5 Seconds Of Summer visiting Slovenia for the first time
After a long wait due to Covid, the famous Australian band 5 Seconds Of Summer finally performed for the first time in Ljubljana’s hall Stožice. The group performed in the Slovenian capital as part of their current tour in Europe, North America and Australia. Four Australians have become globally famous over the past ten years. They are conquering the top of the music charts, they have received a number of awards, their debut album has risen to the top of the charts in as many as 11 countries and they have sold more than 10 million albums so far. Now they have also come to us and their first arrival is connected with several attractions. For the concert spectacle, stage equipment was brought to Slovenia in eight tow trucks and the team came with five tour buses. In addition to a large light park, a huge sound system and a large smoke generator they also had 2 large lasers on stage to perfectly stage the concert. The group and the team need 5 backstage offices, 4 locker rooms, 220 towels… They also have their own kitchen with their chefs, for which the organizers had to provide all necessary connections and accessories in the backstage of Arena Stožice, as well as a large dining room. They also needed 80 kilograms of ice in it. About 200 people are working on the project, both the international team that comes with the group as well as domestic technical, security and other teams.
Do they believe in dragons? “It’s always amazing when we go to a country for the first time. Now, after a long lull, experiencing the excitement of the fans is especially gratifying, especially when we’ve released so much music. This is a great opportunity for us to soak up the culture and create a special night for the people, our fans, who deserve it the most,” said bassist Calum Hood about the band’s first concert in Slovenia. He also said that they will visit the capital during their stay in Ljubljana. “After almost two years of absence from touring, the band completely changed their view of touring. We will explore Slovenia as much as possible and time, we hope it will. We take such things as a kind of blessing,” he said. They visited Ljubljana Castle and the Dragon Bridge. The bridge obviously impressed them, or at least they found it interesting, as they also jokingly asked if Slovenians believe in dragons. At the concert, they added about Ljubljana that they are very far from their home Australia, but that they feel great here and jokingly added that they want to become the most popular Slovenian band. In recent years, Australians have no longer lived on the continent “down there”, but all live in Los Angeles. “We have created homes, with people we love, a space to calm down and to create projects that we want to realize. This is a place where we can rejuvenate and reconnect with each other,” he explained.
Plane and yugo roots They don’t talk too much about their private lives, but we nevertheless heard some interesting things from them that are not exactly known. Calum Hood, for example, loves painting. He has not yet prepared a painting exhibition, at least for now, but the other three from the group praise his talent and creations. The group has its own charity, Friends of Friends. “We are aware of the scale and influence we have as a music group and we want to contribute to a world in which people will be humane and empathetic. It is important for us to be able to help those in need,” he says about their work. He is also considering donating a painting of his own to charity. He is also surprised by the revelation that he has a pilot’s exam and that he also knows how to fly an airplane. If Hood is interesting because of the hobbies, an even bigger surprise is probably guitarist Michael Clifford. As he revealed, he also has Yugoslav roots. His grandmother was born in Belgrade. “I used to often joke that my grandmother comes from a part of the world that I will probably never see myself, but now I’m performing in these parts and I’m finally here,” he says. When he revealed part of his origins, the remaining 5 SOS trio immediately started joking that he really has a real, distinctive Slavic look. “I look at the audience and I see a lot of beautiful people. We Slavs are really beautiful,” he said to the Ljubljana audience, adding that although Yugoslavia fell apart, Belgrade, as a former part of it, is not that far away.
To be on the stage for several decades The group entrusted us with another of their great wishes. “We want to be, and that’s our plan, on the scene for several decades. Like the legendary Smokie or Rolling Stones, which have been performing for over 45 years. The prospects and our vision of the group’s mission are completely simplified. We love doing what we do and people like it. We want to be a multigenerational group. One that will last several decades, that will be fruitful for both us and the fans. One day, we really want more different generations in the audience, just like the two mentioned groups have,” Hood added.
They are from a continent called “down there”, but they are one of those Australian musicians who, despite the remoteness and small size of their country, managed to conquer the world music scene. Conquering the top of the music charts around the world, they are the recipients of a number of awards. 5 Seconds Of Summer are the first Australian musicians to have 3 albums at number one on the Billboard 200. They are also, among other things, the first Australian music group to have their first 3 albums at the top of the charts in America. It is also interesting that 4 documentaries have been made about them so far. For the giant concert spectacle 5 Seconds Of Summer will bring stage equipment to Slovenia capitol Ljubljana in eight tow trucks and the team will come with five tour buses. In addition to a large light park, a huge sound system and a large smoke generator they will also have 2 large lasers to perfectly stage the concert spectacle. The group and the team need 5 backstage offices, 4 locker rooms, 220 towels… They also bring their own kitchen with their chefs, for which the organizers will have to provide all necessary connections and accessories in the backstage of Arena Stožice, as well as a large dining room. They will also need as much as 80 kilograms of ice in it. About 200 people are working on the project, both the international team that comes with the group as well as domestic technical, security and other teams. They have performed almost all over the world and during last weeks they are on a 2022 world tour in Europe, North America and Australia. As part of this, they are coming to Ljubljana for the first time on 6th May, to the Stožice Hall.
What are you most looking forward to and are you happy to meet Slovenian fans? It’s always amazing to be able to go to a country for the first time. To experience the fans’ excitement especially after we have released so much music. It’s a huge opportunity for us to be able to soak in the culture and create a special night for the people who deserve it most.
Does your tour schedule consist only of concerts and hotels or can you sometimes take some time, for example, to explore the place where you are performing or have fun? After being away from touring of nearly two years the band has totally changed its view on touring. We know for a fact we will be out exploring as much as we can of Slovenia as it’s such a huge blessing!
You have been a band since 2011. How have you changed in the meantime? You are older, more mature and have more life experience. We have always prided ourselves on our willingness to evolve. Every album, tour and life cycle of this band is one where we can grow as musicians. This show were putting on is by far the most forward thinking of them all. We will continue to push the boundaries in the pursuit of creating greatness.
The first ten years are behind you. Do you want to be on the scene as a band for decades? Do you see yourself as the Rolling Stones or Smokie, both of whom have been performing for over 45 years? That is the plan! The outlook and mission statement of the band has been totally simplified. We love to do what we do and there are people who resonate with that. We want to be a multi-generational band. One where we can span over decades of time and one that is fruitful as much for the fans as it is for the band.
The group is involved in many charitable projects and organizations. Do you think that today, based on the general or current situation in the world, it is necessary for celebrities to get involved in charity and other humanitarian campaigns? We created a non-profit organization called Friends of Friends a few years ago. We realize the amount of reach and influence this band has and we want to be able to project an environment where people are humane and empathic. It’s important for us to be able to give back to those who are in need.
The tour is named after your latest hit single Take my hand. Does it have an even more concrete and deeper meaning, not just as the title of the song? Take My Hand is totally introspective. It’s a message to your past and present self from the form of your higher self. One that can be understood at any stage of life and circumstance. It’s a song you go to, to find hope.
When there are no tours or studio sessions etc what do you do in your free time? What do you do when you’re just relaxing at home? We’re all currently based out of LA. We’ve created a home that’s filled with people we love, space to quieten within and projects we thrive to accomplish! It’s a place where we can rejuvenate and reconnect with ourselves!
On
3rd February in Slovenia’s capitol Ljubljana will for the first time
perform one of the most famous tenors on the world, Joseph Calleja. Artist from
Malta with the voice and interpretation for which many believe is very similar to
great Pavarotti, talks in interview for Estrada.si web magazine.
We are doing our interview at the last minute, just before your concert in Ljubljana. Your schedule is full, you are in America, probably tired and there are also a few hours time difference, however we managed to reconcile. Are you always so professional? Its the life of an opera singer, made harder by Covid restrictions, many of which are completely silly. The pandemic has become endemic, at least in the several countries were vaccination uptake is high. I hope for everyone’s sakes that the various authorities realise.
You will perform in Ljubljana. Do you know any of your Slovenian colleagues? Have you performed with anyone before? I have encountered some very beautiful voices from Slovenia along the years. Looking forward to performing with more.
You have recently sang in a duet with your daughter. Were you just a father or also a singing colleague, an educator? When you are a good father, you have to be everything. Children are born perfect, it’s the parents job not to damage them as much as possible.
Do you think that your daughter might one day follow your footsteps into the world of music? Would you like any of your children to go to the opera? My children like to go to the opera occasionally. My daughter is studying music, albeit in the pop world. I try not to impose my art on them, after all they have to hear me singing all the time.
Mario Lanza was your big idol, you also recorded a record with the songs he sang. Have you ever wanted to star in a movie about him? You’ve played Caruso already. By your opinion, would the role of Lanza be ideal for you? My role of Caruso was very small and just a nice Cameo. I think that a movie about Mario Lanza is not needed – his life was a movie and we have plenty of footage of him in his various and great movies.
There is a recording of your duet with Bocelli on the internet. Have you ever considered recording an album of duets with opera colleagues? I have collaborated with colleagues but never for a duo album. Good idea! Andrea is a good friend and of the greatest and complete artists of our generation.
You also sing Strangers in the night, which is one of Frank Sinatra’s most famous songs. Some believe it is dedicated to Ava Gardner, who was his wife. Have you ever recorded such a confessional song yourself? Dedicated to a woman? How is to sing a song that became world famous in the performance of another singer? Is this a big challenge? I love Sinatra and Strangers in the night can be anything to anyone. Yes, I definitely am guilty of having some songs that remind me of some people in my past.
There are some world-famous opera stars in the generation before yours. Alagna, Safina, Frangoulis, Bocelli,… It doesn’t seem to be as much competition in your generation. There are great voices coming out – Freddie De Tommaso, Jonathan Tetelman, just to mention 2 great tenors with a bright future.
Years ago, Pavarotti, Carreras and Domingo made a big boom in opera with their trio. Why doesn’t anyone else do such things? Would you join to such a project? I have mixed feelings about this. I prefer to be involved in something different, after all, who can top what they have achieved? They were fantastic as a trio, and the Great Pavarotti, is truly missed.
What is the position of opera today, especially in connection to young public? Now that I have been singing for 25 years I think that, generally speaking, Opera is in decline. We need to focus more on young people, and make the arts important again in schools.
As a singer you are in your best years. How do you rate your voice, colleagues, competition? The only competition is with myself – I can be my biggest enemy or my biggest friend.
New generations of singers are coming. In your opinion, is it easier or harder for them to succeed in opera today than it was for your generation for example? Hard question – today opera is less popular than before, and to find jobs is also harder. A situation only made harder by Covid.
Your two foundations help singers from socially disadvantaged situations to study. You yourself are also a singing educator. How are you different from the educators you had during your studying years? I raise money for young artists, I don’t teach yet. Teaching is a very serious and responsible matter and my career doesn’t allow me the time to teach yet.
In one of your interviews you said an interesting thing. You said that you achieved things too quickly or too young. Why? And do you still think so? I started when I was 19 – my voice is intact and I never damaged it. But some roles and recordings I would have done better if I waited 5 – 8 years. Still, I have no regrets, as opportunities must be taken when they come.
You are the cultural ambassador of Malta, one of the directors of the European academy of Music Theater. Do you ever feel tempted to go into politics one day? For example as Minister of Culture? Never say never, but so far I have no intention to pursue politics.
You are opera super star, in private you have two children. Is it difficult to have a family and be famous face the same time? Is it hard to have a privacy and to take children away from media, fans? I behave the same with everyone. In the end opera singers are not movie stars etc.
Do you have any hobbies, pet,…? Too many! I love dogs, cats, have 2 aquariums. I also love scuba diving, trekking and perhaps my biggest love – wine from St emilion. My friend and wine guru, Michael Fermier Tabone, has introduced me to the amazing world of Bordeaux. Too bad I cannot drink it whilst I am on tour!
Famous French pianist Richard Clayderman has a new piano company since last year. The romantic prince, as he was named because of his magic fingers on the piano keys by former American First Lady Nancy Reagan, is listened during his rehearsals by his pet Villanelle. The one-and-a-half-year-old velvet beauty of the Rag doll breed almost always sneaks along to listen the sounds of piano keys. “Sometimes she’s even on the piano, on the keyboard, or on the music stand. I don’t know what other cats are like in terms of music, but mine obviously adores it. Maybe it calms her down, relaxes her or she just likes the sound of the piano keys. She loves evergreens, but obviously she doesn’t like pop and rock, ”says Clayderman exclusively for Estrada.si. Villanelle is Clayderman’s first cat. His mother, however, always had cats, and apparently he inherited a love for these animals, but Villanelle is the first cat he owns. Since he and his wife live in Paris again, he thinks that it is not the most suitable place for a dog there. They live in an apartment with a beautiful view of the city and the Eiffel Tower and for a dog they believe is not the best environment. Dogs and cats are his favorite animals. “My wife persuaded me to decide to have a cat. Now I don’t regret it at all. I used to have dogs, but there were no problems with the change,” he says.
A cat fan of the piano is a completely domestic cat. She has more than enough living space, as the apartment is large and she can take good walks during her wanderings. “At first, I also thought that, like some other pet owners, I would take her somewhere on a leash, but she doesn’t like it, so we gave it up right away,” he says. The Claydermans often play with Villanelle, preferring to throw balls and plush mice. She also loves the so-called cat climbing tree, which also has a bed. If she doesn’t like a leash, she likes to cuddle on Clayderman’s knees or in his lap and spend the night in couple’s bed. Otherwise, she chose a maestro as her own. Judging by the behavior, she prefers to be with him. She is very friendly in terms of importance and loves to nurture. She always hides the claws and does not scratch. The Claydermans take care of the cat themselves completely. If there is a situation that will be necessary, they will hire a cat babysitter.
“Even though she has her own basket, she’s happiest in our bed. God thank we have a big bed, haha! She likes to stretch as long and as far as she can,” he says. In the apartment Villanelle has access to all rooms as it is a clean cat and also does no damage. Last year, due to the situation and Covid, the Claydermans didn’t go on holiday, but spent time in Paris. This year, however, it promises to be different. They are planning holidays at Saint Mallo, by the sea. This will also be the first holiday for Villanelle. She’ll go with them, too. The holiday will be a test for everyone, for the Claydermans and for the cat. It will take a few hours by car and accommodation in a residential hotel must be arranged. Namely, to make the first trip and temporarily move Villanella to a new environment, making them want the best that can be provided in avoiding any inconvenience.
Spanish opera star Placido Domingo has received a number of different accolades and awards around the world in his fifty-year career. One of the honorary ones was awarded to him in his hometown these days. He became the honorary ambassador of the Association for the Dissemination and Promotion of the Spanish World Heritage ADIPROPE. The president of the association Ignacio Buqueras y Bach presented him a plaque and a copy of the book Cultural, Natural and Intangible World Heritage of Spain. Although it could be said that the tenor, conductor and artistic director of some opera houses is accustomed to awards and recognitions, his response to the awarding of the title of Honorary Ambassador was noticeably emotional.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, friends. To receive the title of Honorary Ambassador of Spain’s World Heritage from Adiprope and its president Don Ignacio Buqueras y Bach, in my Madrid, in this Teatro Real, which is so dear to me and to which so many experiences unite me, is something for which I am grateful with tremendous emotion and with a deep sense of responsibility. I would especially like to stress and appreciate the importance of your Association. Spain possesses a cultural, natural and intangible heritage of incalculable value. We are the third country with the most properties declared by UNESCO as World Heritage. Throughout my life and my career I have always been proud to try to make known – especially through our music – beyond our borders the beauty, sensitivity, integrity and character of Spain. Your promotion, help in the conservation and dissemination of our Heritage are an example of nobility, service and exemplary will. The honor you have bestowed on me today will always be with me and will encourage me to spread the treasures of our land with even greater strength, wherever my career and my life may take me. Thank you very much« he said in a speech. The Maestro was touched because of the reception of the audience and participants of the event.
Domingo, who still performs a lot despite his stage Abraham, will also
perform in Slovenia on Thursday, 8th July again. At the 69th
Ljubljana Festival he will sing to Slovenian audiences at a concert of his
favorite operettas. With guests, sopranos Sabina Cvilak and Saioa Hernandez,
they will perform a selection of compositions by Verdi, Puccini, Giordano and
Thomas and the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra will be conducted by maestro
Jordi Bernàcer.
Domingo has a dark, dramatic voice with a large vocal range. He has
performed in more than 140 different opera roles. They also achieved world fame
together with Jose Carreras and the late Luciano Pavarotti as the Three Tenors.
He has also performed successfully as an opera conductor for the past twenty
years and has also been the artistic director of opera houses in Washington and
Los Angeles. In the last decade, interestingly, he has mainly performed in
baritone roles. In Slovenia, he performed for the first time in January 2018 in
Arena Stožice.
Mikrofon je del vsakdana Jana Veharja. Preizkusil se je že tudi kot pevec, v glavnem pa ga poznamo kot radijca. Je tudi velik ljubitelj evrovizijskega festivala in je te dni podobno kot mnogi drugi oboževalci te glasbene prireditve v vznemirjenem pričakovanju. Evrovizijsko finalno prireditev in razplet namreč spremlja tudi službeno. »Moja prva Evrovizija v živo je bila leta 2014, tradicije nisem prekinil vse do začetka pandemije,« pravi. Njegova radijska evrovizijska pot se je začela zelo zanimivo in zanj tudi nepričakovano. »Svojo resnejšo radijsko pot sem začel v letu 2019 na Radiu Robin, ki je v tem času postal moj drugi dom. In če novince na radijski poti najprej pošljejo delat ankete na teren, so mene takrat poslali v Tel Aviv, kjer smo novinarji spremljali dogajanje neposredno iz novinarskega središča,« pove. O velikem evrovizijskem finalu poroča z vsakoletnega mesta dogajanja. Poročal je iz Kopenhagna, Stockholma, Kijeva, Lizbone, Tel Aviva in z Dunaja. Letos Evrovizijo spremlja preko online press centra. O Evrosongu je sanjal tudi pevsko, a želje bi se mu uresničile že s komentiranjem prireditve. Morda celo še bolj. Ker je njegova služba novinarska, ga seveda zanimajo tudi stvari, ki se dogajajo v zaodrju in ki so večini neznane ter nevidne. »Zanimivo je spremljati to veliko dogajanje z druge perspektive, predvsem, ko kamere ugasnejo. Tudi priprave same, režija,… in ostalo, česar v spektaklu na tv ekranih ali v dvorani gledalci ne vidijo,«. Ena od stvari, ki so ga na Evrosongu najbolj presenetile, so tuji zapriseženi oboževalci. Tudi naše, slovenske pesmi, namreč znajo na pamet in to v slovenščini. Na vse Evrosonge, na katerih je bil in poročal, ima lepe spomine. »Za medije je v času, ko ni bilo korona virusa, vedno bilo lepo poskrbljeno. Zato je sama izkušnja spremljanja tega tekmovanja s samega ‘ mesta zločina’ še toliko bolj zanimiva, saj si v neposrednem stiku z izvajalci, ostalimi kolegi novinarji, producenti … Najlepše spomine imam verjetno iz švedske prestolnice, ko je leta 2016 Stockholm gostil Evrovizijo. Spominjam se čudovitega starega predela mesta, odlične organizacije in gostoljubja. Švedi si vedno radi vzamejo čas tudi za kavo in klepet, hitro sem vzljubil tudi njihovo navado, fiko. To je odmor ob kavi, ki je bolj namenjen druženju kot pitju kave. In nekaj sladkega je tudi vedno dobrodošlo,«. Ti dnevi so zanj pričakovano vznemirljivi. Tudi sam je namreč navijal za našo predstavnico, veseli pa se tudi same finalne prireditve kot takšne, ki bo tudi letos zagotovo spektakel.
Pevec Anzhe se je v času korone, izolacije, bivanja doma, prepovedi koncertov in vrste drugih posledic zaradi situacije odločil, da je čas, da kakšno stvar naredi drugače. Ustvarjanje glasbe sicer prav posebej drugačno tudi v teh razmerah ni, razlika je le, da je ni moč predstavljati v živo pred občinstvom. Čeprav je korone tudi sam naveličan, je za Anzheta vseeno posebna izkušnja. »Leto 2020 je bilo vsekakor drugačno od prejšnjih let – naučilo pa nas je, da moramo vsak dan zajemati s polno žlico. Tudi zame je bilo stresno. Če bi mi pred časom kdo rekel, da se bo zgodilo kar se je, bi si mislil, da je znorel. Mi je pa dalo priložnost, da kot glasbenik več vlagam vase in v svojo glasbo, od tod pa tudi črpam inspiracijo za pesmi, ki jih ustvarjam,« pove. Sklenil je tudi, da se ne da čakati doma, kdaj bo vse skupaj mimo in se spremenilo. »Dovolj je jamranja, zase lahko rečem, da sem vesel in hvaležen, da živim v Kranjski Gori in da se lahko vsak dan sproti spomnim, kako lepo je tukaj,« pravi. Zato je v tem stilu nastala tudi nova skladba. »’Men si kul’ govori med drugim tudi o tem, da je čisto v redu biti drugačen, poseben in da ni nič narobe, če izstopaš iz množice. Ljudem je to všeč in moram priznati, da me takšni ljudje vedno prevzamejo. Osnovna ideja pesmi pa je seveda direkten nagovor punci, ki ti je všeč, ampak o tem zelo zgovorno govori tudi besedilo,« doda. Pošali se tudi o videospotu
skladbe. Pravi namreč, da ima tri osebnosti, kar glede na to, v kakšnih časih
živimo, pravzaprav sploh ne bi bilo čudno. »V spotu se pojavim v treh različnih
vlogah in sicer plesalca, fanboya in resnega moškega,« razloži. Scenarij snemanja se je zaradi trenutnih
ukrepov spremenil v zadnjem trenutku. Snemali so v gledališču na Jesenicah,
spot pa je nastajal zelo spontano. »Nisem želel, da je preveč klišejski. Ker
tudi skladbo spremlja pozitivna melodija s temačnimi sampli, smo se tudi v
videospotu odločili za podobno pot,« še pove.
He is one of the most famous pianists in the world, perhaps even the most famous, with career lasting more than five decades. Romantic prince, as his nickname is, is legendary performer with audience all over the globe. But Covid partly changed Richard Clayderman’s life too. Not in complete because he would never allow it, but anyway. What he’s doing during this period, what his life is like and some other things he told in exclusive interview for Estrada.si.
What are you doing during the COVID-19 pandemic? The first confinement started a year ago and we could not imagine that it would last more than 1 or 2 months. But over one year later we are still confined or semi-confined. We were able to go shopping and for walks in parks, but for no more than one hour. And sometimes it was not possible to leave Paris. I owe everything to the music and for the past 50 years I have been permanently on the road, either in France or around the world and this is the first time that I have been confined this way. Lucky I am that I could practise my piano every day for hours and hours and I could practise my scales with great pleasure. Like most people around the world I watched a lot of TV and too often the programmes on the news channels discussed the coronavirus, the situation in hospitals, future vaccines and there were plenty of doctors and professors talking about Covid. I was lucky to have my piano so I wasn’t too stressed and I had time to relax. I was able to watch movies that I hadn’t been able to watch. I watched some shows on Netflix and listened to some CDs that I never had time to listen to. So, for some time it was quite profitable for me to be confined because I was able to do things that my schedule would otherwise not give me the opportunity to do. I also devoted a lot of time to reading. I enjoy reading biographies of famous musicians, actors, singers, TV presenters and I read a lot of those, much to my pleasure. I have a cross-trainer at my apartment so that gives me the opportunity to work-out and to exercise to stay in good physical condition. From time to time, I was recording some videos for my English or Chinese websites and I did some interviews by video. When we were permitted to go outside Paris, I visited my mother at her retirement home which is about 100 km outside of Paris. So, as often as possible, I visited my mother, which is usually quite difficult for me because I am so busy, so I was happy to be able to talk with her and visit her. I remember about six months ago I was requested by my contacts in China to visit the Zoo de Beauval which is wonderful. My contacts in China wanted me to try to take advantage of visiting the Zoo de Beauval to take some photos with the pandas. In fact the French First Lady had welcomed these two pandas who were sent by China to live in Zoo de Beauval. My Chinese contacts wanted me to take photos with the pandas because pandas are so revered in China. But on this day it was not possible, because the pandas decided to hide themselves away. But I had the opportunity to visit Zoo de Beauval and I recommend it to anyone if they have an opportunity to visit France.
What about concerts and tours? What is the situation? When the confinement started, my concert schedule was tight. I had plenty of concerts that were due to be performed in 2020, and even now for 2021. Most shows won’t be performed until the third or fourth quarter of 2021 and hopefully many concerts will be performed in 2022. I am of course very much looking forward to performing on stage again. I realised that since I was 20, I have been on the road permanently. I realised that I had not been in France for more than 3 weeks in a row, and this is the first time that I have spent one year in the same country.
Have you created any new material? Of course I had time to work on plenty of new material that I wish to perform at my future concerts, in particular, a medley of very famous film themes, such as Superman, Gladiator, Out of Africa, Jurassic Park and many others, and I was also working on semi-classical titles, such as a lovely theme by Tchaikovsky called Waltz of the Flowers, which is a pleasure to perform, and I was also working on The Radetzky March, which I am sure will suit the show and delight people. I also refreshed some arrangements of my standard titles like Ballade pour Adeline, Childhood Memories, or Wedding of Love. Lately, I have been working on some new recordings which should be released on CD at the end of this year by November 2021. I went to the studio, and we were all wearing masks to avoid catching COVID.
Have you been experiencing something new during this past year? Not really, but something new that I did experience is my cat. In fact, my wife and I were wishing to have a kitten and she was delivered to us last July. This is a ragdoll cat and we decided to call her Villanelle. This cat is now near me every time I play my piano. Sometimes she is even on the piano or on the keyboard or on my music stand. She is happy to live with my piano, so she is my best audience at the moment. Any time we come back to our apartment, she is there waiting for us at the door and she likes to sleep with us on our bed.
How do you protect your health? I always make sure that I wear a mask and I avoid being in places with lots of people or where there is a crowd, and I don’t go into supermarkets where there are too many people.
What is your opinion of COVID and the measures? Well, it is necessary to protect oneself and I regret that sometimes people are not as careful as they should be. They don’t wear the mask as they should, they shake hands, they do not respect the distancing, they kiss each other when they greet each other and this is regrettable because the government sometimes has to impose stricter measures. Of course, on TV and the radio we can hear that some people are against the government when it decides on such a measure, some are in favour of the measures, others are not, people fight each other on TV shows… It’s quite interesting because people never agree. There are always those who are for and against the measures.
During the Autumn you will be performing in Zagreb. Do you plan to perform a concert in Slovenia? At the moment, I have no plans to perform in Slovenia because it’s not easy to find a date in my planning as November is extremely busy, and to combine availability in my planning with availability in the halls in Slovenia means that it is not easy to plan a show. But it is always a pleasure for me to be back in this country and the more I can perform there, the happier I am.
Tilen Hudrap o dvajseti obletnici na heavy metal sceni in neverjetni poti med največje svetovne glasbene zvezdnike
Eden tistih, ki bi lahko rekli, da je Slovenija oaza miru, je bržkone tudi Tilen Hudrap. Človek, za katerega je moč reči, da lahko živi dvoje življenj. V tujini je glasbenik, ki igra v največjih skupinah na svetovni sceni, doma pa najde mir, ki bi mu ga večina glasbenih kolegov svetovnega slovesa vsekakor zavidala. Kdo je pravzaprav Tilen Hudrap, Korošec, ki v tujini nastopa na velikih koncertih pred več deset tisoč obiskovalci? In zakaj doma o njem vemo pravzaprav malo, čeprav je uresničil sanje verjetno slehernega glasbenika o slavi tudi v tujini in postal eden od zvezdnikov svetovne heavy metal scene?
Igrate v kar nekaj skupinah, ki so znana imena na svetovni sceni. Pa vendar o vas doma vemo malo. Kako to? Na Wikipediji, denimo, ni niti vašega rojstnega podatka.Tako je. Pravzaprav so vse internacionalne skupine, v katerih sem igral (Pestilence, Testament, Vicious Rumors, Paradox, U.D.O) ne le znane, temveč legendarne v vseh pogledih. Moja trenutna skupina U.D.O deluje 36 let, pevec in vodja skupine Udo Dirkschneider pa je aktiven od leta 1968, prodal je preko 30 milijonov albumov. Nepredstavljive številke. V Sloveniji mojo kariero in pot pozna vsak, ki se resno ukvarja z glasbo in vsi poznavalci glasbe, res pa je, da se ne pojavljam na rumenih straneh in tračih. Tega nikoli nisem hotel in kljub temu, da srečam več dejanskih zvezdnikov kot vsi slovenski glasbeniki skupaj, tega tudi nočem. In da, kot ste omenili, svoje javno življenje sem večkrat zakril v tančico skrivnosti, v nekakšnem Devil Doll stilu, saj mi nikoli ni bilo do tega, da mainstream javnost trka na moja vrata na redni bazi.
Nekje sem zasledil, da je Hudrap vaše umetniško oziroma scensko ime. To drži? Ne. Hudrap je moj priimek, na slovenskem območju se pojavlja preko 200 let. Originalno izhaja iz Francije, v Slovenijo so ga prinesli Napoleonovi vojaki v času Ilirskih provinc. Moji predniki po očetovi strani so se ustalili na Koroškem v tistem času, po mamini strani so na tem območju od nekdaj. Moj dom je Koroška, tam imam celotno družino.
Kako slovenski glasbenik postane član slovitih zasedb, kot so U.D.O in druge in nastopa v več kot 50 državah, na po 100 koncertih letno? Z vzdržljivostjo, predanostjo, odrekanjem, vztrajnostjo, kljubovalnostjo in železno voljo. Metal je pravzaprav ekstremni šport. Recepta, kako, enostavno ni. Za to si rojen ali nisi in sestavine za recept enostavno poseduješ intuitivno ali pa jih ne. Vmesne poti ni. Ko in če odkriješ, da jih imaš, se ne smeš ustaviti pred nobeno oviro ali mnenji. Predvsem pred tistimi, ki ti hočejo dopovedati, da nekaj ni mogoče. Če bi se oziral na okolico in slovenske “nasvete”, bi še zdaj igral na Ravnah ali najdlje v Ljubljani. Na srečo sem vedno imel trdno voljo in še trdnejša prepričanja, nikoli se nisem podrejal nikomur ali dvomil v svoje sposobnosti. Pri dvanajstih letih sem rekel, da bom nekega dne nekje v tujini stal na odru z Iron Maiden. Precej nezaslišano, ko to izjavi otrok iz majhne vasice sredi Koroške v državi, v kateri niti en človek v zgodovini tega ni storil ali bil blizu temu. Sam v napoved nisem dvomil niti za sekundo in prav to prepričanje me je pripeljalo do pozicije, v kateri sem trenutno. Izključno to ter podpora družine in dolgoletne partnerice.
Letos boste obeležili okroglo obletnico, dvajset let na sceni. Ali pripravljate kaj posebnega v zvezi z njo? Takoj je, obeležujem dvajset aktivnih let v metalu, sicer se z glasbo ukvarjam več kot 25 let. Z obširno ekipo pripravljam dva biografska projekta, enega v video obliki in enega v pisni. Oba sta v začetnih fazah. Zaradi vsem znane situacije z globalno pandemijo je povsem mogoče, da bosta izšla leta 2022, namesto letos, kot je bilo planirano v osnovi.
Ozirajoč se nazaj, kako ocenjujete prehojeno pot? Ste kdaj mislili, da bo takšna? So se vam uresničili vsi načrti, želje? Je kakšna ostala neizpolnjena? Bi, če bi začeli pot še enkrat, kaj naredili drugače? Niti ene stvari ne bi naredil drugače, resnično. Prav vsak dogodek je imel in ima svoj namen. Prehojena pot je nerealna, a na srečo se je dejansko zgodila. Včasih se mi zdi, kot da pravzaprav živim v filmu. S Pestilence svetovno turnejo smo postavili veliko mejnikov, band je odigral najdaljšo turnejo v svoji 32-letni zgodovini, prvič smo nastopili v Gvatemali, Hondurasu, Kostariki, El Salvadorju, Peruju in Kolumbiji. Tudi v Evropi smo dodali mnogo držav, kjer Pestilence niso bili nikoli prej. Španija, Romunija, Škotska, Irska. Na letališčih v Srednji in Južni Ameriki nas je vsak dan pričakalo nekaj sto fenov, vsak dan so bile vrste fanov pred hoteli. Nepredstavljivi dogodki za nekoga iz Slovenije. Razmere in predvsem neverjetna predanost oboževalcev v teh državah je neprimerljiva s čimerkoli na tem planetu. Ponekod so čakali na bend, odkar ta obstaja, torej več kot trideset let. Ko igraš pred publiko, ki celo življenje čaka, da vidi skupino in ko odrasli ob čakanju na podpise dobesedno točijo solze sreče, so ti občutki zares posebni. Odre sem delil z vsemi največjimi skupinami na svetu, s skoraj vsemi ljudmi, ki sem jih imel na plakatih kot otrok imam prijateljske stike na redni bazi. Najsi so to skupine Uriah Heep, Smokie, Thin Lizzy ki jih je poslušal 45 let nazaj moj oče ali moji najzgodnejši vplivi na primer Destruction, Slayer, Kreator, Sepultura ali največje skupine vseh časov, kot sta Metallica in Guns’n’Roses. Lista je neskončna in predolga, da bi našteval vse. Tudi vse mednarodne skupine v katerih sem igral sem poslušal kot otrok. Uresničile so se mi vse želje, pomnoženo z deset. Skupno sem igral pred par milijoni ljudi od Sao Paula do Moskve, od Jamajke do Izraela, od New Yorka do Tenerifov in vse vmes. Ne le z eno skupino. Ko gledam nazaj je vse popolnoma nerealno, na to me vsakodnevno opominjajo fani s celega sveta, ko pošiljajo, predvsem zdaj v času korona krize, posnetke in fotografije z vseh preteklih svetovnih turnej. Najbolj ponosen sem predvsem na to, da sem vse našteto naredil izključno in samo s svojimi rokami, brez ene veze ali poznanstva. Niti v Sloveniji, kaj šele v tujini oziroma le s tistimi, ki sem jih ustvaril sam skozi dolga leta.
Zadnji album skupine U.D.O je v Nemčiji denimo v prvem tednu prehitel Lady Gaga, BillieEilish, Depeche Mode, Rammstein in AC/DC. Gre za enega največjih mednarodnih glasbenih dosežkov po Avseniku v zgodovini Slovenije. Zakaj se v slovenskih medijih ne poroča o takih stvareh pogosteje? Dobro vprašanje, to bi pravzaprav jaz moral vprašati vas (smeh). Slovenski mediji poročajo o tem, kar prija generalnemu bralstvu, o tem, kar prinaša tistih par sto prodanih kopij, zaradi katerih preživijo. V mojem primeru o vseh večjih dogodkih redno poročajo prav vsi glasbeni mediji in portali. O zgoraj omenjenemu dejstvu bi morali poročati vsi, to je dejstvo. A mogoče sem malenkost kriv tudi sam, saj v Sloveniji nimam PRja oziroma se ne osredotočam na tukajšnjo sceno. Tiskani mainstream mediji so druga pesem, zato v tem primeru še toliko bolj cenim vašo samoiniciativnost, saj ste me kontaktirali sami in izključno zaradi mojih dosežkov in glasbenega delovanja po celem svetu, ne zaradi kakšnega škandala ali negativne stvari.
Ta album je nastal v sodelovanju z nemško vojsko. Kako je prišlo do tega sodelovanja? Kako je videti združitev tako različnih glasbenikov? Vojaški orkester bržkone nima na repertoarju heavy metala, vi pa najbrž ne koračnic in podobno. Producent našega zadnjega albuma je bil dolgoletni glasbenik v orkestru nemške vojske, v orkestru je igral več kot 30 let. Na idejo je prišel on ter jo predstavil nam kot tudi dirigentu orkestra. Obojestransko navdušenje je rodilo plodne sadove, sodelovanje je bilo popolnoma naravno. Če je katera zvrst logično nadaljevanje klasične orkestralne glasbe, je to zagotovo metal, to bo potrdilo veliko število klasičnih glasbenikov, profesorjev, dirigentov. Zavrtite si Wagnerja in si predstavljajte distorzirane klasične instrumente. Album “We Are One” je bil prav zato izredno uspešen. Zajel je oba pola poslušalstva, hard rock/metal kot tudi klasično glasbo, oba žanra sta predvsem v Nemčiji globoko zasidrana v kulturo in dušo države.
V tujini nastopate na velikih koncertih, eden zadnjih je bil v Bolgariji. V Sloveniji vaša zvrst, torej metal ni razširjena kot denimo dalmatinska ali narodno zabavna glasba in podobno. Kakšna je pravzaprav heavy metal glasbena scena pri nas? Kako jo ocenjujete? V Bolgariji smo nastopili v antičnem amfiteatru v Filipopolisu, mestu, ki ga je ustanovil oče Aleksandra Velikega, Filip. Neverjeten dan in atmosfera, koncert je bil posnet za DVD izdajo z več kot dvajsetimi kamerami. Slovenska scena je močna, a žal ne tako kot je bila na prelomu tisočletja pa do nekje leta 2010. To so bila zlata leta slovenske metal scene, brez dvoma. V teh letih smo na slovenskem imeli kar 6 poletnih metal festivalov, od teh se je na žalost obdržal le en. Prihodnost je, kot pri vsemu, odvisna od mladine.
Domači glasbeniki, ne glede na zvrst, so že leto dni v nezavidljivem položaju. Tudi na svetovni sceni je korona zadala udarec. Kako se s situacijo soočate vi? Je v tujini morda vendarle kaj lažje? Ne, popolnoma nič lažje ni, vsi imamo stoprocentni izpad dohodka kar se tiče turnej, ki so naše glavno preživetje oziroma glavni vir prihodkov. Čas posvečamo studijskim aktivnostim, v zadnjem letu smo posneli 3 albume. Na srečo imamo močno podporo založbe, nekaj, česar mlajše in predvsem manjše skupine zagotovo nimajo. Vsem želim le najboljše, ker dobro vem, kakšna je situacija med valovi, ko nisi na palubi.
V glasbi ste izkušeni, imate kilometrino, poznate stvari. Kot omenjeno, ste tudi kritični. Vas kdaj zamika pot v politiko? Da bi kaj spremenili, naredili drugače? Ste človek za to? Ali pa za vas velja enkrat glasbenik vedno glasbenik? Ljudi spreminjam na dnevni bazi, po celem svetu. S svojo glasbo, ko sem na turnejah in z aktivnostjo/komuniciranjem s fani, ko nisem. Tega ne more narediti noben slovenski politik, le-ti se kvečjemu blamirajo. Ko se globalno govori o slovenskih politikih, se o njih govori skoraj izključno s posmehom. Politika mi je osebno nezanimiva predvsem zato, ker 90% “politikov” nima pojma o sami politiki, tudi preostalim desetim procentom se ne sanja kaj preveč o čem govorijo. Pred leti sem oboje preveril, deset samooklicanih politikov sem vprašal, če sploh vedo, od kje izhaja beseda “politika”. Nihče ni bral Aristotla, moje razočaranje je bilo pričakovano. Tudi sicer sta obe politični strani le dve krili istega orla in situacija je izredno žalostna. Več v tej smeri ne bi komentiral.
Pred izbruhom pandemije ste pretežni del leta zaradi nastopov in turnej bili v tujini. Živite tudi sicer tam? Ali je vaš stalni bivalni naslov v Sloveniji? Odvisno od situacije. Večino časa živim nomadsko. Moja druga hiša so hotelske sobe in dvonadstropni turnejski avtobus, ki je pravzaprav spremenjen v hišo, kar mi izredno ugaja, ker se rad gibljem po celem svetu. Potovanja so ob glasbi tudi sicer moj najljubši hobi, oboje združujem ne redni bazi. Ko nisem na turnejah živim v Sloveniji, da, tu je moja družina, moja dolgoletna partnerka in vsi najbližji prijatelji.
Kakšen je odnos ljudi, sokrajanov v domačem mestu? Bi rekli, da se je zaradi vaše glasbene poti in uspehov spremenil? To je zelo relativno vprašanje, moram reči, da je odnos vedno bil dober. Metal sem vedno destigmatiziral in ljudem poizkušal pokazati in dokazati, da stereotipi o “metalcih” niti pod točko razno ne držijo. Iz moje regije pa mi bližnji prijatelji sporočajo, da je ponos nad mojim nošenjem kovinske zastave Raven na Koroškem po celem svetu zastopan z več kot dobro mero, kar me vedno razveseli.
Kot eden najbolj prepoznavnih bas kitaristov v Evropi poznate tudi druge svetovno znane skupine, Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, Uriah Heep… Se kdaj primerjate s konkurenco? Kakšni so sicer ti bendi za odrom? Zvezdniškega obnašanja ali gre izza scene za običajne ljudi? Večji kot je band, bolj legendaren kot je band, bolj je prizemljen in človeški. Ko se v zaodrjih po celem svetu srečujem z največjimi zvezdniki vseh časov kot so Metallica, Guns’n’Roses, Queen, Iron Maiden,…multimilijonarji, ki imajo za sabo ogromne ekipe, se počutim popolnoma domače. Nikoli ne dajejo občutka, da so nekaj drugega, kot to kar so: v prvi vrsti glasbeniki. Za Accept in U.D.O so kot predskupine igrali Motley Crue, Ratt, Bon Jovi in drugi, na turnejah so bili s Kiss, Motorhead, Saxon in vsemi ostalimi največjimi skupinami tistega časa. Na tem nivoju “konkurenca” ne obstaja, obstaja samo medsebojno spoštovanje. Verjemite mi, večkrat sem doživel neprijetne doživljaje ali poročila s strani kolegov o slovenskih kvazi zvezdnikih, ki igrajo na študentskih žurih in radijskih piknikih, kot s strani katerekoli dejanske globalne rock zvezde.
Največji koncert, ki ste ga odigrali v življenju? In najljubši? Največji koncert sem odigral v Montrealu v Kanadi pred 75000 ljudmi z Thrash titani Testament. Najljubši koncert? Pravzaprav vsak koncert v Južni Ameriki. Ko igraš v Argentini, Braziliji, Peruju, Kolumbiji, Čilu, se nikoli nočeš vrniti, vsak koncert na tem območju je neopisljiv.
Kakšen je Tilen Hudrap zasebno? Kaj počnete, s čim se ukvarjate, ko niste na odrih? Kaj vas navdušuje, veseli? Je kaj, kar bi radi počeli, pa zaradi pomanjkanja časa ne morete? Tilen Hudrap zasebno je za bralca, ki pričakuje “sex, drugs and rock’n’roll” zgodbe precej dolgočasen (smeh). Veliko berem, pišem, veliko se ukvarjam z zgodovino, antropologijo, filozofijo, sociologijo, muzikologijo, jezikoslovjem. Arhiviram glasbo, delam na svoji liriki in prozi, ogromno snemam v svojem studiu. Na redni bazi poizkušam igrati čim več instrumentov, vsak dan se želim naučiti vsaj eno novo stvar. Živim življenje, ki sem si ga vedno predstavljal, zato mi je dejansko vsak dan blagoslov. Čas? Rad bi imel več časa za počitek, ker sem hiperaktiven po naravi se moji možgani redko izklopijo, včasih zna biti opisano dejstvo precej naporno. Vsega pač ne moremo imeti, kajne?
Ena najbolj priljubljenih slovenskih pevk Natalija Verboten ima te dni polne roke dela. Izšla sta nova skladba Ljubim in spot zanjo, podaja pa se tudi v nove izzive. Čeprav slednji z novo skladbo sicer nimajo neposredne povezave, bo tudi ta vseeno še dodatno poskrbela za reklamo. Natalija je namreč v novem spotu nastopila tudi v prozorni obleki. Radovednost, kakšno kolekcijo s svojim imenom je ustvarila priljubljena pevka, bo tako le še večja.
Če najprej potešiva radovednost, ki jo sproža vaša omenjena prozorna obleka. Je kakšen poseben razlog zanjo? Povsem preprost. Potrebovali smo nežno, romantično, posebno obleko in je bila ta bela čipkasta ravno pravšnja glede na skladbo, mesto snemanja, zgodbo… Ni prozorna, prej prosojna zaradi čipke, a ravno prav odkrije kot tudi skrije, da je zanimiva.
Pričakujete kakšne opazke, kritike… zaradi prosojne obleke? Slovenci se radi spotaknemo ob kaj, na primer v vašem primeru zaradi materinstva in podobno? Ne.
Kaj pa pravi mož na to? Je kaj ljubosumen? Rekel je, da mi zelo pristaja.
Ugibanja bo prav zagotovo spodbudilo tudi besedilo skladbe. Marsikdo bo pomislil, da gre za biografsko vsebino. Imajo pav? Pesem, katere besedilo je nastalo pod peresom Karmen Stavec, je posvečena ljubezni in vsem, ki to v sebi tudi nosijo. Je produkt navdiha in iskrena izpoved ljubljene ženske. Beseda ljubim mi pomeni vse, kar je Karmen zapisala v refren besedila. Napisala ga je pred dvema letoma na mah, po trenutnem navdihu, ki ji ga je dala melodija. Ideja se ji je utrnila kar med vožnjo domov, tako da je besedilo pravzaprav nastalo v 15 minutah. Pesem je posvečena vsaki ženski in vsakemu moškemu, ki so ljubili, ljubijo in bodo ljubili. Ljubezen je univerzalno čustvo, ki včasih premika tudi meje, ljubezen je gonilna sila sveta, umetnosti… Seveda je pesem posvečena tudi mojemu možu.
Video spot ste posneli v Piranu. Je idealen kraj zanj? Sama zamisel in režija videospota je delo Igorja Jelena Iggyja, ki je navkljub Covid času uspel skladbo oviti v nepozabno filmsko zgodbo. Redno spremljam njegovo delo na različnih področjih, tokrat pa so se najine poti končno srečale. Iggy je sicer Celjan, a se je pred nekaj leti preselil v Piran in ga pozna iz zanimivih zornih kotov kot ga turisti morda ne.
Po novem imate tudi lastno kolekcijo. Se veselite novih poti? Seveda! Zadnji meseci so bili tudi čas za razmišljanje o novih poslovnih idejah. In v tem tednu bo luč sveta ugledala moja prva kolekcija pod lastno blagovno znamko Natalijin kotiček, ki sem jo poimenovala Kolekcija Sivka. Zaenkrat bo vsebovala dvanajst unikatnih izdelkov s sivko. Vse od naravnih, slovenskih izdelkov za nego telesa s sivko do unikatnih ročno izdelanih in poslikanih izdelkov za dom in pravega ženskega parfuma ‘Natalija N°1’.
Korona se je dotaknila in vpliva na vsakega od nas. Kako se znajdete, soočate z njo vi? Kar traja in traja in vsaj zaenkrat ni videti, da bi se obetalo kaj boljše in na tako imenovane dolge proge. Z možem imava družinsko podjetje Bumerang, ki se ukvarja s celotno tehnično in dekorativno izvedbo prireditev. Imamo 4 redno zaposlene in veliko zunanjih sodelavcev. Prepoved opravljanja dejavnosti našega podjetja imamo že leto dni, upad prihodkov za lansko leto je 91%. Nimava težav s tem, da se tudi poslovno preusmeriva, ampak to ne prinaša dodane vrednosti naše panoge, s katero je povezanih tudi ogromno ostalih. Najino podjetje je del Industrije srečanj, v katero so se povezala podjetja kongresne, sejemske in prireditvene industrije. Smo namreč dejavnost, ki je že leto dni v blokadi opravljanja storitev, a bomo zadnja panoga, kjer bo prišlo do sprostitve prepovedi. V tem trenutku razmišljamo le v skupno dobro in čimprejšnjo rešitev situacije za Industrijo srečanj, tudi s pomočjo države in v njo ne dvomimo. Za direktno preživetje se ne bojiva, ker sva delovna človeka in sva skozi leta svojega delovanja poskrbela za neko finančno sigurnost. Mož je zelo iznajdljiv in je dejavnost našega podjetja v drugi polovici leta preusmeril in dopolnil, tako da se po novem ukvarjamo tudi s celotno tehnično izvedbo ter streamingom video konferenc, najrazličnejših dogodkov na daljavo, seminarjev, koncertov,…
Ste bili kje na kakšnih počitnicah, potovanju…? Z družino smo se veliko sprehajali po okoliških vinogradih, gričih, uživali na snegu v domačem kraju, skupaj pekli sladice, gospodinjili, urejali hišo, se ukvarjali z našim novim družinskim članom beaglom Donom, ki je prišel k hiši pred 10 meseci… Tudi to so počitnice, prav posebne.