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WILTRUD WEBER:
A SOPRANO IN THE HOUSE!
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Couldn’t count those who told me along the years how everything’d been written as far as music is concerned… And God bless, the answer seems like nope, at least as long than emotion will be spreaded out of it! Not to mention the undeniable existence of people whose (open) mind lead to explore new territories. That’s exactly where are to be found both NYC-based Haitian DJ/producer Jephte Guillaume and German classical trained soprano singer Wiltrud Weber givin’ birth to one of the most beautiful although unexpected pieces of art around titled ‘Blue & Deep’… (Words: MFSB)
Servusz Wiltrud u. wilkommen hier an IDMW! First & foremost, I guess a few words of introduction as to who you are would be very much appreciated…
Bonjour Frederic. Thank you for having me here! Well, you could say in doing what I do I am living my dream, my passion.
Since I can think of I knew I had to express and share something through singing and performing. I feel I have at least two homes: Berlin and New York and I enjoy that very much.
Your models/heroes?
Hmmm, this question is not so easy to answer. I feel we have different heroes/models in different phases of life. In general I would say people who stay themselves and are true to themselves in whatever circumstances they are.
As a singer I definitively admire some of the great opera singers…I like Kate Bush’s singing style and music a lot and right now l love listening to Ofra Haza, Zucchero… all sorts of singers and musicians that touch something in me…
My personal hero is definitively my spiritual father who is not on this planet anymore.
I don’t think you’ll be offended bein’ told your background/profile is far from being the first one would ever think of as far as reputedly house or should I say world music is concerned…
Yes, absolutely ! For years I almost exclusively moved in the world of a Mozart, Bach, Haendel, Schubert, Schumann etc…as a solo soprano in oratorios and song recitals.
But you may guess, I sometimes ask myself what kind of music a W.A. Mozart would create today… I guess it then would be very innovative and pretty wild and I am sure he would use and enjoy all the new technology we have.
This leading us to the question as to the circumstances of your first meeting with Jephte (Guillaume) then what came to motivate both of you to collaborate?I was working with a brother of Jephte on a recording project and he right away thought that Jephte and I should meet. Back then I could already see that dance music combined with my voice would be an exciting thing to do.
As Jephte was traveling a lot all over the world, we didn’t meet in person for quite some time, but just emailed back and forth.
Then, last Spring I was at a performance of Jephte’s “Tetkale Orchestra” in “Club Love”, NYC. I was blown away by the energy, the vibe and the effect Jephte’s music had! Everybody you could tell got transported into a different, very uplifted state of mind.
I just knew I wanted to create something with somebody like him! Well, and I guess Jephte liked the idea of working with my voice and background too… It was obvious to us both that we would be a very unique “package”.
Did you both have an idea of your respective universes before meeting?
Jephte knew my voice from recordings and from hearing me perform live one of my “Global Cabaret” shows here in NYC. I knew some of his music and could see that he is a very special spirit, doing his thing, sometimes being a rebel… which always attracts me a lot.
You look like regularly comin’ to NYC. Have you happened to and did you feel like you had to experience the club scene there before recording with Jephte? Then if so, where did you go?
Before I started working with Jephte I actually never went to the big clubs. During the 4 years of my extended stays in NYC, I was hanging out much more in the NYC singer songwriter scene.
Then, per extension, what was your view/knowledge of the so called house scene before this experience and what is it after?
I have to say that the house scene was absolutely new to me.
Now, having had my first club experiences, it really feels like stepping into a whole new world with wide open eyes…
What I see and feel so far I do like a lot! It’s a community of open minded, free spirited individuals coming from all sorts of different backgrounds and cultures sharing the love of music and dance.
A place where you don’t have to behave or fit in a certain way, a place where you just can be yourself. What is especially exciting for me is to see how directly people react on the music.
You just can tell if something works!
Again, the use of your native language (German) may seem quite surprising, despite the existence of quite interesting pieces of music such as Culture Beat’s ‘Der Erdbeermund’ featuring Berlin cabaret singer Jo Van Nelsen or the much underrated Komtur’s ‘Hans Von Stoffeln’ which are both nearly 20 years old… One comment?
During some time in school I was like addicted listening to Klaus Kinski reciting “Ich bin so wild nach deinem Erdbeermund…” … I think Jo van Nelsen did an awesome job with that track!
Here as in the other piece you mentioned, you become aware of the special beauty and intensity of the German language which works very well together with beats and tracks like that.
Have you eventually thought of givin’ it an English sung version?
I didn’t think of it till now…why not, who knows…
Can’t help myself thinking of the Mediterranean sea but also of Luc Besson’s famous film called The Big Blue when hearing to your song. Coincidence???
The color blue, the ocean, deep blue eyes…all was there while we created that song.
I see this image: Jephte’s music is the ocean, my voice is a seagull flying over, in and out of it... coming together as the horizon.
Havin’ a listen to your performance brings us miles away from the ones of say the gospel trained singers. Where would you tend to see/locate the differences from your classical background perspective? The rhythm flow for instance? The breathe???The rhythm flow is different in a more classical style of singing and with the kind of lyrical singing I do on this track, a more “breathy” approach goes well along.
How did this experience with Jephte happen? Did he come up with music leavin’ you the freedom to write the lyrics ? Has this been the contrary?
“Blue And Deep” evolved from a piece I wrote some years ago. In collaborating with Jephte the most complete version was realized which ended in a whole new creation.
Should we consider this as one of the countless signs of the current globalization?
One of the very positive results of the globalization… The exchange between total different backgrounds and cultures leading to better understanding and less fear…
I understand this experience is goin’ further way with the ongoing recording of a full album to be released in a few months. How do you work with both of you based from one side to the other of the Atlantic?
Thanks to Internet, we can send ideas and tracks back and forth wherever we are …but we also spend a lot of time together in the studio in NYC.
One word as to what expect from it already by the time
speaking?
Something fresh and new, people probably haven’t heard before…:)
Does this give you the will to explore new territories like jazz, broken beat or eventually soul, not to mention electronic?
Yes….absolutely ! There is sooo much to explore…
Has this given you the will to get to know more about what’s happening in your country for instance, with labels such as Sonar Kollektiv and Compost to name a few???
Yes, thanks for the hint I will check that out !
How do you see this experience with the distance when back to your own classical universe?
It’s a liberating feeling having the opportunity to move in such outwardly different worlds …I love that! I became more courageous and free in daring to refresh the classical concerts with innovative elements that are more improvised and jazz… In the end though it’s always about music, being an open and well tuned instrument and making people happy.
What’s your surrounding’s view of this experience?
Working with Jephte is a very special, sometimes challenging experience full of surprises. I am very grateful about how things are falling into place.Everything is coming together.
I also feel that I am able to draw from my musical training and background and bring it into something unique.
Do you think whenever given the right exposure that an experience like yours could lead the said classical scene to explore new territories???
Sure…some of my collegues and friends from the classical world are very excited when they listen to “Blue And Deep”… They hear the huge musicality and musicianship in the track, and I know that some of them are encouraged to step out of their familiar box.
But there is also the other way round: In my concert in Germany last month I had some DJ’s in the audience who never before had been at such a classical event…
Thank you dear and most likely will go further way on this conv for the release of your album. Bis bald.
Thank you, Frederic, it was a pleasure… Bis bald! Wiltrud
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