dedicated to Canada; it is the society that welcomed me, sheltered me and integrated me. If I wasn’t here, I would never have had the career I have had. But I don’t forget Haiti. I have spent so much time there. I go there at least three or four times a year. I am still very much involved in the affairs of that country. Tradisyon is a celebration of those two hearts.

PAN M 360: You are generally an artist who collaborates a lot for his songs. Yet, we don’t find many guest artists on Tradisyon. Why is that?

WESLI: Well, for the first volume, I wanted a product that was more raw or authentic. For that, you have to go and find it yourself. It’s something that had to be experienced by me alone. Since the album had a more personal touch, I chose to do tributes instead of collaborations. There are great Haitian artists who have passed away recently. I wanted to remind the youth of their place in our culture. We must remember Azor Rasin Mapou and Wawa Rasin Ganga. These are people who have had careers of more than forty years. They have enriched the roots of our culture with their rhythms and songs. I should also mention the tribute I made to Eric Charles. He is one of the greatest singers of the “twoubadou” style. He made this genre known throughout the world.

PAN M 360: And will this process change for the second volume?

WESLI: Absolutely, Tradisyon II, I see it as the arrival at the victory line! There will be a lot more collaborations and featurings. You’ll see it all in September! I’m not going to go on too long to keep it a mystery. However, I can say that if the first part touches more the roots of the Haitian music, the second will go in a more modern style.

PAN M 360: And after this second album, are there any plans for a vacation?

WESLI: No, not really. I am already preparing several shows and tours throughout America and Europe. I want to share my music with the rest of the world. In the meantime, Quebec will be able to enjoy Tradisyon for a little while. I’m not the only musician who will say that. We live from recognition and work. When you produce a work, you feel accomplished and valued by society. In busy times, you don’t feel as tired. I don’t need a prize or money. I need an instrument and an audience. The connections that are made through music, that’s what matters.

Wesli will be performing on the TD – CBC stage on Tuesday, July 19th at 8pm. FREE!

In Europe, the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin (AKAMUS) is undoubtedly a major force in the interpretation of the baroque and classical repertoires. This is evidenced by their impressive discography and the many important prizes they have won.

In the perfect environment of the Lanaudière Festival and its exceptional amphitheatre, AKAMUS invites us to explore the “continents” of Ludwig van Beethoven.

Around the famous composer, whose 250th birthday in 2020 means many postponed celebrations due to the pandemic, the German group has selected outstanding works from his repertoire, as well as works by his contemporaries, who were very well known in their time and less so today – Paul Wranitzky, Étienne Nicolas Méhul, Luigi Cherubini, Justin Heinrich Knecht.

In an exclusive North American engagement, we will thus be treated to three programs, extremely rich in discoveries and new perspectives on Beethoven’s works performed in a very special configuration, for music lovers accustomed to hearing them in a symphonic context different from that offered by AKAMUS.

This is the reason for this chat with the violinist and maestro Bernhard Forck, leader of the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin.

PAN M 360: Could you tell us briefly what is the challenge of presenting a huge triple program around Beethoven and some composers of his era.

BERNHARD FORCK: “Beethoven continents,” the title of our triple program, is a wonderful motto: we want to share with the audience a surprising and fascinating view of the musical panorama on the threshold of the 19th century. Beethoven is the central figure—his music shall be newly heard with the gripping sound of a period ensemble, but there’s plenty of fascinating music of his time that influenced him—great music that is unheard today and still needs to be explored.

PAN M 360: Of course, it is also a huge amount of work for the musicians of The Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin. Can you give us some information about your artistic relationship with your ensemble in this Lanaudière context?

BERNHARD FORCK: We are very happy and feel honoured that Renaud Loranger, the artistic director of the Festival, invited us to play a series of Beethoven-related concerts at this wonderful venue. We have a strong artistic partnership with him since he is also the vice president of Pentatone, a label for which we recorded wonderful albums in the past years, among them a set of Handel’s Concerti Grossi or Haydn’s opera “L’isola disabitata”—a true rediscovery.

PAN M 360: How did you build this program? What are the intentions?

BERNHARD FORCK : In this project, which was originally planned for the Beethoven anniversary in 2020, the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin aims to put Beethoven’s work into context of its time. Beethoven had a keen interest in many cultural developments of his time. In order to counter the widespread opinion that Beethoven was a musically self-sufficient genius, as was popularised from the 19th century onwards, our three programs aim to provide stunning examples of musical and intellectual influences in his music. It is not often that you can hear Beethoven combined with signature works by composers like Paul Wranitzky or Étienne-Nicolas Méhul, two of the most prominent and influential composers of his time.

PAN M 360: Can we learn some elements about your conducting approach for those specific programs, of course as a violinist?

BERNHARD FORCK: As a Baroque orchestra, we are very familiar with playing without a conductor, as the orchestra sizes were usually quite small in the 18th century. And well into the 19th century, we have knowledge of orchestra sizes, which today we would rather call a chamber orchestra. At that time, it was still common that the konzertmeister led concerts from his stand. While performing without a conductor, listening to each other is as important as playing together. Imagine a piece of bigger-sized chamber music: there is a kind of increased attention and alertness throughout the ensemble.

PAN M 360: Also there is a great interest for listeners in Québec in discovering The Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin. What for you are the key elements of your impact on music lovers in those 3 different concerts in Lanaudière?

BERNHARD FORCK: Our goal is to captivate music lovers in a new way, by presenting “our” Beethoven embedded in a “historical” soundscape which owes its special vitality to different aspects: the smaller orchestra size (with a reduced complement of strings) and the use of period instruments (especially in the wind section) or copies of such makes for a very differentiated sound. We believe in characterful music-making, which never pushes mere beauty of sound into the foreground, but instead strives to be true to the rhetorical and emotional elements of the music. This direct approach shall grip the listener immediately.

PAN M 360: Now let’s have an overview of those 3 programs presented in Lanaudière:

1st program :

Paul Wranitzky

Oberon, Overture

PAN M 360: This overture has been recorded recently by Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin. What motivated this choice from the classical period?

BERNHARD FORCK: Wranitzky’s “Oberon” Overture shows the composer’s deep love to compose for the stage. This Singspiel was once so popular that it was to become a model for Mozart’s “Magic Flute.” Also, Goethe planned to ask Wranitzky to write the music for his own continuation of the “Magic Flute.”

PAN M 360: What is your spontaneous perception of Moravian/Austrian composer Paul Wranitzky (1756-1908) not so well known in our times?

BERNHARD FORCK: I have great enthusiasm for him. Born in the same year as Mozart, Paul Wranitzky is truly still a composer to be rediscovered. When one thinks of the Classical Period, one thinks primarily of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert, but Vienna’s musical life of the time was much richer. Wranitzky was one of the most influential figures of Viennese Classicism – not only as a composer, but also as a conductor and violinist. A friend of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, he was held in such high regard to premiere Beethoven’s first symphony and his fifth symphony (from the violin), just as he conducted Haydn’s “Creation” at the composer’s request. His own symphonies are the most colourful works, in which he often shows his rich practice as a theatre composer.

Paul Wranitzky

Grand Characteristic Symphony for the Peace with the French Republic in C minor, Op. 31

PAN M 360 : Can you comment on this choice, also recorded in the same album Paul Wranitzky : Symphonies, which is the main piece from this composer?

BERNHARD FORCK: The symphony “La Paix,” is a captivating sound panorama of the French Revolution, an echo of the march and battle music of his time when troops of Napoleon Bonaparte and Emperor Franz II faced each other. Wranitzky almost illustrates the revolutionary events in the four movements of the symphony, including the fate and death of Louis XVI. which is reflected by an expressive funeral music. Interestingly, a public performance of the symphony was once forbidden by the Emperor, who could only grudgingly agree to the treaty of Campo Formio, while Wranitzky celebrates the treaty with a powerful and joyous music in the final movement of his symphony.

PAN M 360 : Can you tell us some elements of your strategy for the live execution?

BERNHARD FORCK : Regarding our Beethoven project, we discussed a lot about a suitable orchestral seating, which enables the most direct communication between the different instrument sections and which creates, at best, a spontaneity and energy in the sound, which is transmitted directly to the audience.

Ludwig van Beethoven

Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55, “Eroica”

PAN M 360: How is the “Eroica Symphony No. 3”, fitting so well with Wranitzky’s pieces in this program? Do you think that they are “Beethovenish” in a way?

BERNHARD FORCK: Beethoven is known to have been inspired to write his “Eroica” due to his fascination with Napoleon and the ideals of the French Revolution, a context that was also very important for Wranitzky. But Beethoven’s music is a kind of sublime counterpart to Wranitzky’s ; the audacity and passion of his work was not meant musically to portray an historical development but rather to depict the struggle of noble values. With his third Symphony, Beethoven managed to write a piece of unparalleled magnitude and emotional intensity that paved the way to the era of Romanticism.

2nd program :

Luigi Cherubini, Lodoiska, Overture

Étienne Nicolas Méhul, Symphony No. 1 in G minor

Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 (“Fate” Symphony)

PAN M 360: Now what can we say about the aesthetic links between Cherubini, Méhul and Beethoven in that specific program ?

BERNHARD FORCK : At Beethoven’s time, Méhul was one of the most successful composers in France. A new, more emotional, and heroic symphonic style started to spread from France to the rest of the musical world and also impressed Beethoven. Méhul’s first symphonic presents striking similarities with Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, which was written at the same time.

Regarding Luigi Cherubini, Beethoven had a great admiration for the Italian composer. Cherubini’s highly expressive and dramatic “Lodoïska” overture comes from one of the first so-called “Rescue operas”, a genre popular at the time and in whose tradition also Beethoven’s “Fidelio” stands.

PAN M 360: Why is the “Fate” Symphony is for you the ideal conclusion for this program ?

BERNHARD FORCK : Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony is deeply rooted in the music of the French Revolution. The joyous, marching character of its finale is directly inspired by the choruses of the Revolution, which were also repeatedly used by Méhul in his pieces. Already at its premiere, Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony undoubtedly came across as a piece of hitherto unparalleled expressiveness. Out of the first four-note figure, Beethoven constructed a symphony of immense energy. His Fifth Symphony illustrated the path from the dark into the light, with a new approach as a composer: Beethoven is now addressing not only the concertgoer, but rather humanity as a whole.

3rd program :

Ludwig van Beethoven, Coriolan, Overture, Op. 62

Justin Heinrich Knecht, Le portrait musical de la nature, ou Grande simfonie

Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, “Pastorale“

PAN M 360: Once again, this program illustrates a very refine knowledge and appreciation of the musical forms of this musical period, Beethoven is being presented with another composer of the end of the 18th century and beginning of the 19th. So how are those 3 pieces linked from Beethoven and Knecht?

BERNHARD FORCK: Beethoven’s “Coriolan” Overture shows the quick-tempered nature of the hero. It is a kind of anticipation of the literally quick-tempered nature expressed in music in the following two “Pastorales.” Beethoven’s famous comment on his 6th symphony, that it should be played with “more sensation than painting,” is the right advice: this music truly depicts also the weather of inner emotions.

PAN M 360 : The celebration of nature is prominent in this program, super relevant for outdoor as in Lanaudière. So how did it come to mind? And what do you aim for your ensemble with those pieces?

BERNHARD FORCK: The images of nature ingeniously woven into Beethoven’s symphony mark a new aesthetic of symphonic composition. The roots of this symphony are, surprisingly, already found two decades earlier in Justin Heinrich Knecht’s “Grande Symphonie.” His musical portrait of nature is to this day an almost unknown piece, despite its originality and strong resemblance to Beethoven’s symphony – already using the same topic and dramatical devices many years earlier. By presenting these two “Pastorales,” we again aim to emphasise the richness of the as yet unknown of the Viennese Classic. On the other hand, you will clearly hear: Beethoven was such a self-confident freethinker as he was as a composer!

François R. Cambuzat, Gianna Greco and two companions will perform this Thursday at Le Ministère, as part the Nuits d’Afrique festival. We can already confirm this to the music lovers who will be there: they might look hard, but they will not find anything similar elsewhere, this summer, this fall, this winter or next summer, unless Ifriqiyya Électrique comes back to town. Their musical proposal is that unusual. Cambuzat and his partner Gianna Greco have been taking their insatiable curiosity and anthropological awareness to various corners of the world, for many years. The Ifriqiyya Électrique project is the result of a singular approach that François explained to Pan M 360. It is a mixture of trance, ritual, western tribalism, sonic violence, catharsis, post-slavery and liberation, all with the necessary consistency.

Pan M 360: Hello François! Ifriqiyya Électrique was at the Festival d’été in Quebec City last night, in front of our Assemblée nationale. It went well?

François R. Cambuzat: Yes, the crowd was in the rain at the beginning, but it cleared up. It was really great!

Pan M 360: After the Assemblée nationale in Quebec, you will perform at Le Ministère in Montreal, a venue that has no governmental function despite its name. It will be more intimate.

François R. Cambuzat: Ah yes, we are very eager!

Pan M 360: Ifriqiyya Électrique’s music cannot be easily defined. If I summarize roughly, we hear sub-Saharan slave songs, then Sufi components, and finally the rhythmic patterns and post-industrial textures put forward by Front 242 and their heirs. Please rectify anything I didn’t get correctly.

François R. Cambuzat: Actually, it all started with a trip to the Djerid, the quasi desert of southwest Tunisia. With my colleague Gianna Greco (Editor’s note: the other half of the Putan Club duo, with François), we temporarily settled in a town called Tozeur to shoot a film. We met people from this community, who are descendants of slaves of sub-Saharan origin and still practice a ritual called “Banga”.

As far as the industrial or post-industrial aspect is concerned, it was obvious for us. Because this trance music we discovered in Djerid includes an unheard-of violence. We had pogo-punk in the West, but Banga is on another level. The post-industrial ornaments a la Front 242, Nine Inch Nails and so on, that was a given. It’s very tribal too. Gianna and I keep the baseline, the instrumental and electronic additions don’t change the original structure.

Then it all became a movie, which we put on the Internet. People noticed it, including representatives of festivals like WOMAD, Peter Gabriel’s festival. So we had to form a band without denying our initial objective, that of creating uplifting music. Then, “Ifriqiyya” was the name of the territory of North Africa which the Berbers formerly occupied, and which gave its name to Africa.

Pan M 360: In the West, little is said about the slave trade in the Maghreb. However, it went on for centuries. It is a kind of taboo.

François R. Cambuzat: They don’t talk about it in the Maghreb either, because people are ashamed of it. It lasted for centuries, indeed, and the number of victims of this traffic was far greater than in the West Indies and the Americas. So the Banga is a syncretism, that is, it combines the animism of the people of West Africa, especially Senegal, with the soufic elements. Then, it is a therapeutic ritual in which women participate a lot; it is their moment of total liberation, where the constraints of the sharia are lifted.

Pan M 360: It seems to me an easy parallel, but the Banga evokes Santeria or Voodoo in the West Indies: a mixture of animist and Christian beliefs.

François R. Cambuzat: Yes, it is quite that, this baggage brought by the slaves of West Africa. In Senegal, there is this cult, this therapeutic trance called “n’döp”. It is very similar to Banga and, at the same time, to Santeria or voodoo. These rituals are also similar to what has become techno or dub, in their essence.

Pan M 360: Your songs also take the form of adorcisms, that is to say the reception, rather than the expulsion, of spiritual entities. It’s nice to have music that transcends mere affect or the desire to tap our foot on the floor, and brings the listener back to the spiritual essence!

François R. Cambuzat: Adorcism is for those who participate in the Banga, it serves to bring a spirit into them and then to calm it down. This is always in a therapeutic perspective for these descendants of slaves. This ritual is above all cathartic.

Pan M 360: You launched Rûwâhîne in 2017 and Laylet El Booree in 2019. Can we expect a new album soon?

François R. Cambuzat: We take our time. We are no longer at the age where we are amazed to see our name on pieces of cardboard or plastic! We try to ignore the usual constraints of the music industry.

Pan M 360: I can only support you in this. Then, your two albums are like portable masses or celebrations that we can listen to at will! Thank you very much François and have a good concert at Nuits d’Afrique!

François R. Cambuzat: Thank you! If you’re ever in Europe or the Maghreb, come see us!

Ifriqiyya Électrique will play Le Ministère on Thursday, July 14 as part of Nuits d’Afrique. Buy your tickets here!

Singer-songwriter, producer, and “moccasin-gaze,” artist, Daniel Monkman, recently released his Big Pharma EP. The EP takes on some of the issues surrounding the pharmaceutical industry, mainly, according to Monkman, dolling out the most addicitive drugs to Indigenous people like himself. He learned this after getting sober and began doing his own research.

Big Pharma is about exposing the lies perpetuated by the pharmaceutical industry and Monkman has now made it his job to shed a light on the nefarious origins and manipulations within the system. Musically, Big Pharma sounds a lot like the atmospheric indie-folk of Beck’s Sea Change era or more recently, Morning Phase. He also worked with Cadence Weapon to produce a more hip-hop-focused track. We spoke with Daniel about the quick writing process of Big Pharma, his research on the pharmaceutical industry for an Indigenous perspective, and his love of Beck.

PAN M 360: I really didn’t expect a hip-hop track (“Oil Pastel / Dopesick” ft. Cadence Weapon) on the new Zoon EP, but it really works.

Daniel Monkman: Yeah, that’s that’s what I’m hoping for. Hip hop is a big influence in my life and after I switched schools, I met some punk rockers and kind of went on a different path.

PAN M 360: So you think you could have been a Hip hop artist in a different life?

Daniel Monkman: Oh, totally. And I still can be, you know, I am. I’m getting more into production and writing songs for people that since putting out an EP have done a lot of other kinds of hip hop stuff. Mostly writing music for people. It’s kind of my way to get in on the music stuff going around.

PAN M 360: Is that how you worked with Cadence Weapon on the “Oil Pastel / Dopesick” track?

Daniel Monkman: Yeah that song was totally different. Not totally different but it had more parts and then I kind of simplified it. I did all the music and Rollie did all the vocals. The main parts. I did like backups and melodies.

PAN M 360: Did you guys talk about what the song was about or did he kind of freestyle it?

Daniel Monkman: I gave him the working song title, a demo version of the song, and he just kind of ran with it. I was really interested to see the stuff that he’s talking about based on just this song title that I gave to him.

PAN M 360: And there’s a central theme to the new EP. It’s not in your face, but even just in the song names, it’s about your experience with the pharmaceutical industry?

Daniel Monkman: Yeah. So it was my understanding that back in the day when the treaties were being signed, and my ancestors realized that the newcomers were not going to be leaving, a lot of our ancestral leaders got together and were like, ‘Okay, we got to start thinking about the future of our people, securing our place and society, and making sure we don’t fall too far behind.’ So they devised these treaties and within the treaties, came these certain privileges that other Indigenous people would be able to have. Like we would get free schooling, dental would be taken care of, as well as medicines. And over time, a lot of these things have been changed and manipulated. What I noticed when I got sober, was I started to wake up from the illusion of Canada and all that other stuff, I started to notice that the stuff that they were giving to us for free, or the only stuff that they were offering was the most addictive.

PAN M 360: Like pharmaceutical drugs?

Daniel Monkman: Yeah. And to me, that didn’t feel right. So I started to do my own research and started to uncover some kind of this ongoing genocide. We believe that because we don’t see a lot of it, this ongoing, contemporary, genocide is non-existent, but it’s very much alive. And I experienced that in my hometown of Southern Manitoba. And it was something that stuck with me, ever since I uncovered those truths.

PAN M 360: So you’ve kind of made it your mission as an artist with a platform to speak about these truths?

Daniel Monkman: Yeah to give out a piece of information where I can, and try to educate Indigenous people that may be going down the pill route is not best, and trying to go back to natural ways of healing your body and mind. The pharmaceutical company has such a tight grip on everyone thinking that pills are just the way to go. And there’s a lot of people that will argue be like, ‘Well, the pills work for me.’ And that might be true, but not in the long run. Not in the long run, because the actual healing that needs to happen is like so much more than just taking a pill.

PAN M 360: So why do you think that these subsidized drugs for Indigenous people are the most addictive?

Daniel Monkman: Well, it’s no secret that the Indian Act was to eliminate the Indian and make them part of society so that the government wouldn’t have to caretake for them anymore. But it’s not really caretaking, it’s more just like, paying your rent for a home that you invested in, they invested in Canada. And so the less they have to care take, the more profits they get to keep. What a lot of people don’t know is there’s been a huge trust fund that’s been put aside for Indigenous people. So a lot of this money doesn’t come from tax money, it’s actual money that the government has to come up with them themselves. Canada is a very wealthy country and when you go to a reserve, it’s like a third-world country.

PAN M 360: So were you a victim of this system? Before you got sober I mean.

Daniel Monkman: Partly. Addiction was just like the self-medication of being in the system, being in very racist schools, and being picked up by cops randomly just for walking late at night. And in that was post-traumatic stress and not having the right systems in place to help you. I mean, 12-15 years ago, mental health wasn’t a buzzword. So I found other ways to cope and that was substances. It’s amazing that alcohol is so easily accessible, but therapy is not.

PAN M 360: I wanted to talk about the song “Red River.” It kind of puts you in a trance of being awake and asleep at the same time. How did you find that atmosphere?

Daniel Monkman: I bought this old Casio digital guitar one day when I was with my friend. I took it home and I started playing around and I got into this trance of this like riff. And I took it to my close collaborator, Andrew McLeod, also known as Sunsetter. And we just like worked that out at his house. I did most of the instrumentations but he played drums and just like being in the studio is inspiring. It had vocal melodies and stuff like that and was a very pop song. It was like very, very pop. But I decided to take out all the vocals one afternoon and just hear how the instrument sounded. And I was like, well, this works better as an instrumental.

PAN M 360: So when did you write this Big Pharma EP? Was it right after Bleached Waves came out? You also had the OMBIIGIZI project [with Status / Non-Status come out after then.

Daniel Monkman: So this EP was finished very fast. I wrote it like three months ago. Bleached Waves was made in like 2017-18 and in that time, I’ve already recorded an LP Two, and three EPs. But this was the latest one in the batch. I was just sitting at home and recorded in a month. And it was a very fast process. I was feeling very inspired. It was just like Bleached Waves and the songs just kept coming out.

PAN M 360: That’s always nice when you don’t have to look for inspiration. It just comes to you. I get a very Beck Morning Phase, vibe from this EP. And I know you covered him once with “Round the Bend.”

Daniel Monkman: He kind of gave me the whole reason as to why I got into music professionally. Up until that point, it was my belief that I have to go to music school and become a classically trained musician, or I just didn’t even know … it just seemed so unattainable. Until I heard Mellow Gold. And I was like, Oh, well, I can just do whatever I want.

At the age of 18, a young woman from Lavaltrie moved to Montreal to launch her career. She quickly made a name for herself on the Montreal scene, opening for artists such as Milk & Bone, France D’Amour, and the late Karim Ouellet.

Léonie Gray’s voice is both atypical and rich in emotions. Some of her intonations remind us a little bit of Billie Holiday and Amy Winehouse. In her music, the 29-year-old artist navigates between pop, R&B, and jazz. For her, music is a necessary therapy, “It’s like breathing, my body needs it,” she says.

Under contract with La Maison Mère, she tackles various subjects through her songs: mental health, feminism, and interpersonal relationships. Last April, the Quebecer delivered Who?, her first album comprising 13 songs, including the already popular “Monster and Echoes.”

Pan M 360 talked with her about her presence at the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, her first album, and her creative process.

LÉONIE GRAY: I’ve been immersed in music since I was young. When people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I always said I wanted to be a singer. I always had that goal in mind and made it happen. I started performing when I was seven years old. I did every musical audition I could get my hands on when I was in elementary and high school. My father is a musician, so that always helped me. My parents have always been supportive.

PAN M 360: What does creating music mean to you?

LÉONIE GRAY: It brings me a lot of good. It’s a form of therapy for me. Sometimes there are emotions in my life that I haven’t experienced that I can get through by writing songs. I love recording, composing, and getting feedback from people on my songs. Music is a part of me, it is an absolute necessity in my life. It’s like breathing, my body needs it.

PAN M 360: The subjects you address are directly linked to current topics such as mental health. Has the way you approach them changed over time?

LÉONIE GRAY: I think so. First of all, I’ve gotten older and more mature. I’ve been able to apply that to my music. Over the last few years, I’ve realized what I really want to talk about in my songs. I need to have a subject in my songs and most of the time I talk about feminist issues. I talk about it because it is directly related to what I experience as a woman. When I was last at the FIJM, I dealt with lighter subjects than today.

PAN M 360: Other than current events, where does your inspiration come from?

LÉONIE GRAY: My inspiration comes from my own mental health as well as from my interpersonal relationships. I find that the relationship you have with others says a lot about who you are. This is an important aspect to communicate in my songs. I am also inspired by artists like Joy Crookes, from the UK. We deal with similar issues and I love her music. On the other hand, I also like Les Louanges. He has a different style than others and it’s exciting to see a local artist with so much potential to break through internationally. He has fun singing, you can tell.

PAN M 360: How have you evolved since your last participation in the FIJM?

LÉONIE GRAY: Between my last participation and today, there was the pandemic. Like everyone else, I’ve been in my head a lot. I have done a lot of personal work and I am more at peace with who I am and who I am becoming. I’m getting more and more comfortable making music that feels like me and that I want to hear. I don’t just make music to please anymore. I want to be proud of my accomplishments when I listen to myself. Also, I have made room for more vulnerability in my life, and this is reflected in my music. From now on, I give less importance to public opinion and I feel freer in my creation.

PAN M 360: What can we expect from your show this Thursday?

LÉONIE GRAY: People will be dancing and singing, that’s for sure. The show will be on a small stage. So there will also be more intimate moments. I want people to sit on the ground and enjoy those moments. I’ll be singing my entire album Who? as well as one unreleased song. I can’t wait to sing this new song in front of my family and friends. For several years I’ve done run-in shows and I’ve enjoyed seeing people’s reactions to my songs when they hear them for the first time. It gives me a sense of what the audience thinks and whether I like singing it on stage.

PAN M 360: Are there any artists you have seen or are looking forward to seeing at the FIJM?

LÉONIE GRAY: I really wanted to see Tash Sultana’s show. Unfortunately, I wasn’t available. Also, I saw Cécile McLorin Salvant and Kamasi Washington. I definitely want to go see Anomalie concert this Thursday. There are so many shows at FIJM and it seems like I want to go see them all!

PAN M 360: What is the influence of jazz in your songs?

LÉONIE GRAY: Naturally, there are certain chord progressions that attract me more than others. Very often it’s the soulful, jazz-like ones. I mix them into my pop musical structure. Also, using instruments like trumpet and violin brings me closer to jazz. In fact, people often link my vocal tone to jazz. I am often told that I do “pop-jazz.”

PAN M 360: How do you feel since the release of your first album last April? Are you working on any new projects?

LÉONIE GRAY: I’ve been wanting to release this album for some time. When it came out, I was very relieved. The feedback we got from listeners and the media was incredible. It kind of alleviated some of my insecurities. I’m extremely happy with the result. We have a little tour planned until February. It feels good to get back into the pre-pandemic rhythm and do more shows. There are several other related projects that will come in connection with this album. For example, I have a music video coming out soon for one of my songs. Of course, I need to create and I have already started working on my next album. Many beautiful things are to come!

Signed to Hot Tramp Records, Janette King released her debut album “What We Lost” in June 2021. Through the 12 tracks of this first album, the excellent singer mixes R&B, soul, hip-hop and pop. The song “Airplane” is by far the most popular, one year after its release.

At her next concert in Montreal, we can also expect to hear “new songs,” she announces. In addition, the Rest of Canada will be able to see Janette King perform four times, including in Ottawa and Toronto.

Pan M 360 spoke with the Montrealer to find out more about her presence at the Jazz Festival and the possibility of her international career if the trend continues.

PAN M 360: What led you to music?

JANETTE KING: I was born in Vancouver and studied dance and music. When I was young, I did several years of dance. I loved to dance and listen to music. In a way, this sport was my introduction to music. Then I studied Jazz. There, I deepened my knowledge of composition and musical arrangement. At that time, I started singing in a group called Boom Booms in Vancouver. We did shows in the United States, Mexico and even Brazil. Those were great experiences. When I finished school, I decided to move to Montreal. That’s when I started singing solo.

PAN M 360: When you create your music, how do you want it to be received by the listeners?

JANETTE KING: When I create, I want my future listeners to be able to relate to my music. I want them to feel that their own experiences are projected in my songs. I want people to identify with my music and for an emotional connection to be made between them and the music.

PAN M 360: In the past, you have done beat-making. Do you prefer to work with computer production or real instruments?

JANETTE KING: I like the mix between computer production and acoustic recording. I like to incorporate elements of the real world into my music. I feel like the magic happens when you find the perfect musical balance between the real and the electronic. When I hear an instrument and it’s not tuned properly, I can feel different and sing in a different way. That’s the great thing about recording with real instruments, it’s not always perfect. That imperfection is often impossible to recreate. Also, computer production can sound as robotic as it is perfect. You have to experiment and find what you like best.

PAN M 360: We are a few days away from your concert at the Montreal International Jazz Festival. How are you feeling?

JANETTE KING: I’m really looking forward to it. This will be my first show at a jazz festival. I’m honoured to be one of those artists who gets to be there. Many of the artists I admire have performed at the Montreal festival. This is the biggest accomplishment of my career. In the past, the Montreal Jazz Festival has captured my heart many times. I normally go every year. These days I listen to a lot of Robert Glasper, I’m really looking forward to seeing him play!

PAN M 360: What is your relationship with the city of Montreal?

JANETTE KING: Montreal is the love of my life. I love living here. Even though it’s not where I was born, Montreal has become my home. I have made friends with many people here. I love the city. It is full of energy and life.

PAN M 360: What elements of jazz music do you incorporate into your music?

JANETTE KING: I love improvisation. When I’m on stage, I improvise my melodies. I love being able to give the crowd moments that are created in real-time and are never going to be recreated. It’s like it’s exclusive to the moment. That’s what I love most about jazz concerts. It’s very interesting to go to a jazz concert and see and hear things that have never been done before.

PAN M 360: It’s been over a year since the release of your album What We Lost. How do you feel about this project? What can we expect from your next project?

JANETTE KING: I’m really happy with the reception of the listeners. Even after a year, I wouldn’t change a single thing about this album. And I can’t wait for my next one to come out! When I created What We Lost, I really went through a lot of inner workings and worked hard to get the sounds I wanted. For my next project, I’m surrounding myself with people who inspire me, I see them as guides to shape my new music. There will be a lot of retro sounds and synthesizer, I will also be drawing a lot of inspiration from Prince’s music. I hope to have this project finished by the end of the summer.

Before her set at the Montreal Jazz Festival, singer-songwriter, Tami Neilson, spoke with us about working with Willie Nelson, her firery upcoming opus, Kingmaker, and inequality in the country music industry.

PAN M 360: Where did some of the themes for Kingmaker come from? Is it getting better for women in the music industry or just the world in general? I suppose it’s hard to make the case for the US since the supreme court’s decision on Roe V. Wade…

Tami Neilson: I guess I tend to write about what I know and my personal experience, which is that of an Indigenous woman in the music industry. I use my music to keep the conversation of equality for women and people of colour at the forefront. Kingmaker particularly addresses the huge disparity in female and BIPOC representation in country music specifically but it all relates on a broader scale to how we are treated in society as a whole. Those threads have always been in my music but I feel as things grow more dire and equality seems to be taking steps backward instead of forwards, it’s more important than ever to sing the songs of empowerment and encouragement. Taking up space in this world as a woman is a form of protest.

PAN M 360: I get a huge Nancy Sinatra inspiration from the songs “Kingmaker” and Baby, You’re a Gun.” I think it’s because of the string arrangements.

Tami Neilson: The Nancy and Lee albums were a big inspiration sonically for this album, as were Ennio Morricone and Bobby Gentry. I wanted this album to follow the cinematic arc of a story, like a movie soundtrack, rather than just adhering to one style of music.

PAN M 360: You’re originally from Toronto, but live in New Zealand. How is the support for your style of music there?

Tami Neilson: I love the music community here and the arts are well supported by our govt, as they are in Canada- but there is no radio play or mainstream platform for my genre of music (country/Americana) like there is for Pop here. It’s a good thing I can reach my audience directly these days and they sell out my shows and push my albums to the top of the charts…but it would be really nice to enjoy the support that the pop acts get.

PAN M 360: “The King Of Country Music,” seems like a bunch of memories from your start as a musician, singing with Kitty Wells, perhaps opening for Johnny Cash? Is that song about the women behind country music or the women who helped usher in the kings of country music?

Tami Neilson: That song is like a capsule autobiography of my journey in country music since I was a child. It addresses there being a lack of women played on country radio (only 13% of country radio is made up of women) and asks a question that hopefully keeps the conversation of inequality in country music going and makes people reflect on that question.

PAN M 360: “Beyond the Stars” features a duet with Willie Nelson. How did you manage to get his presence and what was it like playing with him live? It must have been life-changing?

Tami Neilson: I still wake up every morning and check my phone to see if our song actually still exists because it feels like it was all a dream. We ended up meeting through his wife Annie when I was supposed to play Luck reunion back in March 2020 and the whole world ground to a halt. They moved the Festival online and I did three songs, beaming in from New Zealand and Willie and Annie were watching. Annie started to follow me on Twitter and interact with me quite a bit but it took a few months before I realized who she was! Our friendship grew over the pandemic and it took me about a year to get up the courage to ask if he might consider doing a duet with me, a song that I’d written about the loss of my Dad. He said he loved the song and said yes. The day he sent his vocals through I couldn’t stop weeping. The thought of what my Dad, a musician who built the foundation of music on which I stand in our touring family band growing up, would have felt and what his reaction would’ve been to Willie being his voice on this song was so overwhelming.

And then, finally, two years later, in March of this year, I got to fly to Texas the week our borders opened in NZ, to perform the song in person with him at Luck Reunion. I made it through the first verse and the chorus, but when he started singing his second verse I was a goner. It was so overwhelming and truly felt like a sacred moment.

PAN M 360: Did you have to change the song at all, key-wise or anything once he said yes and would duet on it?

Tami Neilson: I went into the studio not knowing for certain if he would do it, so took a leap of faith and listened to his latest songs and chose the most common key he sings in. It was a bit nerve-wracking with an 11 piece string section locking it in

PAN M 360: There’s a bit of pageantry in your aesthetic with this album (the glowing dresses and wild headpieces). Has that always kind of been your M.O., bringing more of a spectacle to the classic Americana Country sound and style?

Tami Neilson: My visual creative expression has always been just as important to me as the audio, it goes hand in hand with my music. Like Dolly, Bowie, Prince, Grace Jones…I’ve always been drawn to artists that create for both the eyes and ears. Whether it’s sporting a beehive wig custom made for me by a drag queen on my last album CHICKABOOM or a collection of crowns or headpieces for my new album Kingmaker, my visuals are always part of the story I’m telling. But, more than anything else, it’s fun.

PAN M 360: Would agree that it’s important to use one’s platform as an artist to be political or sing about some of the things they don’t view as right? Kind of like ‘sassing the patriarchy?’

Tami Neilson: To quote Nina Simone, “It is an artist’s duty to reflect the times.”

PAN M 360: How do you approach the live show, bringing these songs organically to life on the big stage?

Tami Neilson: I’m usually a real stickler for being able to recreate what is on my albums so my audience isn’t disappointed, which means I tend to keep things lo-fi and sparse, but when I created Kingmaker in the midst of lockdown, with no touring happening in the foreseeable future, it really freed me to make the album I’ve always wanted to make, without restrictions. Now, of course, I can’t tour with a string section every tour I do, so…we’ll be getting creative.

Vincent Peirani from Nice learned the accordion without wanting to: his father put this strange music box in his hands and didn’t really leave him any other choice. He began by complaining, saying that it was an instrument “for old people”, but nothing helped. And then, miraculously, he started to like it. And playing classical music at that! He won prizes, finished his very solid studies with flying colours, and then took up jazz, thanks to which he now has a reputation that borders on the cult. No musical style is foreign to him as a music lover and, wonderfully, he allows this open-mindedness to blossom in his music. In addition to classical and jazz, he also plays the accordion with flamenco, metal, hip hop, avant-garde, electro and more.

He is at the Montreal International Jazz Festival on July 4 for two sets in the Quartier des spectacles. He’s coming to present his latest album, Jokers, which is in many ways a turning point in his career. He gave us an interview to talk about it.

Pan M 360: when we read reviews of your albums or concerts, we often see comments like “it’s accordion, but it’s much better than what you think!’’ Is it tiring to hear these denigrating comments about the accordion?

Vincent Peirani : Well, no. You know, I had the same prejudices myself! When my father imposed this thing on me, I had a lot of bad images in my head! It’s old-fashioned, it’s for old people… But I’m happy when people “discover” it thanks to what I do. The surprise is even more pleasant.

Pan M 360: You incorporate the accordion into almost every imaginable style. No kidding, is there any musical genre that your instrument could hardly be linked to?

Vincent Peirani: Honestly, that’s not my mindset. I’m willing to try anything. As long as you can play, you can find a way to express interesting things. Being a musician is a job. It’s our job to find expressive and original ways of passing. Well, it’s true that some genres are more demanding to fit in, but that’s rare.

Pan M 360: For example?

Vincent Peirani: Hip hop. I listen to tons of it, I read about its history, its culture, but I had a lot of difficulty finding the right way to integrate my music and my playing into this universe. I had a rollercoaster ride of emotions when I got into it. Sometimes I felt like I had it, other times I thought there was no point in trying. But the guys I played with would say, “That’s really good,” but I was never happy. Every time I felt I was getting closer, the goal seemed to be getting further away! I have to say that I am very demanding with myself. But now I think I’ve managed to do it. I’m very happy and it’s part of my influences now.

Pan M 360: And yet your classical studies did not prepare you for such eclecticism. When you switched to jazz, did you find it difficult to separate yourself from the score?

Vincent Peirani: Not really. When you play the accordion, at least when you start, you have to play for popular balls and village dances. It’s almost an obligation. My father used to tell me: music is for dancing. I played a lot of things, popular songs, traditional pieces and all that. Through that, I learned to make variations, to ornament the themes, to turn around a bit. Then, when I joined jazz classes, I had to learn the codes, the language, but let’s say that from then on, it was a learning process like any other. The reflexes, I had already developed them in a way.

Pan M 360: You said elsewhere that the hard learning, as you received it, made it difficult for you to play “for fun”. What traces does this still leave in you and in your music?

Vincent Peirani: It’s funny that you should ask me this question because Jokers is an important marker in this respect. When we started meeting as a trio with Federico (Casagrande, on guitar) and Ziv (Ravitz, on drums), there was a clash of visions between them and me. Both of them were precisely performing in the notion of pleasure, of letting go, of relaxed improvisation. I was into control and the absolute preciseness of what was coming. After concerts, I used to say: guys, we said we would do it like this…. Yes, but that was Monday, now it’s Wednesday, they would answer me. Ok, but I had set things up, I had understood, now it’s not the same thing! They would still say: ah yes, but we did it differently, that’s all. Wasn’t it good? Well, yes, it was, but that’s not what we had planned. Oh, and that’s bad? Uh, no…. Then I started thinking, you know. And I changed. They did me a lot of good, those guys. I’m still preparing myself a lot, that’s for sure, and that’s good, but I’m much more in the moment when I step on stage. When we’re playing live, it’s the music of the moment that will be created, depending on the audience, the place, the emotions. I trust them and they trust me. That’s all. I’m much less stressed, and I’m having more and more fun! It eats away at your brain, the stress and the desire to control everything you know.

Pan M 360: Jokers is your first trio album, a format that has scared you for a long time, because of its powerful historical charge. What does it change for you to have successfully tackled it now?

Vincent Peirani: Oh, there’s a before Jokers and an after Jokers, for sure. Partly for the reasons mentioned earlier, but also because the spark that ignited this project was basically improvised. Me and my mates had a repertoire in this trio. Compositions, standards, etc. It was quite jazz, let’s say more traditional. Then, before going into the studio, I told the guys: we’re going to do something else! What? Are you crazy? No, no, it’s OK, we’ll do it like that. I’ve got a different kind of repertoire, more rock, but we’ll do it. And then, we found ourselves in the studio, without having had time to rehearse these pieces beforehand. We’d have a few minutes before the show, I’d explain the idea to them, we’d work on it for a while, then we’d record it! There’s a fragility in all this, but fragility is good. It forces you to be on the edge of your seat. And then, this repertoire is basically the soundtrack of my childhood. That’s what I wanted to play when I was young! Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails, etc. Now it’ll never leave me. I’m much more relaxed now than before. I had to make this leap. Besides, I found my way to “tame” the trio : Federico’s guitar can also go in the bass zone. And on top of that, I add some electro effects here and there, some clarinet, etc. It’s a trio, but a bit augmented, let’s say.

Pan M 360: It’s a very nuanced album though. It’s not plastered ‘’hard rock’’ from one side to the other. There are several changes of atmosphere, some ballads that are almost impressionistic ….

Vincent Peirani : Yes. An album is like a book. Each piece is a chapter. We tell a story. But we are not always in the action, or in the suspense, or in the psychological melting pot. A good story must vary the emotional effects and the rhythms.

Pan M 360: How did you choose the covers (there are also some of your compositions on the album)?

Vincent Peirani: I have a notebook, in which I put a lot of titles of pieces that I like. I listen to tons of music. I spend evenings and nights listening to lots of stuff. And when something strikes me, I take note of it. And I put the piece in my phone. When it’s time to think about a new album, I put on my playlist,on random, and then I get caught by pieces that say: yes, this would be good like this, and this like that. It’s mostly intuitive and emotional.

Vincent was pleased to make two recommendations for those who would like to explore the most amazing new generation of accordionists:

Charles Kieny, and his band CKRAFT (trash metal with accordion):

Joao Barradas, fantastic classical accordionist. A rising star:

When GWAR blew “The Horn of Hate,” Pustulus Maximus, the meanest member of the Maximus Tribe was summoned to Earth. Stranded in Antarctica since his Scumship was stolen, Pustulus Maximus has taken the lead guitarist role of the intergalactic alien rock band GWAR, since the passing of Cory Smoot (Flattus Maximus) in 2011.

Flattus Maximus returned to his beloved “Planet Home,” never to return to this mudball planet again. Out of respect to Cory, after the character Flattus Maximus was retired, Brent Purgason (Against the Grain, U.S. Bastards, and former Cannabis Corpse guitarist) joined GWAR’s ranks debuting with the band in a video on the A.V. Club, playing Kansas’ 1976 hit tune “Carry on My Wayward Son.”

GWAR has persevered through numerous deaths in their collective including singer Dave Brockie, (Oderus Urungus) – which left the group without any of its founding members. Returning to the killing fields, led by Blöthar the Berserker, 2017’s The Blood of Gods was an album that paid respect to the loss of Oderus and the struggles and triumphs that produced the new sound of the band.

The New Dark Ages, GWAR’s 15^th studio album and newest record could be the most diverse GWAR record to date. the album’s story involves GWAR, now lost in the Duoverse (“like the multiverse, but it’s a little shittier”), joining forces with a “murderous maven” known as The Cutter and fighting off living monuments and undead soldiers waging a New Civil War. The New Dark Ages is the second GWAR album after Brockie’s passing, and the third album with guitarist Pustulus Maximus writing and performing lead guitar duties.

Speaking to PAN M 360, from their fortress in Antarctica, Pustulus Maximus tells us a bit about the new GWAR record, the companion graphic novel The Duoverse of Absurdity—the importance of fresh blood, and the regression of our species into a new dark age.

PAN M 360: How has Pustulus Maximus guitar style evolved since hearing “The Horn of Hate,” and entering the ranks of GWAR in your debut with the band in Battle Maximus?

Brent Purgason (Pustulus Maximus): Battle Maximus was another healing period for the band, when I had joined they had the majority of the material written. I was able to contribute to tracks like: “I Bonesnapper,” and “Madness at the core of time,” but for the most part, it was kind of there. My initial idea was not to part from the Flattus Maximus style too much at first. Once we were able to do The Blood of Gods, there was more freedom; we were able to write that album as a band together. Today’s GWAR has come into its own sound, our newest record The New Dark Ages, is a continuation of that, another record we were able to write together—this one really has no outside trauma.

PAN M 360: GWAR is currently embarked on “The Black Death Rager World Tour.” It’s a very busy time for GWAR to bring the bubonic plague to us mortals. What can you tell us about this upcoming GWAR invasion and what can we mortals expect?

Brent Purgason (Pustulus Maximus): This spring tour is a great tour and we are showcasing some songs off the new record, but this fall is when we’re going to debut an entirely brand new show, a new storyline encompassing all the themes and ideas touched on The New Dark Ages. It’s also going to highlight the companion piece The Duoverse of Absurdity, a graphic novel that goes with the new record. This fall is going to be awesome.

PAN M 360: Can you talk to us a bit about The Duoverse of Absurdity; you’re facing off against vomitous incarnations of yourself. Will the new characters from the album or comic, like The Cutter, make their way into the new live shows?

Brent Purgason (Pustulus Maximus): I don’t think there are any plans for a character like The Cutter making it onto the stage, the idea for her was pretty broad—The Cutter represents taking self-harm and directing it to harm others, which is kind of what GWAR does. We harm everyone else, we don’t harm ourselves. I don’t think there’s any mention of that character in the comics but it was fantastic working with Lizzy Hale (Halestorm) on that song.

PAN M 360: I know Pustulus, that you and Lizzy Hale are acquaintances having appeared on podcasts together. What was it like bringing her into the GWAR fold to represent a character in the universe?

Brent Purgason (Pustulus Maximus): Bringing Lizzy Hale on was great. She’s an amazingly talented human. Her abilities far surpass normal human abilities for sure; she might even be from another world, like us. She was awesome enough to want to do this with us and we definitely appreciate her contributions. She took a very small part of a song and made it huge; we are forever in her debt.

PAN M 360: GWAR has always been a unique collection of artists and musicians. Merged under one roof in 1984 creating art on their own terms, it’s a collective very much split generationally apart. What is needed to continue such a visceral concept and keep things interesting throughout all these years? Is it the belief, love, and voluntary devotion to this art form that keeps GWAR going?

Brent Purgason (Pustulus Maximus): Very similar to Nosferatu or Elizabeth Bathory, GWAR continues to thrive on fresh blood. As long as there’s a good supply we’ll always be able to continue. It’s really one of GWAR’s biggest strengths. Not only are we an art ensemble, but the cast and characters continues to increase. By continuing to bring new and young members into the band we can continue forever. Not to mention we are always guided by the guidance of our elders.

PAN M 360: There has been a lot of heartbreak and devastation in the ranks of the GWAR family. Can we talk a bit about pushing through those darker and tumultuous times as a band and how you’ve got through it as a band?

Brent Purgason (Pustulus Maximus): GWAR is such a monumental force in all our lives; it doesn’t really become an option to quit. It would be like taking something that’s in every part of your being and trying to reinvent yourself into something new without it, it’s simply not an option. GWAR will persevere through any challenge, any tragedy it has to face, as hard as it may be at any time.

PAN M 360: Across the 15 tracks on The New Dark Ages, there’s an eclectic ability for GWAR to jump between genres while keeping its roots heavy. GWAR has never been a band who’s been afraid of genre constraints, bUT can you talk to us a bit about The New Dark Ages, these songs, and the metal genre of music.

Brent Purgason (Pustulus Maximus): The New Dark Ages, as far as stylistically things are considered, it’s all the same to me: Distorted guitar, offshoots of rock n roll, and heavy metal. You can say it’s an eclectic record, that’s fair, but to me, they’re all branches on the same tree. As far as the themes contained there within, humanity has trapped itself with its own technology. In doing so with the rejection of science and the rejection of knowledge, as a race, humanity has returned to the dark ages. There’s no light at the end of the tunnel. You’re regressing as a planet and as a species.

PAN M 360: Some concepts Blöthar the Barbarian expresses in The New Dark Ages have to do with lies, liars, and moral ambiguity. Over the course of a few tracks, he expresses how, “lies have become contagious,” how “ancient lies are recycled,” or GWAR’s hate of “Mother Fucking Liars.” How do lies represent The New Dark Ages?

Brent Purgason (Pustulus Maximus): “Mother Fucking Liar” is a very loaded track. It’s probably the track with the least amount of lyrics but the most serious theme. It’s not only about liars and two-faced political parties, it’s also about humanity’s obsession with cancel culture and not just the black and white view most people have. With cancel culture, you not only shut someone down but you prevent the ability for that person to ever grow by defining a being by a single action. This is fine for us because GWAR doesn’t care about the affair of humans, but we like to point out your flaws and rub your nose in them, which is why that song is important to us. In that respect, it also reflects politicians like Donald Trump and the war on the truth in the media—that you can present someone with evidence and they can flat out deny it, it’s true for both people on the left and right; they’re maniacs on both sides.

PAN M 360: With GWAR’s rich history of killing, dismembering, and maiming people which displease them are there any “Mother Fucking Liars,” getting the axe this time around?

Brent Purgason (Pustulus Maximus): President Joe Biden is usually the first victim on this tour. He seems to think he can hijack the GWAR show and use it as a platform for political peace. If you are not a member of GWAR and you try to get on stage with us you will quickly be dispatched and your bodily fluids will be on the audience in a celebration of your death.

PAN M 360: Can you talk to us a bit about the humans behind GWAR. In July, GWAR will release a documentary about the human thralls which make GWAR possible.

Brent Purgason (Pustulus Maximus): It takes a lot. By watching the documentary, you’ll plainly see how much of each person’s lives this band occupies, which is pretty much all of it. It’s very much who we are to the core of our character. The documentary does a good job showing that there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes and there is a human side to it. We are easily dismissed as a costumed rock band. We’re a theatre troupe makings its way in a rock and metal world, playing venues traditionally reserved for rock bands … No theatre or opera house is going to let us cover the hall in blood and guts, it’s really like Monty Pythons Flying Circus for us mixed with heavy and lewd political satire – it takes a lot of creative ideas and creative people to pull together and make these things happen.

PAN M 360: GWAR and the band Ghoul are good friends in the heavy metal world. The last GWAR concert I caught, I believe those maniacs from Creepsylvania opened for you. What did GWAR teach those young axe murderers, and was it fun bringing another band known for their bloodletting on the road with you?

Brent Purgason (Pustulus Maximus): Ghoul is great. They’re a band that apparently never learned all the lessons GWAR has tried to teach them and they’ve repeated the very same mistakes GWAR has made time and again on the road. It is hilarious to watch. GWAR used to tour in a school bus, but it broke down all the time and didn’t go very fast. Ghoul thought it was a good idea to tour in a similar bus and it’s currently stranded in the middle of Wyoming. It didn’t survive one tour. Hilarious—because it’s not our problem, but if it was up to us, we would only tour with Ghoul. They’re more so a heavy metal band, the theatrics are important to them, but they’re not spilling the same amount of blood as us onstage.

PAN M 360: How important is showering to you after a GWAR show?

Brent Purgason (Pustulus Maximus): It’s definitely important to me. I can’t go a single day without showering—it’s about hygiene and staying healthy on the road. There’s this thing imbedded in some people’s heads that they have to live up to their punk rock street cred and be gross all the time, which is fine but if you’re sick for a couple of days it could cause the company hundreds of thousands of dollars. It’s not just money we put in our pockets, but money to pay for the bus, hotel, production, trucks, etc. In my head, not taking care of your body is a bit selfish, but whatever we’re a rock band—you got to be ready to get your asshole licked at any time of the day so it’s good to take a shower.

PAN M 360: As the human thrall for Pustulus Maximus, I believe you’ve almost hit five years of sobriety. Congratulations on that by the way. Has it been easier to balance your busy work and life schedule with a clear head? How much has that helped you as a touring musician these last few years?

Brent Purgason (Pustulus Maximus): 100 percent. Thanks for paying attention to that aspect of my life and what I’ve been doing and accomplishing, I appreciate that. I wouldn’t have all the things on my plate if I was still out drinking and getting high. Some people can do it and stay in control others completely lose control. Drinking all those years I was a high-functioning alcoholic, I could still get a lot done but something I couldn’t accomplish as effectively or accomplish all the way to the best of my abilities. I’ve always been in the habit of putting too much on my plate, but doing this now with a clear mind I’ve been able to now live the life I want and everything has improved so greatly. Touring with older people and watching some of your idols fall, made me think about how much I want to do this forever. Being sober and taking care of yourself is a very important step in the longevity of the touring life.

PAN M 360: I read recently that Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie said cocaine and champagne made her performances better during her time with that band. Are there any performance-enhancing drugs GWAR recommends to aid in the bloodletting, not necessarily the human thrall Brent Purgason, of course?

Brent Purgason (Pustulus Maximus): GWAR always recommends crack cocaine.

PAN M 360: Is crack cocaine the defining drug in the GWAR mythology?

Brent Purgason (Pustulus Maximus): It is, simply because Earth is the only place in the universe where you can find crack.

PAN M 360: Does GWAR have an opinion on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine?

Brent Purgason (Pustulus Maximus): GWAR does not have a political opinion on the Ukraine conflict, other than we would hope the United States and Russia will team up together and bring back the bomb, fast-forwarding humanity’s destruction on the face of the earth.

PAN M 360: What is your take, Pustulus, as the monster with the most skin lesions, on Monkeypox? How do you feel about this infectious virus infecting humanity? Making their skin blister and boil?

Brent Purgason (Pustulus Maximus): Hopefully Monkeypox will be a great sequel to Covid-19 and we hope to bring some back and cultivate it in the United States when we return from Europe this summer.

PAN M 360: Pustulus you’ve personally killed both Santa Claus and Jesus Christ. Does GWAR still celebrate the holiday season after you massacred the two most important Christmas deities?

Brent Purgason (Pustulus Maximus): GWAR are very much into the spirit of receiving around the Christmas season. We never feel very spiritual but New Year’s Eve is always a good time for GWAR to celebrate and try to cause the potential end of the world. That’s why we have our new alcoholic beverages for sale, there’s nothing planned yet but hopefully, something will be in the works.

PAN M 360: There’s so much going on in the world of GWAR right now. Is there any last thing GWAR would like to say to humanity in these new dark ages?

Brent Purgason (Pustulus Maximus): Europe this summer, then the USA in the fall. We’ll be recording something secret in the background that we can’t talk to you about yet, but there’s always something new coming out in the GWAR universe.

After “Free Grillz”, a noticed single released last April, Magi Merlin continues her rise with the Gone Girl EP, her most accomplished project to date. For this second EP, the singer-songwriter skilfully and creatively picks from R&B, soul, hip-hop, and house music of the 1990s. The lyrics that the Quebecer puts on it are full and direct. Originally from Saint-Lazare, a white suburb, she addresses her identity as a black woman, ordinary racism, and the anger it arouses. This EP sounds like an emotional discharge (catharsis) allowing the artist to assert herself. On the EP as on stage, the energy of the rapper is explosive.

We spoke with Magi Merlin as she was on tour in Europe. After a European tour with several sold-out dates, Magi Merlin will delight the audience at the Montreal International Jazz Festival (July 8) and the Quebec Summer Festival (July 16). Two dates not to be missed.

PAN M 360: With Gone Girl, you don’t hesitate to reappropriate some hip-hop codes, your energy transpires assurance and confidence, “Free Grillz” and “Children of Fate” both sound more raw: the people who know your previous releases will certainly see an evolution, musically and aesthetically speaking. What (or what encounters in life) led you to take this artistic direction?

Magi Merlin: When it came to this project, I was interested in fully embodying a self-assured, confidently unapologetic character. It started with tracks like “Pissed Black Girl” where I was writing from a perspective of anger instead of sadness (which was my go-to emotion for while) and there was a lot of power in that. For the rest of the songs, “Free Grillz,” “Children of Fate,” and “Milkweed” all have this unapologetic tone. Being able to just write without fear was something that was really inspiring.

“Free Grillz” by Magi Merlin

PAN M 360: I understand the idea of contrast (opposition even) between music and lyrics is central to “Pissed Black Girl.” Why this choice, and what does this creative approach bring to the track?

Magi Merlin: I really loved the fact that the message and music of the track don’t initially feel cohesive with each other but they actually complement each other quite well. At the end of the day, that song is about taking power and using it to speak your mind. expressing discontentment or disappointment doesn’t have to be negative. I liked that the instrumental of “Pissed Black Girl” has this carefree energy. Voicing our anger is step one after that the job we have to do is to let that anger go. To hold onto anger and sadness amongst other heavier emotions weighs yourself down, you can feel angry but after a while, it’s time to dance.

“Pissed Black Girl” – Magi Merlin

PAN M 360: It’s true Gone Girl feels like a mixtape (short tracks with strong identities, interludes), was it intentional? How did you build this EP?

Magi Merlin: I wanted Gone Girl to live within its own universe. I wanted that character that I was trying to embody to live somewhere that I could access easily and that became the Gone Girl project! I suppose I always want my projects to feel cohesive and purposeful the way long-form musical projects often feel to me!

PAN M 360: Funkywhat (producer) and Walid Jabri (director) are longtime collaborators, what can you tell me about your work relationship with them?

Magi Merlin: What really defines the relationships for me is the effortlessness when working together. There is never a point where I feel unheard of or misunderstood. I’m also quite close with both guys on a personal level I think that also plays into things as well. I am able to communicate with them both outside of work and I think that aids in how we communicate as well.

PANM360: On the cover of the EP and in the clip of “Pissed Black Girl” you wear a splint on your middle finger, this detail caught my eye. What’s the story behind it?

Magi Merlin: Haha! well, for the PBG cover art I really wanted to have the title of the song written in flames on the front lawn. The only place that was feasible was at my mother’s house in St-Lazare, outside of the city. I had to borrow my partner’s car to be able to get the team out to St-Laz for the shoot so I took it the night before and had the WORST luck finding parking. The only place I was able to find required me to move the car by 7 am. The next morning I woke up early to move this car, mind you, I don’t drive often especially in the city so I was a bit stressed and stress makes me very distracted. I hopped in the car, looked for the keys, and found the keys (amazing) I’m ready to go. I go to close the door to leave without noticing that my entire ass hand was still outside of the car. So I slam the car door onto my hand. I looked and my finger looked pretty funny. It was kind of stuck in this bent forward position.

I waited another hour or so for everyone to get to my place, which was also around the same time my local Familyprix opened. I went to buy a little splint and the colour ended up matching my makeup. I had convinced myself that it was just a sprain or something it took another two weeks before I finally took myself to the hospital to check if it was actually broken (I was in denial) it was broken, my nail fell off, and everything.

PAN M 360: How do you feel about ending the Gone Girl tour in Montreal? How would you describe your relationship with the city and your audience here?

Magi Merlin: I’m always happy to be home, to be able to play for the people who have been supporting me and my music for years. Honestly, it’s always a surprise to come back home, play, and hear people singing my lyrics with me. It’s a shock every time!! I can’t wait for the next show!

MAGI MERLIN AT MONTREAL JAZZ FESTIVAL, JULY 8 , CLUB SODA

MAGI MERLIN AT FESTIVAL D’ÉTÉ DE QUÉBEC, JULY 16, PARC DE LA FRANCOPHONIE, 17H50